Remember that super wacky Saab "Reflective Eco-Clothing" fashion show from the New York Auto Show? Apparently the reception was good because Saab is actually launching a line of organic and fair trade clothing. And we mean really launching, as in "not just a PR stunt at a swanky party" launching. Luckily, the clothing seems fairly normal and not reflective and funky like the duds from the New York Auto Show event.
The kick off of the clothing line compliments the 9-4x BioPower and 9-X BioHybrid concepts. Offerings will include t-shirts, jerseys, button-down shirts, women's dresses and eventually will include accessories like caps, scarves and bags. Yep, sounds perfectly targeted at those stereotypical Saab driver—everyone knows how those Saab drivers love their t-shirts. [Treehugger]
Saab Thinks Big by Acting Small, Introduces the "Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection"
New York — Saab has made a business out of producing fun-to-drive vehicles combining its Scandinavian design principles of form and function with responsible performance. Today, Saab is translating those values to clothing, launching the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection in partnership with the Swedish clothing design firm Reflective Circle designer Josefin Lassbo. The fashions were revealed at an exclusive pre-New York Auto Show party where the Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept car made its North American debut.
Putting the 'Pure' in the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection
Garments in the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection by Saab/Reflective are made from 100 percent ecological/organic cotton, certified by Skal International*. The mission of Skal is to offer certainty to the consumer that a product that indicates "organic" truly originates from an organic production process. The organization conducts independent surveys and inspections. Therefore, each step in the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection's production process must be taken with consideration for the environment. Fabric dyeing, printing and washing is done in an environmentally certified system.
The Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection is committed to the environment - social as well as natural. Social responsibility is at the heart of the commitment. The factories producing the clothing are committed to ethical practices by vigilantly adhering to standards such as freely chosen employment; no tolerance of child labor; payment of a living wage; healthy and safe conditions; and reasonable working hours.
"When Saab decided to launch a clothing collection, we wanted to do it in cooperation with someone who shares our mindset," said Knut Simonsson, Saab Automobile AB Global Brand & Sales Operations executive director. "This partnership is not only about design or fashion, it's also about having the same ambition: pushing an industry by innovating where other see conflict."
Little Things Mean A Lot
An innovative twist on the Scandinavian design principle of form and function is the Coroso Nut. The buttons in the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection are made from Coroso nuts. Coroso nuts come from Palm trees found in the rain forests. Using these nuts to make buttons is an organic, sustainable solution to fabricating synthetic materials to make buttons. It's a small element to be sure, but it serves to hold things together. "The benefit with the Coroso nut is that its harvest leaves the rain forest untouched," Simonsson added. "Even more, the use of the Coroso nut gives an economic use to the rain forest and so helps to protect the rain forest."
Performance and responsibility go hand-in-hand
Customers demand quality, durability and performance from automobiles as well as clothing. Saab and Reflective Circle both work to bring innovative solutions to minimize environmental impacts, while maintaining attributes which customers demand.
Saab has a 30-year history of turbocharging technology, which takes advantage of smaller engines to deliver higher performance and greater efficiency. Turbocharging, coupled with the use of E85 (85 percent bioethanol, 15 percent gasoline), termed Saab BioPower, fulfills the customer expectation of fun-to-drive, high-performance vehicles with the added benefit of enhanced performance and cleaner burning fuel. This is part of what Saab calls "Responsible Performance." In 2007, Saab was the best-selling brand in the flex-fuel segment in Europe with the 9-3 and 9-5 BioPower vehicles.
Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection by Saab/Reflective
The Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection by Saab/Reflective is women's, men's and unisex apparel and accessories. The clothing pieces in the first collection include T-shirts, button-down shirts, jersey shirt, ladies shirt dress and tennis shirts. Additionally, the line will grow with items such as caps, scarfs, belts, bags as well as pants and a business wear collection. All items in the first collection will be available late May for purchase online at www.saabexpressions.com.