April 12, 2013 (Powerhomebiz.com) The organic food industry provides a great example of what to expect with eco-fashion. Twenty years ago US organic food sales were $1 billion. By 2010 they had ballooned to $27 billion. The reason? A growing consciousness over what people put into their bodies, how the land and communities that grow their food are treated and the expansion of Whole Foods Markets, North America’s first mainstream organic grocer.
With organic food now a mainstay in grocery stores across the western world, consumers accustomed to buying their food organically have turned their attention to the origins of their clothing. And one of the main drivers behind the rapid growth in eco-fashion is the burgeoning yoga apparel market.
Yoga related sales in the USA have risen from $5.7 billion in 2008 to $10.3 billion in 2012 and a large portion or those sales can be attributed to the sales of organically grown yoga clothes.
Organic yoga clothes are made from organic cotton, a pesticide-free crop that relies on clever strategies like crop rotation to stay healthy. Other environmentally-friendly fibers such as Tencel (derived from Eucalyptus trees), bamboo and recycled polyester are also often grouped in with the organic yoga clothes category. The defining characteristic being that the textile is in some way sustainably grown, ethically sourced and/or possibly recycled.
Though yoga clothing pioneers like Lululemon Athletica and Gaim have not traditionally focused on Organic yoga apparel, a host of new up and coming boutique eco-fashion yoga brands may be making them change their tune. Brands such as Vancouver’s KOOSHOO Lifestyle Inc, Hawaii’s Lily Lotus and Denver’s Soybu are all engaging a new generation of customers with collections that feature only sustainable textiles. “As yoga teachers we saw the demand first hand”, explains Rachel Evans, co-founder of KOOSHOO Lifestyle Inc, “people are increasingly conscious of the materials they put on their skin, just as they are for the foods they put in their bodies”.
Yoga participation in America is forecast to continue growing at its rapid pace with organic yoga clothing sales at the forefront. As big brands like H&M and Victoria Secret move to capture some of the lucrative yoga audience, look for the smaller boutique brands like KOOSHOO and Lily Lotus to continue to drive innovation at a grass roots level. The horizon is certainly bright for eco-fashion and the yoga clothing industry as a whole.