Introducing Patagonia

Contrary to many of the fashion brands we’ve touched on so far, today will be Patagonia’s time to shine. A brand perhaps not too common in Singapore (as they are catered to mostly winter/workwear) yet is one of the many prominent and upcoming ones. Patagonia can be easily recognised by its iconic mountain silhouette logo with a horizon as the backdrop; it is known as a brand that embraces corporate social responsibility and is big on sustainability as a whole.

Traditionally, fashion companies produce almost 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions and are the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply (McFall-Johnsen, 2020). It is also no surprise that as consumers globally purchase more clothes, the growing market for affordable and trendy clothing will take a toll on the environment. Approximately 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year, mostly to fill up landfills or incinerated. Clothing production is also a water-thirsty practice as it takes about 700 gallons of water to produce just one cotton shirt and for jeans it takes about 2,000 gallons of water. That said, many would wonder what is thus the difference between Patagonia and any other brands out there.

Patagonia’s Mission Statement

Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.

Patagonia adopts a circular business-model initiative. In 1993, Patagonia developed Synchilla fleeces which are made from recycled plastic bottles. It was the first-ever outdoor-apparel company to transform trash into fleece. The brand also realised that since most of its products were made from cotton (and thus responsible for damage to the environment), the owners felt that it was unacceptable to continue production traditionally. They then adopted the use of organic cotton and strictly stood by it – it was either organic cotton or nothing. Ironically despite the inevitable increase in cost, this risky move registered a 25% increase in sales (Rattalino, 2018).

Building on this effort, Patagonia had also provided incentives to consumers who return their old “Capilene” clothes; a type of baselayer that wich moisture and dries fast. It worked with one of its Japanese partners to develop a process that recycles polyester and thus saves about 75% of energy. This was Patagonia’s baby steps into taking full responsibility for its products made from birth to death, a fully circular business model that prioritises the environment without compromising on style and quality  (Rattalino, 2018).

Repair, not throw

To ensure circularity, Patagonia offers an “ironclad” guarantee on its products whereby it will repair all of its products at resonable prices. This was complemented by the “Worn Wear” initiative where Patagonia establishes a partnership with consumers and provides tools to enable them to keep their clothes longer. Instruction guides for reparation encourage consumers to elongate the longevity of their clothes and thus allowed Patagonia to gain new respect as a company that embraces sustainability  (Rattalino, 2018).

My thoughts?

Personally, I love Patagonia. The brand is albeit pricey but the quality is astounding, plus given the amount of transparency and effort the company has put in, I’ll give it to them. The pieces are simple but that’s what makes their clothing easy to match and wear and thus a very essential and classic piece in everyone’s wardrobe.

 

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