 Q+A: Talking Sustainability with Gosia Piatek of Kowtow
(New Zealand) - June 2009
What is your favourite ecostore product?
"I use so many! The dish liquid is fantastic and you don't have to use as much as regular liquids. I'm also a big fan of the coconut soap."
Hottest fashion advice for winter?
"I love our winter collection loop scarfs. They are made from lush fair trade organic cotton, so they don't itch or feel scratchy around your neck. They come in a fantastic range of colours and really add something to almost every outfit. As you can tell, I'm a big fan of them."
What is the best sustainable tip you would give other fashion businesses?
"Ask lots and lots of questions. Ask your fabric supplier where the fabric comes from? What conditions is it made under? Is there certification that can prove to a westerner that the working conditions are fair? What chemicals are used when dying the fabric? Basically, if you don't know something, try your hardest to find out - one step at a time (don't overload yourself). The public are very receptive to change and solutions."
What is the worst crime in the fashion industry?
"I think there are too many to just name one. Here's a short list: plastic garment packaging, slave labour in cotton fields and factories, pollution from pesticide used on conventional cotton crops. There are two especially scary facts that made me choose the fair trade organic path. The first is that the World Health Organisation estimates that 20,000 people a year die in developing countries from pesticide poisoning and a further 3 million people suffer chronic health problems. Furthermore, cotton is the most toxic crop on the planet. While only three per cent of the world's farming acreage is cotton, cotton crops are sprayed with up to 25 percent of the world's pesticides and herbicides."
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