Of the Earth

From the standpoint of sustainability, soy may be the most promising virgin fiber conceived to date.

Ziff continues to push the envelope in terms of introducing the industry to new and exotic yarns, all chosen in part for their environmentally friendly nature.

“There are thousands of acres of ‘green land’ that could be planted in cotton today and certified organic this season, and there’s no good reason why this isn’t happening.”

Of the Earth

Got Soy?

Richard Ziff and his partner Hélène Bisnaire co-founded Of the Earth (OTE) in 1992, beginning what they describe as a romance with natural fibers. They could not have started much smaller, making organic cotton clothing for children in a tiny shop in British Columbia. In 1997, as their line expanded, they began to source fabrics from China. A year later, once Ziff had become satisfied with the working conditions in the Chinese factories he had been visiting, they moved their entire production to China and began bringing hemp apparel to the U.S.

Today, OTE is headquartered in Bend, the heart of the recreation dense high desert of central Oregon. They now grow, spin, weave, knit and sew all of their clothing in China. Ziff has guided the company beyond the specialty hemp niche primarily by developing a variety of innovative natural fiber blends featuring not only hemp, but organic cotton, silk, ramie, and linen. They first exhibited at OR in 1998, and outdoor retailers now account for better than 60 percent of their business.

“Woven wear is still the foundation of our business, although we’ve added more knits through the years,” he says. “Yoga is key for us, and climbing wear has taken off in the last few seasons.”

Ziff continues to push the envelope in terms of introducing the industry to new and exotic yarns, all chosen in part for their environmentally friendly nature. Perhaps the most exciting of these is soy, a fiber extruded from the waste byproduct of the process of making soy oil.

Ahh yes, soy, the bean of many uses. OTE is believed to have been the first to bring soy and soy blends to the U.S. market when they debuted them at OR two years ago. For Spring 2006, fully ten percent of the OTE line features a 55 percent soy, 40 percent organic cotton, 5 percent spandex blend, including their popular women’s yoga collection.

How’s the fabric? “Like butter,” says Carla Laucci of the Two Rivers Trading Company in Northern California. “I love the drape and the wonderful hand. I own it, it washes well, it comes out of the dryer well, and it doesn’t shrink. But the hand is the selling point.” While hemp is still met with resistance in some parts of the country, soy has found quick customer acceptance. And from a sustainability perspective, soy may be the most promising virgin fiber conceived to date.

Li Guangi, a businessman, farmer, and self-taught scientist from Shanghai, spent thirteen years in his home laboratory and $4 million figuring out how to produce a fiber strong enough for apparel from soy. His company, Shanghai Winshow Soybeanfiber Industry Co., posted some $7 million in soy garment sales domestically in 2003. Look for that number to go through the roof. According to Ziff, the factory has some 4,500 acres available for expansion.

Here’s a cliff notes version of how it works. The soybeans are pressed into food grade oil. The byproduct of this process, which otherwise would generally be discarded, is what’s called soybean “cake”. The cake is brought into an isolated soy protein, and then rendered down to a liquid state. From there, the liquid goes through a wet spin process with the solvent PVA (polyvinyl alcohol). The process bears some resemblance to that used to make polyester, although according to Ziff, in the case of soy, it is closed loop. There is 100 percent recovery, no gray water ends up outside the process, and no polymer is discarded. Li’s factory is currently the only one of its kind in the world.

“The soy we’re using is non-GMO, and it is organic, but not yet certified organic,” says Ziff. “We’re looking forward to launching certified organic soy for Spring 2007.”

It’s clear that Ziff has developed a deep affinity for China and its people, and he estimates that in total, he has spent better than three years there since 1997 building relationships with the farmers, factory workers, garment sewers and management teams that bring OTE garments to market. “We work with a beautiful 10,000 acre farm that grows six varieties of fruit trees, 60 vegetables, and 20 nuts and grains, all sold as certified organic on the domestic market. They want to take the entire piece of land and turn it into a biopreserve; that’s their level of commitment to organics. We view the dozen factories we work with as joint ventures. Our management role varies from factory to factory. They’re seeing our growth, and the more business we bring them, the more receptive they are to change. By showing our commitment to them and to organics, we’re developing lasting relationships with both factories and farmers. Our approach is something the people really understand. They know it’s better for them and it’s better for their families.”

Ziff views the OTE approach to building long term relationships as what separates his company from many U.S. companies manufacturing in China and Southeast Asia. “There are a lot of companies out there playing the quota and duty rates. As rates change, they can go from country to country and save a lot of money. We don’t play that game. We are committed to our supply chain.”

With a little support from American apparel companies manufacturing in China, organic cotton could be poised to explode. “The reality is that we could be moving at ten times the pace we are right now,” says Ziff, who has used organic cotton exclusively for OTE apparel since 1992. “On our farm alone, we could multiply production by ten tonight. There are thousands of acres of ‘green land’ (land that has never been planted) that could be planted in cotton today and certified organic this season, and there’s no good reason why this isn’t happening.”

Back in Bend, OTE opened their first retail endeavor, the Of the Earth Company Store, this past Earth Day. “This will give us an opportunity to showcase our entire line under one roof,” says Ziff. “Being in Bend, where people identify themselves with outdoor recreation and sustainable living, the store will help us gauge the potential of new fabrics and designs.”

The romance continues.

(For more on Of the Earth, go to www.oftheearth.com. When in country, Richard Ziff can be reached at 541/317-9266, ext. 18, or via e-mail at rziff@oftheearth.com.)