Eco Wear has been featured in the January issue of LOTL magazine

MEDIA RELEASE Attention FASHION and NEW PRODUCT columnists ECOwear delivers a richly textured approach to ethical business. ECOwear, Australia's most established creator of truly sustainable clothing for men and women, is blooming. The latest range features bamboo - as soft and luxurious as cashmere - and rich, gorgeous colours in organic cotton and hemp, all promising to soften beautifully with age. (please see attached images) Started by Daron McFarlane back in 1991, ECOwear is Australia's original fair trade, sustainable creator of eco-friendly clothing. It has a national and loyal following of fans who have long-known the pleasure of wearing natural fibres next to their skin. And behind this ethical business is one of Australia's quietest fair-trade entrepreneurs. Daron not only designs and manufactures beautiful clothes, he does it with heart and proves there's a lot more to sustainable production than pretty websites and jargon. ECOwear supports approximately 700 people working in small cottage industries in Nepal and China - through ongoing employment, well away from a sweatshop environment. Some 50 Nepalese factory workers producing the organic cotton clothing live around the outside of the factory in a family-like setting. After hearing that one of the tailors had died of a preventable disease three years ago, Daron decided to intervene to ensure his workers had access to proper health care. A trust fund now pays for all medical fees and contributes to the great atmosphere within the factory. Also in Nepal, in Kathmandu, where 50 people are employed at the crinkle-maker factory, Daron donates a percentage of each item produced to a local charity, assisting street kids and their families (just-one.org). These kids are introduced to a cottage industry - one of which will soon manufacture swingtags for ECOwear stock. Some 500 Nepalese women knit the very popular pure wool jumpers found in the ECOwear range. They are paid above-award wages and are able to work from home allowing them to care for families at the same time. In China, a small team of employees cut and machine ECOwear clothing in a boutique business that flies in the face of the "get rich quick" sweatshop trend. Between Daron and an American entrepreneur who shares a similar vision, the team of 30 employees are kept busy in an environment that offers fair pay, nice working conditions and a commitment that goes beyond the basic aim of making money. Daron shares his vision with a manager who is the survivor of a serious car crash. Sustainability has always been a key goal, long before it became a buzzword. But back to the product. This season's range.. This season's range includes luscious fabrics in a palette of burgundy, olive, shiraz and cream - all made from dyes and inks that are carcinogen-free - ie friendly to the Kathmandu environment and safe to wear against the skin. The hemp range is renowned for its breathability making it really popular with men seeking richly coloured shirts. The female range is simply cut with a stunning range of colours and styles for layering. The bamboo range is proving to be extremely popular. ECOwear has its own retail outlet in Southbank, Melbourne, as well as a large wholesaling and franchising business across Australia. It is not particularly trend driven, but rather uses quality fabrics, flattering cuts and customised prints in a modern way to create clothes that complement a relaxed Australian lifefstyle. For more press pics, samples of clothing or for an interview with Daron, call Cherry on 0410 767 233 or Daron on 0417 050 365.