Interview: The OKO Box

(originally published at grechen’s closet on June 19, 2008)

Interview with Leslie, owner & founder of The Oko Box

First, I’d love it if you can share with our readers what you’re wearing today?
I usually dress pretty casual & sparse during the super hot summer days like, it’s such an inferno this week! So today I have on an organic cotton Sun & Surf Tank, Upcycled denim mini skirt, with a very tacky (or possibly ghettolicious) gold chain belt from the late 80’s. I do a lot of walking since I sold my car, and whenever I have to walk very far I wear my organic autonomie project sneakers – they are so comfy and look just like Chuck Taylors! When I want to sass it up a little and be taller then 5.3 I put on some thrifted 80’s heels.

What’s your favorite piece in your closet?

My favorite piece in my closet is definitely my Enamore Lingerie, made with a hemp silk blend fabric and phenomenal design & detail. I invested more money into that set then any other garment I own, and it never stops being completely beautiful, sexy and fun to wear.

How much of your closet is made up of eco-friendly pieces?

My wardrobe is now made up entirely of sustainable clothing, everything is either organic, fair trade, vintage, upcycled, locally made or thrifted. Every purchase I make I consider ecological and global factors, and I try to make the best decisions in balance with the modern world I live in. I feel pretty awesome about finally having a “green” closet!

What inspired you to open an eco-boutique? Do you have a brick & mortar store and your website is an extension of that? or is your boutique only online?

The Oko Box begin slowly in my mind when I first walked into a local organic clothing store and didn’t find much that I liked. The style was clunky, the prices were way out of my range, and the store didn’t seem to be promoting it’s own cause. I sat down with pen and paper and wrote down how I would change that store. Having chemical sensitivities and environmental sensibilities I wanted to be part of some solution to create a healthy earth, I wanted to be able to use my dollar for a cleaner planet, and I still had the natural desire too look cute when I walked out the door. The more I wished there was a store to fulfill my need for affordable & adorable organic clothing choices, the more i realized I was actually creating start my own store in my mind. I sold my house and used to money I made to buy the first bit of inventory for The Oko Box. I had no formal business training, I had not read any marketing books, and not a clue where to start, but set out with total determination and trust that I’d learn whatever it was I needed through each step of the experience. I stayed focused and enthusiastic knowing the mindset of consumers could totally be empowered by having eco savvy choices, and The Oko Box would be part of the solution by providing this kind of choice.

What are some of your best-sellers? What are some of your personal favorites from the boutique?
Bestsellers can come and go like the wind as all fashion does, but a few will really stick out from time to time. One thing I love knowing is a top seller is the Hemp Shopper, because I know that plastic bags won’t be used & another person is helping keep that toxicity out of our soil, water and animals (animals usually die trying to eat the plastic bag bits). I bring my hemp shopper everywhere I go and have shared many of them with friends to help spread the word! The Gaia Conceptions Love Me Two Times Dress which was featured here on Grechen’s Closet is completely loved and so so popular too. What I love about many of Gaia’s designs is they are convertible, like from dress to skirt, and make great layering pieces. Smaller designers like Gaia Conceptions & Clare Bare (intimates) make each garment to your order, so personal care and attention is given and there is no extra environmental waste created like in typical mass production.

My very favorite item I carry is the Clean Up or Die Tank which is the sort Punky Brewster political style I love, having formerly been a skateboarder/artist/rebel I tend to enjoy the more edgy look. And I can’t live without my Kelly B organic bikini, I even do all my organic gardening in it !

I believe in taking a “holistic” approach to greening my wardrobe; while I’m not opposed to buying organic cotton t-shirts from Banana Republic or Wal-Mart, I prefer to support smaller boutiques and designers who focus only on earth-friendly design & production; I love the idea of as few steps as possible between me and the products I buy. Do you agree? Why do you think it’s important for consumers to consider the company behind the product, as opposed to just the product?

I think it is awesome that places like Walmart are now picking up on the consumer demand for environmentally safe choices, but would I shop at Walmart? No. Their footprint and basis of their company is largely polluting and their selection is 99% environmentally damaging, they don’t use fair wage practices and will have a single shirt sewn for 4.5 cents and then charge $15. Their insane profit margin plus the practices they are using are deplorable, yet I will still be happy to hear they are talking about organic clothing & eco friendly wares because they have the ability to reach the masses and expose these awesome ideas to people who might not otherwise get this info. Many of the big name companies who are now carrying organic clothing seem to shout from the tops of buildings they do indeed have these eco friendly fabrics, but when it comes to finding out whether these big box made organic duds were sewn in sweatshops there is suddenly no comment, no information available and nothing said. For this point alone I personally won’t support those companies, although I feel encouraged about the average consumer in those first steps of being educated about the reality of the conventional fashion industry.
I do most of my personal shopping either local or online and always with small companies that help support local economies. Whether I am buying a toaster oven or fresh vegetables I try to keep the whole process of how it was created & got to me in mind.

Do you have any eco-living tips for our readers? What are some small things we can do at home, and in our closets to make a difference?

Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle! There are tons of small choices we can make each day to make a lower impact on the planet, starting with your closet. My first rule of thumb is if I don’t wear something for 6 months or more I donate it to charity, this way my closet does not become a clothing death trap that gobbles up pieces to never be seen for 2 year spans. Donate to your local thrift or women’s shelter and make a big difference in someone’s life with clothes you don’t need anymore. Another fun thing is learning to sew, that way when a button pops off, a hemline starts to fall, and your fav jeans start to rip you can repair your clothing rather then toss it. Once you get really rockin’ on the sewing machine you can upcycle your old clothing by reworking it into new creations! This is currently what I am working on, and hoping to bring to The Oko Box also.

It’s great to also buy things with multiple uses and reduce the amount of things we buy. Unfortunately our housewares are so mass produced now the quality is very poor and we have become accustomed to living in a throw away society. Go the extra mile and save the extra dollars to buy the higher quality products that are repairable and have warranties – rather then piling up more landfill with cheap versions.
The thing that makes the biggest difference is our attitudes, more happy people will inevitably make a more happy & healthy planet-so do the things you love, make time for your favorite hobbies and always get out in nature to reconnect. Love yourself and that will spread.

Here is beauty secret I use for my skin: I mix Olive Oil and real Lavender leaves and lather my skin each day with this. I never wear conventional makeup, but actually use fresh beets to create a little red on my lips & gloss it with olive oil too The reason I think it works is because people always ask if I just started college and I am turning 31 this year.

Get free shipping at The Oko Box with code grechen!!