Eco-Fashion Brand Rapanui Wins RSPCA Good Business Award for "Game Changing" Fashion Innovations

Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, December 15, 2011 --(PR.com)-- The judging panel: Cosmopolitan Fashion Director Shelly Vella, Telegraph Fashion Editor Lisa Armstrong and Fashion designer Wayne Hemmingway praised their innovative approach to informing customers about where their clothing comes from and how it is made. The judges hailed Rapanui’s eco-labelling and traceability initiatives as ‘truly innovative’ and ‘game changing.’

Rapanui’s Eco-labelling idea simplifies complicated fashion supply chains into a simple A-G sustainability rating, based on the familiar energy rating system, to allow consumers to shop quickly and with a conscience. This idea has been taken up in discussions at the European Parliament. In support, Rapanui’s QR code swing tags allow smart-phone users to scan and trace the origins of the raw materials of their clothing – the brand say this gives consumers “in store traceability, from seed to shop.”

Wayne Hemmingway said:
“What Rapanui is doing is game changing; they are at the forefront of fashion technology. People will see what they are doing and will want to copy it.”

Rapanui Co-founder Rob Drake-Knight comments:
“We are delighted to win this award; it is an honour to be recognised by the RSPCA. The Innovation in Fashion award will really help to add weight to our eco labelling campaign, raise awareness of transparency and traceability within fashion and hopefully lead to a change in the clothing industry for the better.”

You can find out more about Rapanui’s work at: www.rapanuiclothing.com/ethical-fashion

About Rapanui:
At Rapanui we design and make casual wear in line with the latest trends, but from more sustainable materials. We use ethically accredited factories that are powered by wind and solar energy - and by using cutting edge eco-textiles, we create products that have a unique natural softness and feel when worn. The result is clothing that looks great and feels great too.

Whilst the organic, ethical and low carbon approach to our supply chain is unique, our real contribution to sustainability has come from the traceability of our products, our work towards improving traceability in our industry and the conversation this has sparked between shoppers, brands and manufacturers. Using our trace mapping tool, at Rapanui you can find out exactly where our products come from, how and where they are made: From the seed being sewn, picked, spun, sewn and transported. It is traceability from seed to shop.

http://www.rapanuiclothing.com/ethical-fashion/traceability-clothing.html

Rapanui has also developed a potentially industry-changing ecolabelling system to summarise the detailed and often confusing information on clothes packaging, and make it easy for consumers to shop quickly with a conscience. This ability to make a quick informed choice is something missing from, but entirely compatible with, the high street. This work has gained national recognition in the press and at awards ceremonies and has been taken on by high street brands looking to replicate our success. A draft proposal is set to be presented at a parliamentary commission later this year, with a view to be proposed as EU legislation.

http://www.rapanuiclothing.com/ethical-fashion/eco-labelling-clothing.html

In just 3 years of trading, this exciting new brand has already made a substantial contribution to sustainable fashion and created real change in an industry plagued with bad ethics. Mart Drake-Knight, designer, sums up Rapanui:

“Fashion is like no other medium, in that you literally dress yourself in what you believe in. Rapanui gives people a choice to vote with their wallet for ethical fashion. We want to use the power of fashion to make eco cool, and design traceable, transparent products that let you shop quickly with a conscience.”

Rapanui was founded in 2008 by Rob and Martin Drake-Knight, now aged 24 and 26, with £200 savings. They feature on the Future 100 list of Top Young Entrepreneurs, whilst Rapanui featured on the Top 100 Start-ups list of 2008. They have sought no investment and make every effort to encourage other young people to believe in their ability to create successful, sustainable businesses.

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