Interview With Ian Yolles, Founding Member of Nau

Lots of companies talk change, but not many actually do it. The word “sustainability” is so trendy right now that it’s easy to lose sight of what it actually means. But there’s one company that’s really pushing the boundaries of social and environmental consciousness in the fashion industry, practically setting the standard for what it means to be “responsible” in the 21st century. That company is Nau.

Founded on the principle of demonstrating “the highest levels of citizenship in everything we do: product creation, production, labor practices, the way we treat each other, environmental practices and philanthropy,” Nau is a company worth watching in the coming years. While Nau retail stores are currently only located in Illinois, Colorado, Washington State and Oregon, 2008 will see openings in SF, LA, Denver & Boston, as well as new stores in Portland & Seattle. We here in NYC will have to wait till 2009 for our own Nau shop, but to give us a sneak peak Nau is having a sample sale event March 6-9 at the Openhouse Gallery at 201 Mulberry St. What’s more, 5% of every purchase from that sale will go to benefit Kiva, another PSFK favorite.

We were privileged to talk with founding member and VP Brand Communications at Nau, Ian Yolles, who gives us an inside look at the company, its philosophy, its process and its goals. Ian’s answer to the first question is enough to make your head spin, but goes to show just how much thought and work go into achieving true sustainability in today’s fragmented, global society/economy.

What goes into the making of a Nau product?

A lot. We take an extraordinarily considered approach to product design and development. We’re not satisfied to just buy a roll of “sustainable” fabric and make a garment in the same old way. Instead we start by asking a series of questions: How was that fiber produced? Can you prove it was produced that way? Where was that fiber produced? How close to the mill? What is used to dye the fabric? Anything on our restricted substances list? How cloes is the mill to the production facility? How are the workers treated in that production facility? Does the production facility comply with our Code of Conduct? Is the product designed to minimize production waste? What about chemical use? What does the final product look like? How does it fit? How does it feel? Is it durable so you can wear it for years? Is it stylish, so that you’ll want to waer it for years? Does it perform in the outdoors? In an urban setting? Is it multifunctional, so you’ll need fewer clothes in your wardrobe? Can you wash it in cold water and hang it to dry? Can it be recycled/composed at the end of its life? In short, does it combine the best aspects of beauty, performance, and sustainability without compromise?

It’s an exhausting process, and we often don’t meet all our goals entirely, especially in regards to environmental sustainability. We are far from being able to call ourselves a “sustainable” company, but it’s certainly something toward which we strive. We document our journey in the Grey Matters section of our website, so named becasue the path to sustainability is not always laid out in black and white.

What’s the philosophy behind the Nau retail model? Do you see this model being replicated across other industries?

We designed our retail model based on our observations of changing consumer shopping habits in the internet age. Nowadays, many people go to clothing stores and try on items to find the right size and then go home and surf the web to find the best price. Using this information, we created what we call our Webfront stores. Customers can come in and try on any style in our line. If they want, they can purchase their items and take them home, like a traditional store. But if they select our “Ship-to-You” option, they get a 10% discount on their full order and we ship the items, free of charge, from our warehouse to their home. This allows us to keep a smaller inventory in each store, which means we have smaller stores and spend less to build the stores and less on all the associated operational costs. In addition to the economic efficiencies of the model, there are also various environmental efficiencies, enabling us to reduce our overall ecological footprint.

Could this work for other industries? While there are certain aspects of the model that work particularly well for apparel, it is quite possible that many types of retail stores could operate in this manner. Judging by our customer response, we wouldn’t be surprised if others adopted the methodology.

Which other fashion labels or designers should we keep our eye on for things to come?

We began Nau because, as far as we knew, there were no other companies in the apparel market designing product combining beauty, performance, and sustainability. Many companies were excelling in one of those areas; a few in two. But no one was doing all three. The last thing the world needed was just another outdoor and lifestyle apparel company, but one that could combine those three aspects might just be on to something. So, in terms of our particular field, we still think we’re the ones to keep an eye on. Is that too prideful to say?

Of course, we’re far from alone in the marketplace of ideas. We do take a great deal of inspiration from designers in many fields, architecture in particular. We admire designers who are rooted in their craft but add a modern day, contemporary sensibility to their work, rather than the more common depersonalized approach. People that have provided us with inspiration include the architects Jacque Herzog and Antonio Gaudi. And of course Bruce Mau’s idea that design is about combining a multidisciplinary set of ideas as a disciple to create positive change is also of great interest to us.

Read more about Nau on their website, and buy something at their sample sale at the Openhouse Gallery, 201 Mulberry St., March 6-9.

Nau