Monkee Clothing: An eco-conscious climb to success
Started in 2007 by two passionate rock climbers, Marion Hett (34) and Ingo Walde (28), the Monkee clothing brand from Nuremberg, Germany has enjoyed a steep climb to success.
Monkee Clothing produces rock climbing clothing with a conscience.
Under the tagline “eco • fair • wear,” Monkee supports Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that advocate fair trade, sustainable production and environmental protection. Stay-ing true to their company mascot, Monkee has already adopted a couple of mountain gorillas in Rwanda through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.
Their responsible approach – together with a line of comfortable, stylish clothing – has just won the young company top honors at the 2010 Brand New Awards in the “Eco/Fair Trade” category, handed out at international sporting goods tradeshow ispo in Munich.
Young Germany talked to Monkee co-founder and head designer Marion Hett about the growing importance of sustainable processes in the fashion industry and how NGOs can make a difference in areas where politics can’t reach.
What was the idea behind starting Monkee clothing?
At first we simply wanted to make clothing for rock climbers who demanded something more stylish and geared towards young people than what was out there at the time. I’m a graphic designer and so is Ingo, and we set out to make a difference by offering cool prints and de-signs. Before Monkee became a “real” company in 2007, we were already printing t-shirts for our friends.
Why did you choose the monkey as your mascot?
Monkeys are great role models for rock climbers! The monkey in our logo is also a symbol for the preservation of endangered wildlife. Early on, we started adopting monkeys through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and we added some new gorillas just recently.
Did this environmental approach also influence the production methods for your clothing?
Yes, we decided to look behind the scenes of the industry to address some of the things that are going wrong in the production of clothing. We wanted to do things the right way, straight from the beginning. We wanted to build something that doesn’t prosper at the expense of other people. Something that can give back to nature and the people who are manufacturing it...
More and more people are becoming aware of unfair labor practices and the negative environmental effects of industrial cotton production. How do you address these issues?
In our production processes we work together with an organization called the Fair Wear Foundation. It’s our own responsibility to select manufacturers that run a fair operation. Then we report them to Fair Wear, and they conduct a monitoring of the facilities to make sure they meet their criteria.
Where do you produce your clothing?
We produce in India and Turkey, in facilities that have the [German environmental group] Naturland certificate. This means that the entire production chain, from growing the cotton all the way to dying and processing, is eco-certified. The result is a product that’s entirely or-ganic, produced according to high social standards. Some people may say that India is far away, but most of the cotton is grown there anyhow, so by processing it onsite, we actually cut out a large portion of the shipping distance.
What are the main materials used in Monkee clothing?
The main material is 100% organic cotton. Some of the more performance-oriented products for climbing are made from 95% organic cotton and 5% Spandex. Right now we are also looking into recycled material, like recycled polyester for some of the rain-repellent outerwear we are currently developing.
Would you say that today, the processes behind a product are just as important to customers as the appearance and functionality?
You support a number of Non Government Organizations (NGOs). Would you say that NGOs make a difference where politics can’t reach?
Well, it’s really a question of whether people need politics and laws to force them into doing things a certain way, or if they choose so voluntarily. I think there have to be laws to a certain extent, otherwise people would be too lazy to change their ways. But it’s also important for small companies like us to be able to approach organisations like Fair Wear with questions about production or processes. But I need to point out that it does cost money to be a member of these organisations!
How do you handle the cost?
We joined Clean & Unique, a collective of young designers based in Holland. We’re one of several start-up companies who share the membership fee to be part of Fair Wear. A mem-bership is about 3,000 EUR per year, which is a lot of money for a start-up company that you can use elsewhere.
Are consumers specifically asking for environmentally produced products?
Once people find out about what is behind our brand, reactions are always positive and it’s something people say they want to support. We are now at a point where we want to create awareness about the subject. It’s the same as with organic foods, for example – the information takes a while to settle in first, before people take action. But we also don’t want to point a finger and preach. We want to offer clothing that looks good and proves that “eco” clothing doesn’t have to look all ragged. Something that’s fun to wear, and you can wear it with a clean conscience.
How can consumers get involved to help protect the environment?
We have some ideas we want to communicate via our website, for example how people can go on climbing trips that have less of an environmental impact.
What are Monkee’s plans for the future?
For the 2011 season we want to release our first line of jackets. This takes a lot of development effort, and we’re taking it step by step right now to get it right. Another thing we like to communicate is a departure from “fast fashion” towards what we call “slow fashion,” which is far more sustainable. Instead of producing twelve different collections per year, we’d like to emphasize quality items that look nice and have some enduring appeal. I’m not saying that we’re doing everything perfect, but we sure are trying.
Marion, thank you for the interview.
Related websites:
Monkee Clothing
www.monkeeclothing.com
Monkee on FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MONKEECLOTHING/68103378237
Clean & Unique network
www.cleanunique.org
Fair Wear Foundation
www.fairwear.nl
Dian-Fossey-Gorilla-Fund
www.gorillafund.org
