Under the Canopy Launches First Fair Trade Certified Robe, Just in Time for Mother's Day

New York, NY, May 6, 2013 /3BL Media/ – This Mother’s Day, shoppers in the United States will have the opportunity to give mom a gift she can feel great about.  Under the Canopy, founded by ECOfashion pioneer Marci Zaroff, has partnered with Fair Trade USA to launch the first Fair Trade Certified™ robe in the United States. This ultra soft, one-size-fits most, brushed interlock kimono robe is made from 100% certified organic cotton, supporting both environmental and social compliance, including working conditions and paying fair wages to workers.

The robe will debut with a 72-hour sale on One Kings Lane, the leading online destination for the home, which will run from Sunday, May 5 at 9pm EST to Wednesday, May 8 at 9pm EST.  Shoppers will be able to choose from four colors: lavender aura, mineral blue, white and cloud.

“The Fair Trade model is a powerful way to bring meaningful change and empowerment to apparel factories around the world,” said Marci Zaroff, Founder of Under the Canopy. “We are so proud to partner with One Kings Lane to launch this robe, and we hope that its success will be a meaningful sign that the entire apparel industry can go further when it comes to environmental, economic and social sustainability.”

Since introducing Fair Trade standards for factory workers in February 2010, Fair Trade USA has worked with North American brands to bring Fair Trade Certified apparel and linens to store shelves, providing greater supply chain transparency and accountability. Fair Trade Certified apparel gives consumers, for the first time, greater knowledge and awareness about how their favorite items were produced, empowering them to vote with their dollars every time they shop.  The robe launch coincides with Fair Trade USA’s Mother’s Day campaign, which promotes the many ways the Fair Trade benefits moms around the world.

These robes were produced in India at the first facility to qualify for Fair Trade certification under Fair Trade USA’s factory standards.  For every Fair Trade Certified product sold, the factory’s 500 employees receive a premium to invest in community development projects of their choosing.  Additionally, employees are given two weeks of leave per year, a 10% annual bonus regardless of factory performance, education for their children, and subsidized meals and housing.  The factory also boasts a skills training center to promote upward mobility.  The mill sources organic, Fair Trade cotton from over 10,000 smallholder farmers in the surrounding region.

“Fair Trade is a market-based approach to alleviating poverty that only works when both brands and consumers step up to support it,” said Heather Franzese, founder of Fair Trade USA’s Apparel and Linens Program. “We applaud Under the Canopy’s ground-breaking launch of this product that we can all wear proudly, knowing that it has had an incredible impact on the lives of the people who cut and stitched it.”

The robe will also be available online at Bed & Bath Store as of May 9.