[Photo: Ms Belinda Sng’s online clothing store After Organic has a mix of Singaporean and expatriate clients.]
MORE Singaporean parents are turning to organic cotton as a clothing choice for their kids. The organic clothing and toy market surfaced in Singapore around 2004, say retailers.
And boy, is it booming now. “Organic materials are 100 per cent chemical free, with no hidden toxins used in their production,” said Ms Belinda Sng, 34, sales director of online store After Organic, which distributes organic clothing brands from Australia and the United States.
Her shop took off in August last year and she sees a good mix of expatriates and Singaporeans as clients. Business has been so good she has even begun exporting products to Japan, Australia and Korea.
Ms Joanna Soh, 36, executive director of CooshLife, added that organic wear is especially beneficial for babies with sensitive skin. CooshLife has expanded to Takashimaya department store and is carried in shops like Mothers Work Maternity.
Customers like Ms Bridgette See, 34, an editor at a publishing firm, began buying organic toys and clothes about 11/2 years ago for her 16-month-old son, Valente Lay, after news broke of the 2007 China lead-paint scandal.
Then, toxic chemicals found in toys led to a massive worldwide recall.
“Knowing that my child is safe from toxins gives me peace of mind,” Ms See said. Ms Houria Osmani, 41, vice-president of human resources at Club Med Singapore, agrees. She buys organic food, clothes and toys for her 13-month-old daughter.
“Spending money on organic products is better than spending money on my child’s hospital bills later,” she said. And here is another reason to go organic – those products are also touted to be environmentally friendly as toxic pesticides are not used in the cultivation.
“The act of conventionally growing and harvesting cotton takes a devastating toll on the Earth and that in turn impacts global health,” said Ms Sng.
And who doesn’t want to be a little more green? Rock on, organics!
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