Neon Buddha & Pure Handknit – Ultimate Ethical Fashion

By Liz Prescott

When I was looking for clothing lines to sell in my shop, BARBETTE II, I wanted exceptional quality, natural fabrics, Canadian designs and fashions that are fun, flirty and fabulous, all at a reasonable price. When I found Neon Buddha and Pure Handknit, I knew that their product has all of these things. Then I heard their story and found out that they have so much more.

Sebastien Sirois was already in the rag trade importing South American sweaters at 17 years of age when he started to look for a way to develop an ethical business model in the developing world. He discovered a women’s co-op in Thailand that did hand-knitting and recognized a unique opportunity to develop a successful Canadian business that would bring self-reliance, a living wage and other important benefits to the women.

The company now produces 10,000 Pure sweaters knit by hand on needles every week, many by women working in their own homes. A company truck drives around to the villages picking up product and dropping off new yarn.

He also built and developed a factory in Chiang Mai, Thailand where the Neon Buddha line is produced. Altogether, more than 5,000 are employed and the employees have been able to continue to live in Northern Thailand and prosper in a way they never could before. All of the women have health care, maternity leave and continuing education. There are currently four women working on Masters degrees. These benefits are funded in addition to the company’s annual contribution of one percent of sales to worthwhile charities worldwide.

In 1998, Shannon Cooney joined Sebastien as the artistic designer for the company, responsible for the innovative designs that make these products so stylish and fun. The Pure line of sweaters evolved from the signature wrap, which can be worn in 5 distinct styles and was a first for the Canadian and US marketplace, to a complete sweater collection with stunning colors and the innovative use of their signature buttons making the pieces all-season favorites.

Neon Buddha is a line of casual wear that is comfortable, stylish and is designed to provide a chic casual look. Neon manufactures the 100-percent pre-shrunk, 4 way stretch fabric that wears and travels marvelously! Each collection incorporates unique, impactful buttons that add character and style to the clothing. A wide range of vibrant primary and pastel colors really make these clothes stand out. Sebastien worried about the pollution, health and safety concerns related to the dyeing process therefore, as a result, he developed a “green” dye house in Thailand that eliminates pollution and significantly conserves energy. The company is continuing to sustainably innovate, experimenting with new dyeing processes and the production of new fabrics.

BARBETTE II is happy to be able to support this company that strives to promote sustainable and ethical clothing wear. Look for our resort wear collection January 2012 at BARBETTE II, 349 Lakeshore East, downtown Oakville www.barbette2.com