Sage and Savvy Spotlight: OBLI Organics

OBLI Organics, a company that offers super cute organic clothing, was one of Sage and Savvy’s first sponsors. They provided a Guitar Hero tee to review for Little Music Man, as well an adorable Bee Green dress for Sage and Savvy’s very first giveaway.

I fell in love with many of their designs, and I ended up purchasing the Go Fish onesie for Smiley Boy, and the Ride Hybrid onesie (ARV $26 each) for our friend’s baby who was born a week after Smiley Boy was born.

OBLI Organics is the creation of sisters Michelle and Melissa, and I am proud to feature OBLI Organics for this month’s Sage and Savvy Spotlight!

Tell me all about OBLI Organics.
Wow…a lot to tell. My sister and I formed the company in April 2007. I had 2 boys and my sister was pregnant with her son at the time. We wanted to form a company where our values were part of the mission. Being an active family growing up and eating organic had been the norm … we wanted to pass these values onto our children so organic children’s clothing made sense. The idea came to us after a weekend visit that March and after doing some research we discovered that the Organic Trade Assoc was holding their annual “all things organic” conference 2 weeks later. We formed the company and flew to Chicago on a whim (only our husbands knew). We were so charged from the conference that we knew the decision was right on!

From the beginning we focused on both quality and wanting every aspect of the company to be as eco as possible. From our actual clothing being GOTS certified (at the time SKAL) to the hang tags and gift boxes. Now, with our new fall line being produced in the US we can further reduce the carbon footprint as well!

What do you enjoy most about working with your sister?
Well…I get to work with my best friend every day. We have the same vision for our brand so working on designs is when we have the most fun… choosing our color palette, looking at new styles and playing with graphics.

Are there any challenges working with someone from your family?
Yes, there are always challenges when you work so closely with someone you know so well. Our schedules don’t always jive and we both have young children, but we also bring to the table different strengths. Melissa is great with business planning, mapping out our goals and keeping us on track. I tend to work more with our retail partners and the media.

On the OBLI Organics website, you and your sister describe yourselves as being “ecolectual.” What are some of your favorite “ecolectual” tips?
Our biggest “ecolectual” tip is to make small changes where you can. It’s so easy to become overwhelmed with all the green messages in the media that some people don’t feel like they can make a difference. Bring your own bags to the grocery store, switch your light bulbs to CFLs, start recycling paper in your office, quit using so many paper towels and unplug appliances. Right now I’m obsessed with composting. This is a little harder but we’re starting small with banana peels and coffee grinds. We are also big believers in buying local whenever possible and my boys love our trips to the farmers market.

How has the state of our economy affected OBLI Organics, if at all?
Of course! The economy has affected almost everyone we know including our important retail partners. Consumers still want to buy organic and understand their buying power within the green business world. Unfortunately, consumers are forced to make tough decisions about how to spend their money. We are confident that eco-fashion, especially for children, will see growth again in the near future.

What are some of the most popular items/designs being offered by OBLI Organics?
Ride Hybrid and One Fish, Two Fish are popular every season. This summer, our new razor back dresses have been a huge hit along with the Eco-Princess onesie and Seahorse Girly Tee for the girls. The boys love our Green Rocks guitar tee!

Can we find OBLI Organics on any social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.)?

We are on twitter as “ecolectual” and a Facebook page is in the works. There is just so much to do and so little time between running OBLI and making time for our families.

What’s in store for OBLI Organics in the near future (promotions, new products, etc.)?

We are really excited about our fall collection. First, the manufacturing is moving to the US (previously we manufactured in India) within 60 miles of our headquarters in Sarasota, FL.

Secondly, we are introducing some amazing new fabric colors and fabulous graphic designs. Our personal favorites include a new “green rocks” and “green to the bone.” We will be bringing back our popular surfer swirl and, of course, keeping our “I only ride hybrid” collection. The ride hybrid items have been our best sellers from day one!

Finally, Sage and Savvy features information on products, services, and websites that are sage (wise/eco-friendly) and/or savvy (practical/innovative). What is one sage and/or savvy product that you can’t live without?
Michelle: My edun skinny black jeans; Laptop lunch boxes for my two boys; Reusable grocery saks; Stainless water bottles

Melissa: Born free bottles and stainless sippy cups for my son; Bamboo utensils; Neoprene lunch bag

Thank you OBLI Organics for being a supporter of Sage and Savvy as well as a supporter of the environment!

Shop: You can purchase adorable organic clothing for your little one on the OBLI Organics website, or click here to find a retailer near you.

Savvy Savings: You can receive 20% off your order and upgrade to USPS Priority shipping by emailing your order directly to oblicontact@obliorganics.com and including “Sage and Savvy order” in the subject line. OBLI Organics will email you a confirmation with the total due and payment instructions; for security reasons you should not send any credit card information in your email). Offer expires July 15, 2009.

Win: One lucky winner will get a $30 OBLI Organics Gift Certificate!

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

Congratulations to Evolving Mommy Catherine!

• To enter, visit OBLI Organics and comment on what you would use the $30 gift certificate on if you won (please be specific).
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you do any of the following (be sure to leave a comment for each “entry”):
  1)Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and OBLI Organics
  2)Subscribe to my feed
  3)Add my button to your sidebar
  4)Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
• The deadline for entries is June 7, 2009, 11:59pm HST.
• If you submitted an eligible entry and it is chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be notified via email on June 8, 2009 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US addresses only.
  Good luck!
  

Thank you to OBLI Organics for providing the product(s) for review and/or giveaway.

Posted in: giveaways,OBLI Organics,organic clothing,Sage and Savvy Spotlight