With the rise of fast fashion, Linda Cabot Design is a breath of fresh air. All the elements of a single product are carefully considered, from certified organic cotton to recyclable paper packaging. They utilize digital printing with 100% biodegradable inks that showcase portions of Linda’s original paintings and are printed in small batches to reduce waste. Every piece is handcrafted in Massachusetts by local artisans who make a living wage in their craft all the while continuing traditional needle art methods.
After getting some house-keeping stuff out of the way Tania, Linda and I jumped right into discussing her company.
Do you find that there is a shift in understanding the importance of organic textiles in our society?
Linda quickly responds with “No!” followed by all of our abrupt laughter. She continues to compare the organic food industry to the organic textile industry, “People get it obviously with organic food” and suggests that it’s 20 years ahead of the organic textile industry in regard to public awareness and industry practice. Parents often have no trouble paying a bit more for organic cotton materials for their baby’s bedding and clothing, all the while ignoring the fact that they could be incorporating more sustainable fabric for themselves. It begs the question as to why not incorporate organic materials towards household needs for bedding, home upholstery, and tabletop fabric accessories. Linda wants to make this her mission, to bring the principles of sustainability and eco-friendliness to home decor and hopes to one day make her pieces accessible to a wider variety of incomes The process of shifting the public awareness about the importance of organic textiles in our society is slow, and Linda believes that over time, “People will become more aware especially of what conventional cotton is doing not only to the environment but to all the millions of conventional cotton farmers who are continually exposed to both pesticides and insecticides.”
Have you ever had to locate a new eco-supplier and found it difficult to do so? Are they more plentiful in this day and age?
Linda admits that finding and sourcing from a good eco-supplier can be hard and goes on to mention that sourcing something as small as organic linen or organic cotton ribbon used for packaging has its issues. Locating the right color and amount she needs is nearly impossible and has resorted to cutting the ribbon herself. She states that the main problem with eco-suppliers is that their price points and securing a fair price in which she can make a profit. She adds, “Organic cotton is more expensive than conventional cotton so finding excellent organic cotton at a good price point can be tough.”
With our researching and studying up on organic fiber, Tania asks if Linda has considered hemp since it will be legal to grow now back in the state.
“Yes, I love Hemp!” Linda mentions that her company is coming out with hemp backing for pillows for their incoming Fall line. Tania comments about her research on hemp and the discovery of a 50/50 wool blend that prevents wool itch. Linda points out that there has been a 50/50 blend of hemp and Tencel, pulp fiber from a eucalyptus tree, that has a silky feel to it. It’s still relatively early to forecast which materials will be best for her company, but there is hope.
What would you like to see in 5 years that you currently don’t do or have regarding your sustainable production processes?
Linda has been working towards bringing the message that a luxury item can be a beautiful product and be sustainable. She goes on to say, “So that people if they do have values about environmental activism or sustainability that they can also buy products that beautifully enhance their homes, items that are healthy for their home, the environment, and for the farmers that are producing a lot of these fibers.” The integration of thoughtful and sustainable design is an ongoing goal for Linda’s company combined with the education of their responsible sourcing and production practices. Linda indicates that Patagonia is essentially the holy grail of sustainable companies. She appreciates their multi-tiered approach to educating their consumers of the responsible sourcing and production practices and sees their methodology as a goal. She declared, “I think it’s important for companies to be responsible producers” and for them to be transparent with every aspect of their sourcing. The guarantee of organic cotton, Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS) certification is needed, though expensive. Linda goes on to explain the GOTS process, “Making sure that people get fair labor, fair wages, there are no children involved, no trafficking, and the workday hours are fair.” Global Organic Textile Standard International Working Group goes to the spots along the sourcing line verifying that all those qualifications are adequate plus making sure that organic measures are throughout the supply chain.
What would you say your company’s weaknesses are? Where are there opportunities to grow? What are some threats to your company?
Weakness: Cost, Linda admits that she wants her products to appeal to more than the top 1% who can afford to spend a little extra on an organic cloth napkin. She is trying to get the cost down on her goods to appeal to a broader spectrum of people. This is especially the case with her pricing of napkins, in which there is barely any profit made from them. Linda proceeds by asking “How can I get prices down with different sourcing or printers, even if it’s not organic cotton is there an alternative ?”
Opportunity: Linda comments on what an exciting time it is for organic textiles, “to be at the forefront of all this and I think it’s just a matter of time, 5-10 years this industry is going to take off!”
Threat: She acknowledges her frustration with the publics unfamiliarity around the difference between conventional “natural” cotton and organic. Conventional cotton is one of the dirtiest and most toxic crops because of its large use of pesticides, extreme water usage, and contaminated water runoff. In terms of organic cotton, “if you use the word natural, the people think it’s good for you or good for the environment it’s the farthest from the truth.” She makes it clear that the lack of education around true organic fibers and the misunderstanding of them is a problem. That confusion paired with consumers not valuing responsible sourcing practice or their impact is a threat to her company.
Continuing into the research part of this project, Tania and I will address Linda’s “issue” of material/sourcing cost and discuss consumer education. We will do further research on other fabric for the company’s products, looking into sources for hemp and Tencel blends. Finally, we will look into how to educate their consumer about the values of ethical and responsible sourcing.