Beauty, performance, and sustainability are
the three concepts that drive Portland, Oregon-based
retailer Nau to create hip,
functional, and environmentally conscious clothing.
The mission statement of this company, whose
namesake is a native Maori (the native New Zealand
language) word for “welcome,” is
“to combine the generosity of the human
spirit and the power of technology with business
innovation to increase shareholder equity, protect
the environment, enhance social justice and
provide humanitarian relief worldwide.”
Whew! Those are some lofty goals! So, how exactly
do they accomplish these things, beyond opening
retail locations? Quite a few things, actually!
Nau offers a wide range of women’s and
men’s casual and athletic apparel. The
company utilizes recycled materials in its clothing,
such as soda bottles and industrial scrap. The
cotton they use is 100% organically grown, and
the company also utilizes biopolymer fabrics
whenever possible. These are fabrics that are
created using agricultural sources such as corn,
rather than non-renewable resources like petroleum.
Nau has also partnered with non-profit organization
Verité to audit their
manufacturing facilities for human rights violations
and work environment issues.
Nau’s retail locations, called “Webfronts,”
of which there are four (Tigard, OR, Bellevue,
WA, Chicago, IL, and Boulder, CO) are designed
to be energy efficient and low-impact by utilizing
electronic touch screens for product info (eliminates
paper marketing materials/catalogs), utilizing
recycled and salvaged wood and glass for construction,
and using low toxicity paints and sealants.
What’s more, Nau has purchased enough
wind and solar energy credits to offset the
energy used at their Webfront locations as well
as office headquarters. The retail location
here in Boulder is compact yet spacious, and
the staff is extremely helpful without being
overly so, and is very knowledgeable what they
are selling and/or recommending.
Additionally, Nau has joined the Partners
for Change Alliance, with which they
donate a minimum of 5% of their sales to other
organizations dedicated to social, humanitarian,
and environmental change, such as Colorado
Environmental Coalition, ProgressNow.org,
Eco-Cycle, and Center
for Re-Source Conservation. When a
customer makes a purchase, they have the option
of choosing which type of organization they
would like their 5% to go towards.
Not only is the Nau business model innovative
and eco-friendly, their clothing is high-performance
and long-lasting. The women’s line offers
a wide variety of layers; organic cotton t-shirts,
long sleeve tees, sweaters, light and heavy
jackets, base layers, pants, and accessories.
The Bunnygoat Hoody offers
a soft, stylish sweater layer made from a cashmere/angora
blend. Wearing this sweater is like wearing
a light, fluffy layer of fuzzy butter. Lean
and long with an asymmetrical button closure;
this piece is intriguing and cozy.
The Slight V-Neck Sweater
is a feathery light cashmere v-neck, perfect
for layering over a t-shirt and under a jacket.
If you have sensitive, eczema-prone skin like
I do, then you probably have a hard time finding
any sweaters that are warm and can be worn against
your skin (ie, wool is your enemy). This V-Neck
was a godsend, and fortunately, Nau is working
to ensure that cashmere as a renewable resource
is also obtained from properly managed resources.
The Glasnost Jacket, is quite
literally what Nau proclaims it to be: “The
magic bullet of hoodies.” This
jacket is made from a wool/knit blend and has
the slight subtleties that most hoodies don’t:
a hood that lies flat when you aren’t
wearing it, thumbholes in the sleeves for wearing
under gloves or jackets, and an amazing fit.
What’s more, the fabric is lightweight,
but still very warm.
Moving south, the Profile Fleece Pant
provides the ultimate combination of warm fleecy
goodness with a high performance outer layer.
The outer layer of the pant is smooth, won’t
pill, slides underneath an outer layer, and
its finish resists light precipitation. The
inner layer is soft and wicks moisture away.
The best part, perhaps, is that these pants
are created from 87% recycled polyester.
And for all your insulating needs, the Cashmere
Hat fits snugly, but not too snugly,
against your dome on those chilly winter days.
Again, if scratching your head all day is not
your bag, you can’t go wrong with cashmere.
Nau’s clothing line comes in subtle,
timeless colors that will always be in style
and in place in your wardrobe (unlike that shiny
silver ski coat that just makes you look like
an enormous baked potato whizzing down the ski
hill).
For socially responsible and environmentally
friendly clothing, Nau is the place
to go. While you may not have planned on spending
around $200 for a nice sweater, at least you
will have donated to charity, supported environmentally
conscious organizations and obtained a great
item of high-performance, beautifully designed
clothing that you can keep for an indefinite
amount of time.
The same cannot be said of your Forever 21
collection, which is a good reason to fall into
the “Less is More” philosophy: How
many cheap, sweat-shop-labor sweaters does one
person really need?!
Nau warranties its products against defects
for full refunds or exchanges “until normal
wear and tear run their course.” What’s
more, Nau has instituted a Product Afterlife
Program, which encourages consumers to 1: Wear
it out, 2: Donate it, or 3: Return it to Nau
for recycling. It’s Nau or never, people!
nau.com
-Anne Vickman, November 28, 2007
