Young Entrepreneurs Grow Organik: From Coffee Bags to Recycled Plastic, It All goes into Clothing and Accessories.
By Hadley Catalano
It was a rainy day in late spring and Ed Fernandez had to pick up coffee bags. Not for harvesting purposes but for his popular organic and sustainable clothing and accessories company, Organik. Traversing through the windy, wet roads of Holualoa, Fernandez checked the mailbox number one more time, made a quick U-turn in a neighboring driveway, and slowly maneuvered his car up the short, steep road to Tiare Lani Coffee Farm. Just as the instructions indicated, the package of 80 burlap brown bags with the signature Tiare Lani name and red coffee cherry graphic were safely tucked in a large plastic container near the farm’s entrance.
The burlap coffee bags, which will be transformed into carry-all designer backpacks, yoga and hand bags with repurposed fiber lining, are just the tip of the sustainably-inspired iceberg that nourishes the mission behind Organik.
It all started when a 25-year-old Fernandez moved from New Jersey to Hawai`i 10 years ago, attracted to the abundant beauty and relatively unspoiled existence on the orchid isle. His cousin, Brian Jones, who lives in New Jersey but owns land on the Big Island, would often visit Fernandez, as both were active 20-something outdoorsmen — into sailing and surfing respectively.
Fernandez, who studied public and environmental health at Rutgers, had already started his own company in Hawai`i—Safe Food Solutions—a food safety training program for hotels and businesses and ran a successful operation before moving on to work for the University of Hawai`i-Manoa School of Medicine. As their Big Island Project Coordinator, he directed a small team of researchers testing for the effects of vog emissions on children’s respiratory capacities.
Having this small background in start-up companies and a deep compassion for the earth, Fernandez pitched a business idea to his cousin on a summer vacation almost five years ago. Literally sprouted by the two cousins on the Big Island in 2006, the company, Organik, is tagged as a beach-lifestyle clothing label with a “threads of the earth” concept.
“I originally wanted to develop a biodegradable surf wax,” said Fernandez — who was 29 at the time—explaining he already had the name Organik picked out (the “K” was included as a wink to the Hawaiian language alphabet). “Brian [who was 26 and had majored in graphic design at Maryland Institute of Creative Arts] said there was no money in that, but as a graphic designer he suggested clothing. We collaborated on the image and logo and soon a family business was born.”
With their unusual but easily understood name, the self-funded label was determined to produce only sustainable, organic and recycled materials in an effort to preserve a green and natural lifestyle, well before “green” became a marketing trend for boutique and upscale clothing lines.
“The ‘āina (land) inspired the designs and branding,” explained the co-founder, who manufactures all products in the United States from only organic cotton, bamboo, organic cotton blend, MicroModal and recycled plastic bottles. “It’s more natural here, more pristine. Everything is done very grassroots and that influenced me.”
Fernandez took into consideration his all-natural outlook on life, intertwined it with the established Hawaiian method of conducting business—one based on respect and trust—and blended it with Hawai`i’s need to protect its land and resources (the fight against pollutants and damaging waste products) to create a sustainable clothing line.
“We took into consideration the overall impact on the eco-system,” said Fernandez. “We wanted to use substances that were easier on the land and the water.”
As part of the Organik image (which features a green “r’ as a sprouting plant in the logo) and to preserve nature and green lifestyle, the company hand picks and exclusively uses organic cotton, sustainable materials, such as the coffee bags, and fabrics made with recycled plastic bottles and polyester for all the cut-and-sew pieces. The recycled plastic bottles, or RPET, are post-consumer bottles from America. Eight to 10 RPET bottles are used in the making of one product, such as a t-shirt, yoga pants or scarf.
Despite a higher premium, the company’s California-based manufacturing, shipping and quality control, which Jones oversees, allows the emphasis to be placed not on foreign-made production but on the reduction of the carbon footprint on the planet and supporting local economy.
Fernandez explained how the processing of his textiles remains consistent with his green, natural operation. They use earth-friendly, low-impact dyes for coloring, ones that contain fewer chemicals and no heavy metals or chemical mordant, allowing for better color absorption and that require less rinse water. The designs on the shirts are printed by hand using water-based inks to reduce harmful chemicals from entering the wastewater. Consequently the t-shirts, dresses and other articles retain a soft, vintage feel, reminiscent of your favorite, old-school shirt.
Aside from repurposed materials, other main sources of clothing fabric include sustainable, renewable, pesticide-free resources such as 100-percent organic cotton, grown naturally without pesticides or chemicals; bamboo, a breathable, hypoallergenic material made from the bamboo grass; and MicroModal, a sheer, silky material made from beech wood.
Not only does the production of the clothing reflect Fernandez’s devotion to perpetuating the Hawaiian sustainable lifestyle, but the clothing’s printed images of iconic Hawaiian surf, sunsets, and animals pay tribute to the co-founders’ inspiration.
Geographical statement designs that aim to connect islanders with the garments include the “Kona Sunset,” a bright yellow sun overlooking a white outline of a curling wave, or “Free Range,” a prominently detailed rooster, an inside joke between Fernandez and his numerous encounters with chickens while living in Ka`ū and South Kona. Other island designs include the “Grass Fed” cow lying front and center on the graphic tee, paying tribute to the beef on the Big Island and “Save Our Shore,” an environmentally-aware design playing on the words and palm tree images.
In a personal testament to the people and lifestyle of the Big Island, Fernandez teamed with online craftsmen and designers to run limited edition shirts whose proceeds benefit a specific organization. After the tsunami last March, Fernandez designed a Tsunami Relief t-shirt for those affected in Japan and collaborated with Ocean Farmer of Kona to design a From Big Island (FBI) limited edition shirt, sold exclusively on island.
Fernandez, though currently living in Honolulu, continues to be actively involved with all aspects of Big Island life. Visiting frequently, the environmentalist donates and sponsors numerous events and benefits. His recent visit was not only to pick up Tiare Lani coffee bags (of which a portion of product proceeds are given back in support of Tiare Lani and 100-percent Kona Coffee) but to support a West Hawai`i Explorations Academy (WHEA) fundraiser, which this year was rained out due to inclement weather. In the past, Organik has sponsored events with the Surfriders Foundation, Na Kama Kai and the Kona Surf Film Festival (Organik will again be part of the upcoming 8th Annual KSFF at the Mauna Lani Hotel and Bungalows December 2-3, 2011).
“The Big Island has influenced how we run our business and design our clothing,” said the co-founder of his small, hands-on business that encourages people to wear organic clothing to play a small part in preserving resources.
The company is growing. Even so, Fernandez and Jones have kept to their grassroots profile, having sidestepped major marketing campaigns in favor of keeping promotion to social media sites and personal advertising at local events, festivals and through their website. For those conscious-minded individuals looking for Organik, these Big Island retailers carry the label: Divas Boutique, Eight Rocks, Four Seasons Resort, Hula Moon, Kailani Surf, Kawaihae Surf & Sand, Kona Boys, Kukio, Persimmon, Polynesian Paddling Products, Waimea Surf Classics and Yoganics.
For the foreseeable future, Fernandez is working toward promoting his recently launched duffle bag made from sailcloth and a small tote made from Kona coffee bean sacks. He will be launching a line of natural soaps shortly and releasing a second run of limited FBI X Organik collabo tees (the first run sold out) before landing in Kona for December’s surf film festival. ❖
For more information on Organik visit www.theorganik.com.
Contact writer Hadley Catalano at hadleycatalano@gmail.com.
