(originally published at grechen’s closet June 29, 2008)
Interview with Anna (buyer) and Rajat (owner) of Nimli
What are your favorite pieces in your closet?
Flattering and easily dressed up or down, the EcoSkin Peridot Dress is one of my favorite dresses in my closet for summer events.
Basic black in the perfect length, this Doie Bamboo top has the perfect amount of detail with trumpet sleeves and a bamboo-patterned tie at the back of the neck.
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?
NIMLI is an online store only, however that’s not to say we won’t be opening a store sometime in the future! Nimli was founded in New York City in 2003 by Rajat Arora, a vegetarian since early childhood and an advocate of an organic way of life. Conscious of the pertinence of preserving the environment, Rajat created Nimli with the vision, hope, and philosophy of making it possible for people to adopt a sustainable lifestyle through an extensive offering of green products and services.
Nimli is one of the most environmentally mindful retailers due to our practice and policy that requires all designers to ship their products directly to our customers. This results in placing a much lower carbon footprint by eliminating the unnecessary step of shipping items to a warehouse for future re-shipment. Further advancing this model and striving to become completely carbon neutral, Nimli purchases Green Tags to offset the carbon released from shipping, energy consumption and other business activities. We embrace a way of life that supports goods that do not cause suffering and damage to the environment. Living in such a manner involves cultivating products and services that avoid harm to animals and prevent the depletion of the Earth’s natural resources.
What are some of your best-sellers? What are some of your personal favorites from the boutique?
Myth & Ritual Sack Dress:
Mad Imports “Tusk” Bag
JaK Random Think Green Cuff
Cheeky Monkey Seahorse Pendant
Azuri Reversible Pashmina Shawl – in 110 Colors!!
Lilipad Studio Handpainted Step Stool
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?
We agree that consumers need to consider the company behind the products or the retailers they support. There are a large number of corporations that are merely green washing or trying to cash in on the green trend. While they market & offer some green products, the majority of their business is made up of non-green products which they continue to push with profit as the prime motive. We are aware it takes time to move towards new sustainable products, however large companies have enough resources to make this shift today but they don’t. Therefore, it’s extremely important for consumers to support smaller, independent businesses that only produce or market sustainable products and adapt policies within their organizations.
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?
Some basic things everyone can do without much effort is recycle everything that can be recycled. You’d be surprised how much is recyclable. Shop for as many green and sustainable products as possible by always being conscious of your purchases, whether its clothing, personal care or home products.
We are a consumer society and by shopping consciously we can solve a great deal of global issues.
(Take 20% off your order of regularly-priced items at Nimli with code grechens08)
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