O Ecotextiles

Necessity. O Ecotextiles began innocently enough in 2004 when a Seattle woman decided to re-upholster her sofa. Leigh Anne Van Dusen found many fabrics that were sophisticated, but none that were environmentally friendly. She also found some that were green (mostly recycled polyester), but none that were stylish. Even the organic fabrics still used harmful chemicals in processing – bad for people and bad for the planet. Invention. Since no company was doing it, Leigh Anne decided to start a company that did. She enlisted her sister, Patty Grossman, an MBA from MIT who was a recognized expert in start-up companies. Together they formed O Ecotextiles, determined use modern technology to turn rare and revered old-world fibres into new and appealing high-end fabrics. They began to research their options. Research. Immediately, they uncovered some very unsettling facts. Textile processing is chemically intensive – this industry is a serious environmental polluter, perhaps the worst, and the residues left in the finished products are now being investigated for dangers to personal health. There was much more to be done than simply using organically grown fibres. Mission. O Ecotextiles wants to change the way textiles are made by proving that it's possible to produce luxurious, sensuous fabrics in ways that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable. They hope their example will inspire others to follow suit. Progress. Leigh Anne and Patty began looking for manufacturing partners who were green or getting greener and eager to work toward a cradle-to-cradle process of creating no-impact, perfectly safe, incredibly luxurious fabrics. It took some doing, but the two sisters found likely candidates in pockets around the world. Results. Three years ago, most textile people were polite but firmly unconvinced that anyone would care about sofa fabrics beyond how it looked and felt. One of the visionaries, however, was Emily Todhunter, who very early on saw the need. She worked with O Ecotextiles to create the Emily Todhunter Organic Fabric Collection by O Ecotextiles. Products. In addition to the Emily Todhunter line, O Ecotextiles is introducing a new collection featuring responsibly processed fabrics from mills and dye houses in Eastern Europe, Italy, Japan and South America. See the collection by contacting the General Managers at the locations below.