Eco Skate: Element Emerald Collection Debuts

In 2008, the Element skateboard and apparel line produced an awareness-raising campaign called “Power to the Planet,” where skateboarders and artists made statements at skateboard demonstrations, at in-store appearances and on YouTube about the need to safeguard the environment. Since 2009, it stated its eco allegiances on its hangtags with the slogan “Conscious by Nature.”

In 2011, the Irvine, Calif.–based label, which is owned by high-profile surf company Billabong , put its environmental beliefs on its sleeve. The company debuted eco-fashion label Element Emerald Collection at the May 12–13 run of the Class Trade Show in Hollywood. It is the label’s most environmentally friendly line yet, said Kim Hall, Element’s vice president of merchandising and design.

“This is Element’s first apparel collection where we have been able to develop and make each and every piece eco-friendlier. We’ve always had the environmentally friendlier components in our Element line but not to this extent,” she said.

The Emerald Collection name was first used for Element’s skate footwear line, which used environmentally friendly materials such as bamboo lining and recycled rubber soles. The line debuted for the Holiday 2010 season.

The new apparel line is rooted in the skate staples: hoodies and jeans. Element Emerald Collection’s 26 pieces make use of a novelty organic yarn that is intended to give the line a well-worn and relaxed look.

T-shirts and hoodies are made from organic cotton and recycled polyester. The Emerald Collection also debuted a denim pant made from organic cotton and Sorona, a polyester made from corn. Wholesale price points range from $27 for a shirt to $35 for hoodies and $80 for the jeans.

Emerald Collection’s signature pieces include the “Caspian” knit shirt and the “Danube” hoodie. The pieces are 100 percent organic cotton but do not bear the company’s logos or graphics. Element founder Johnny Schillereff said the new collection is designed for the Element consumer who has taken the step of maturing his aesthetic.

“There’s no question that taste levels and the desire for high fashion and environmentally friendly product have increased,” he said.

But with demand growing for organic cotton, Hall said, there are hurdles to manufacturing an organic line. “We have had fabrics we’ve tried to develop and were unable to, due to the lack of that yarn or something else along these lines. It needs to be well planned out far in advance, right down to yarn and fabric projections with the suppliers.

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