B The Change

     My happiest and most inspiring moments have always been in nature, especially when saddled up on a horse or in the water. When I was a young girl, my parents had a small farm on the bayou. Every chance we had, we would steal away as a family down to the farm, unbuckled and windows down in the big yellow Oldsmobile. I can still hear the birds chirping, see the turtles sunning, and feel the mosquito hawks landing on my arms. Almost always barefoot and with an adopted dog by my side, being outdoors with animals was my happy place. These unbridled and wild times are cherished memories of exploring, discovering and being in amazement with the beauty of nature.

     Yesterday as we celebrated Earth Day for all, we signed with B Lab to become a certified B Corp. We toasted our roots and commitment to Mother Nature and our triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit. And we also raised a glass to you, to thank you for believing in us and being (very) patient with our intentional “slow fashion” growth. 

     Believe it or not, back in 2011, the word “sustainable” was hardly used in the fashion industry. It was absent in the media, on company websites and especially on content labels. I knew we needed to push beyond the status quo. I had friends that said, “The consumer doesn’t care about sustainability”. But I cared, deeply. Already an early member of Italy’s Slow Food movement from my time in the food and wine industry, I had done my research and I was in “the know” on fast food and fashion, textile waste and labor atrocities and the immense environmental damage already being done. Growing up with receding and disintegrating wetlands due to industry off of Louisiana's coast, I spent years building a non profit and raising awareness about this fragile environment. I learned how petrochemical based fertilizers run off into the Mississippi River (and elsewhere) causing thousands of miles of hypoxia into the Gulf waters — literally huge swaths of unlivable water. As an avid diver and sailor, I was aware of our oceans continuing to be filled with plastic bottles and shoes, accessories and clothing. And the shock of climate change hit me in the late 90’s during dives in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, where coral bleaching from warming waters had already begun. In good conscience, I could not see any other way to build the brand aside from clean textiles, good practices for the planet and ethical and safe production. When I hired our team, I ensured our core values were in alignment and sustainability was woven in from the start.

    When I started Stick & Ball, the existing state of fashion was prioritizing a purely profit centric model and almost everywhere I looked, the content label read some form of plastic — whether it was knitwear, wovens, outerwear, sportswear, intimates and even most leather bags (even by the big luxury houses) — pure or partial plastic or plastic coated or plastic wrapped. Plastic was the overwhelming majority of the supply chain. And it was/is for a reason. 

     An example of how enticing plastic textiles can be — I fell in love with alpaca and in one of my initial production runs for some knitted hats, it was explained to me that if I incorporated a mere 15% polyester blended with the alpaca, I would significantly reduce the cost of my goods. Alpaca fiber (especially "baby" or "royal" grade) can cost anywhere from $20 to $40+ per kilogram depending on the quality. Polyester, a synthetic fiber, typically costs $1 to $2 per kilogram (sometimes even less at scale). That is a significant delta in material costs. 

     When I traveled to Milan to source leather and deepen my understanding of the industry, I was introduced to polyurethane-coated leather—commonly known as PU leather. It was the standard offering from nearly every tannery, except the few dedicated to traditional vegetable tanning. PU leather still dominates the market today, largely because it costs 10 to 20 times less than vegetable-tanned leather. By coating leather in plastic, the origin and condition of the hide become less important—scars and imperfections are easily hidden. The production process is fast, often just a few days, involving chemical baths, heavy metals, and a final layer of plastic finish. Many consumers can’t distinguish between full-grain leather and PU-coated leather visually, which adds to its appeal for cost-conscious brands. “Genuine leather” on labels can be compressed particles of chrome treated leather with formaldehyde and coated in plastic. The industry to this day does not practice full transparency. But we hold it, wear it next to our skin and after it is discarded, we breathe it and drink it in small, microscopic parts as it slowly breaks down into our ecosystem. 

     Vegetable tanned leather, on the other hand, uses organic compounds of bark and berries to tan leather and takes almost three months to preserve- the care of the animal is evident in the final product. They enhance the natural grain and continue to patina with time; they are not toxic to your skin or when eventually disintegrating into the earth. PU coated leather is $2 to $5 per square foot. Vegetable tanned leather is $30-$40 per square foot. 

     Short cuts in production and chemical based textiles are compelling if only analyzing the P&L in the short term, not caring about human and animal welfare or the rivers and streams surrounding the chemical and tanning plants, the workers’ health or our own health and the ecosystem for our children. The long-term costs of synthetic, petrochemical based textiles are paid in polluted ecosystems, compromised human health, and an increasingly fragile planet.

     Microplastic pollution now fills our air and waters, as well as our bodies and those of all of the animals around us. Hormone disruption has begun in humans and animals. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals from petrochemical based products, particularly from fashion and beauty, are a key contributor to decreasing sperm counts in men. By 2050, projections suggest that a significant portion of men will face infertility due to declining sperm counts. Factories have caved in and set fire with workers inside due to poor working conditions, lack of safety regulations, and pressure to produce fast and cheap clothing. Yesterday, (not tomorrow) we began facing urgent challenges that cannot be ignored in our fashion and food systems.

     My hope in sharing the data is that consumers will begin to make educated decisions about the goods they purchase. It is important to hear the whole truth and to begin your own journey in discovering what is healthy for you, your community and our shared planet.

     Becoming a Certified B Corporation means committing to a business model that balances purpose and profit, putting people and planet on equal footing with financial performance. Our new B Lab certification helps us and other fellow companies to identify areas of strength and areas needing improvement, providing a clear roadmap for growth.

      Ultimately, the future of our health and the planet rests in the hands of the consumer. By choosing products that don’t harm the environment and uplift communities, you’re helping pave the way toward a cleaner, more sustainable future for all.