Their admirable cause is entirely undeserving of such a weak Eurythmics/Aretha pun - but you know, that's just how I roll.
Daughter Earth sells eco-conscious products inspired by the natural world. Part of the proceeds from each product are donated to organizations working to conserve endangered species and their habitats.
I interviewed Katy to find out - you know, how they roll. Here's what she had to say:
CWG: We love that you donate part of Daughter Earth's profits to protecting endangered species. Can you tell me a bit about how that cause came to mean so much to you?
KT: Well, both my sister and I have always had an interest in animals and the environment as well as in fashion. Basically, I just kind of thought that since there is so much money that goes into the fashion industry, it made sense to try to direct some of that money into helping protect the environment.
Habitat conservation is a really important cause for me. We are destroying these really wonderful and unique places so quickly. It is really important to stop that and to try to protect and preserve them for the future..
CWG: Your website lists some celebrity fans. For those who haven't visited yet, who are they and why do they love the line?
KT: Well, we were hoping for more celebrity fans than are on there. We sent some t-shirts to "eco-friendly" celebrities but never got any responses from them. Who knows if they actually ever even saw the t-shirts. But the one person who wrote us was Jane Goodall. What better person could we have asked for?
She has been tirelessly fighting for the environment for nearly fifty years now. She is constantly travelling and giving lectures and she took the time to send us a handwritten post card. We felt that that was really special. She is an amazing woman and a real inspiration to both my sister and me.
CWG: How do you make sure that your products are eco-friendly?
KT: This is pretty exhausting, actually. I do a lot of research to see what kinds of methods and fabrics are used by the companies we source our products from. Currently we are using only products that have some kind of standardized certification.
It's hard, though; if we want to expand, we will really have to be more flexible about what we use. And there are downsides to even the best options. I think a lot of people don't realize that organic does not always equate to being the most eco-friendly option.
There is a lot of confusion in this whole "Green Movement." I think a lot of people and companies see being green as a way to make money. We just saw fashion as great way to raise money and awareness for a cause and want to do the best we can to make sure the products we are making aren't hurting the world we are trying to protect.
CWG: On your profile you talk about working with the legendary Betsey Johnson in New York. How did you find that?
KT: It was great. I think Betsey has a reputation of being a bit 'wild', but she is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She has a really great spirit and is just so creative and fun to work with. It was terrific to have the opportunity to work in that kind of environment.
CWG: You set up the line with your sister, Laura. What's the business relationship like? All nice and sisterly?
KT: I wonder if Laura's answer would be different, but I think it is a pretty good balance. We have different skills and personalities, so I think we help balance each other out. We are both very creative but Laura is definitely the more organized one.
Laura is also the better writer, so she should be taking care of this interview. I have more experience in the fashion industry, so I have more of the technical skills and know more about production and such.
If you like what Katy and Laura are doing, maybe you should adopt them (here's how it works). While you're at it, why don't you adopt the cuter-than-is-mathematically-possible Sen, or one of his mates?
