If you believe retail clothing labels do not care about the environment, YALA, a sustainable clothing line out of Ashland Oregon, would thank you not to include them in that grouping. In fact, the brand, which has been around for 25 years, is one of the pioneers of sustainable clothing.
The brand makes most of its clothes with bamboo sustainably sourced from the Shunan Bamboo Forest in China. Bamboo is a natural renewable source that grows fast, needs no chemicals to grow, and actually needs thinning every 2-5 years to prevent overcrowding and dying off. These are facts you will find on YALA's website, where they proudly extol their dedication to their sustainability efforts and achievements. No, not in that braggadocio, "Look what we're doing!" kind of way, but more like, "Look what's possible."
Planet Aid recently spoke to one of the owners of this women-owned brand, Tif Zohara. In the interview, she spoke about how she and her business partner, Rachel Davis, knew they wanted to stress the sustainability parts of their company. They also wanted YALA to become more sustainable in places that would not be considered normal. Zohara stated, "I really feel that sustainability is something you are always working towards. The destination… is always changing, and we keep trying every day to do our work better."
One of the things they are doing better than many retail brands is implementing forethought. YALA all but diminishes its chemical footprint by using low-impact AZO-free dyes, which also makes their fabric super soft to the touch. They utilize a closed-loop viscose process so the water and dyes do not go to waste. And they cut down transportation impacts by harvesting the bamboo as well as producing and sewing the clothes with their trusted longtime production team in China.
YALA was one of the retail brands whose bottom-line increased during the pandemic. According to an April 2021 Business Insider article, pajama sales spiked 143% between March 2020 and April 2020. The trend continued throughout the pandemic as people moved pajamas off the list of unnecessary to necessity.
YALA's clothes are super comfortable, and other than a good computer and Wi-Fi access when working from home in 2020, comfort was essential. If YALA's regular clothes are incredibly soft, what must their PJs and bedding feel like?
Planet Aid is happy to spotlight YALA as a company that is not just using the green label as a green talking point—they are walking the walk and talking the talk. If you would like to learn more about YALA's clothing and sustainability efforts, please see the interview above and visit the YALA website. For part 2 of the YALA interview, please visit our YouTube page.