Children's brand beloved by A-list celebrities defies traditional marketing strategies: 'I wasn't well-off when I founded the company'
Mini Rodini, an ethical fashion brand from Sweden, is taking anything but mini-strides toward success. While some kids' brands produce low-effort items, assuming garments will be tossed once a kid hits a growth spurt, Mini Rodini has made it its mission to produce a more sustainable option for families around the world.
Founder Cassandra Rhodin launched Mini Rodini in 2006. She was an artist and illustrator and wanted to find children's clothes that were inspired by modern streetwear and fashion collections, according to Fast Company. After realizing that she couldn't find kids' clothing that could both match her tastes and also hold up during more rowdy playground activities, the brand was born.
Within two years, she expanded into the rest of Europe, partnering with major retailers like Barneys and Nordstrom. But she has seen the most growth for her brand in the last few years, with a growth of 30% every year, with the U.S. bound to be her biggest market, as noted by Fast Company. Mini Rodini has even caught the eyes of A-list celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani, and Rihanna.
What sets Mini Rodini apart from other brands is that the clothing is made to outlast your child's growth spurt. It allows the parents to sell the items on secondhand marketplaces instead of adding them to the landfills once their child no longer needs them.
"A Mini Rodini garment should survive many kids, and it's so amazing to see that the prints I made 10 years ago are as popular today! To shop less but buy quality, care for our clothes, patch them, use them again, and sell them when we don't need them anymore is one of the most sustainable ways forward," Rhodin shared on her website.
Mini Rodini only uses organic cotton that meets the Global Organic Textile Standard, certified recycled polyester, and Tencel to ensure that the kids don't have to wear fabrics that irritate the skin or were derived unethically.
Rhodin is also passionate about creating upcycling collections, called Mini Rodini Upcycling, to use all of its textile scraps.
"Unnecessary waste is one of the most provoking things for me. So many companies are burning or throwing away fabrics and clothes. Mini Rodini have never done that and will never do it," Rhodin said on her website.
Since launching its upcycling collections in 2013, Mini Rodini has saved more than 14 tons of fabric from entering landfills. Besides upcycling, the brand offers fun sew-on patches to encourage repairs to extend both the lifecycle of the product and the investment in the garment.
Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics?
Giving me money back
Letting me trade for new stuff
Making it as easy as possible
Keeping my stuff out of landfills
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
"Not all of our customers are well-off," Rhodin told Fast Company. "I wasn't well-off when I founded the company, but you learn that buying a few things that last can actually be cheaper than buying a lot of cheap things that wear out."
Want to support brands like Mini Rodini on their road to sustainability? Check out our guide.
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