How It All Began...
I came up with the concept for the store after the birth of my niece Genevieve, a.k.a. “Vivi.” She was a preemie, and I found it practically impossible to find clothing for her that met my standards, natural or organic fiber and socially responsible. Just finding natural-fiber clothing was tough, so you can imagine that organic was pretty much out of the question.
The “Vivi Store,” as my niece calls it, is a small clothing shop (located in Ho-Ho-Kus NJ) for babies and children, designed around the concept of living green, reducing waste and supporting socially responsible companies. Everything at Vivi is made with natural fibers. We have a mix of lines that are either organic, handmade or made with recycled fabric. And most of our designers are doing something to give back to the global community. Whether it’s in the structure of their company and how it’s run, in their philosophy of giving back or in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, they are all producing fantastic products that are healthy for the planet and for the children who wear them. As consumers, we really do have the power to change the world for the better just by choosing to support the companies that are working to do just that.
Why Buy Organic?
Well nothing beats the feel of cotton right? At least that’s what the commercials say, but what they don’t tell you is that the production of conventional cotton uses nearly 25% of the world’s insecticides.
Not only does the production of organic cotton not involve the use of pesticides, it also uses a lot less water. This is because organic cotton is a rotation crop. When crops are rotated the soil maintains its nutrients and is better able to hold water in. Conventional cotton is usually the sole crop planted. Cotton depletes the soil of it nutrients, and leaves it less capable of absorbing and retaining water. Mass irrigation happens on regular cotton and uses 3,000 cubic meters more water per acre to grow than organic cotton. Most organic cotton is rain-fed, or creatively irrigated, meaning the plants are watered every other row. This may seem insignificant in a country where water is readily available to all of us at all times, but when you think about the fact that over one third of the world’s population does not have clean drinking water, you start to realize what a precious resource it really is.
Organic farmers maintain a balance between pests and natural predators through healthy soil and crop rotation, or using a variety of crops. By using this method of farming, pesticides aren’t needed because nature does all the work. Organic farmers also wait for the seasonal killing frost to defoliate the plants so that the crop can be harvested. Conventional cotton farmers use more than 200 different types of chemicals just to manufacture the cotton, including chemical defoliants which cause the leaves to fall so the cotton can be harvested. A completely unnecessary chemical that does the same job mother nature is entirely capable of doing on her own...without the use of chemicals.
Organic cotton is grown on land that has been chemical free for at least 3 years. And since organic cotton clothing is lacking in all harsh chemicals used to produce conventional cotton, it is a perfect for people with sensitive skin, especially infants and children.
Right now, only 0.5% of the cotton market is organic. You have choices. As more people choose to buy organic cotton, more will be produced making it more accessible to everyone! Better for the planet and better for all of us.