"A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it"- Frank A. Clark
Eco-friendly clothing and accessories shouldn't just be for us big kids! Babies deserve to be clothed in kindness too. Carolyn Chambers, CEO and designer of Fourzero, has made it possible for you to do just that!
Q.
What inspired you to create an ethical designer brand for newborns?
After a decade long
career as a Paediatric intensive care nurse in Europe, I have nursed and
supported newborn babies from 24 weeks gestation to full term who have all
required the same needs of love, support and comfort.
My
passion is newborn babies and their families. I feel that Fourzero is an
extension of the existing skills I acquired in nursing and although I am no
longer a practicing neonatal nurse, my skills, experience, and nurturing nature
is embedded into each and every stitch of the garments within my Fourzero
brand.
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| Carolyn Chambers - CEO and designer of Fourzero |
Developing
an ethically made brand was an easy choice and staying within Australia to manufacture
also seemed the best solution. Because
newborn babies have such delicate skin that has not come into contact with
chemicals or harsh materials after growing in the protective womb environment, I
feel that it is important to provide clothing that is natural and pure.
Fourzero
products are being very well received by families throughout the world. The feedback after a gift has been given has
been very supportive and encouraging to hear for our brand.
Fourzero
does not bleach or further colour the fabric chosen in our collections, nor do we
stabilize the fabric with chemicals during manufacture.
Q.
How does Fourzero ensure that it treads lightly on the planet?
Fourzero is
manufactured in Brisbane where our head office is situated. The Fourzero supply chain for materials have been sourced in Australia wherever possible. If this is not possible then I source from
Australian companies. At times this
becomes a long and arduous process but I believe that our local economy needs
to be supported wherever possible.
I have been
known to carry bolts of fabric on the Brisbane City Cat Ferries to our
manufacturing team in Fortitude Valley! Fourzero has
made the conscious effort to also source organic fabric and sustainable
materials in every design aspect of the brand.
Q.
Has your previous life as a nurse helped to inform your choice of materials?
I
believe that our brand is about educating consumers about why a baby needs to
feel warm and secure after birth and because of my nursing background parents
will rest assured that their babies have been dressed well in ethically
manufactured clothing and accessories.
The
materials I’ve chosen for the Fourzero collection have been influenced by my
nursing background. I have sourced organic fabrics and the press studs in the collection are all nickel-free.
I
have dressed and cared for hundreds of babies in my nursing career and
understand how clothing needs to fit after birth and what a huge impact
clothing has on both a newborn baby and a new mother. Babies need to wear clothing that fits them
well. A baby has been cocooned in the
warm womb and has had boundaries within.
It is only natural that babies need to feel boundaries and comfort after
birth.
Q.
Which ethical designers are inspiring you right now?
Gucci and Gap
inspire me. They make a conscious effort
to keep their supply chains open for the consumer and are committed to paying fair
wages to support their workers overseas.
Cue and Veronika Maine are two Australian brands that I admire for continuing to also manufacture
onshore in large volumes. Manufacturing
in Australia has many road blocks but with the effort and support from
consumers it is a viable option long term because we demand that the quality of
production is the highest standard for the retail market because our
construction costs are so very high compared to manufacturing overseas.
Q.
You were named in the top eight emerging Australian designers of 2012 and
Fourzero was awarded the "Fellowship 500' by the Ethical Fashion Forum in
London. Do you think well designed eco-friendly baby and children’s clothing is
becoming more mainstream?
No, I wouldn’t
say it is becoming more mainstream, but I do believe consumers are taking more
of an interest about where garments are manufactured and how. If the consumer is involved in the story of
how garments for babies and children’s wear is manufactured they are more
inclined to buy quality goods.
It has been a
successful five months since launching the brand and I am honoured that awards
such as those mentioned above are aware of our innovative design efforts for the baby
wear market. Our brand may be a niche
product for the first ten weeks after birth, but parents and gift givers love
the quality and concept behind our brand.
Q.
Do you have a favourite item in store right now?
Yes, The
babygrow and the star blankets. The
babygrows are similar to other designs in the market place and provide simple
dressing and nappy changes for the baby. Yet the flappable feet cuffs are ideal to not only warm feet up but for
nurses to take blood tests while in hospital and when the baby grows they still
have longevity in the suit so that the parents can put socks on providing good
cost per wear.
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| Newborn Babygrow by Fourzero - made from organic bamboo and cotton |
The star on the
blanket has purposefully been made on a large scale so that the newborn baby
can settle after bath time on the velour whilst the care-giver soothingly
massages the baby's skin.
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| Star Blanket by Fourzero - made from organic bamboo and cotton |
Q.
How would you sum up Fourzero in 10 words or less?
Organic,
luxurious, ethical, boutique, soft,
comfortable.
Q.
What does the future hold for Fourzero?
Fourzero is focusing
on domestic sales growth by being stocked in boutique stores and online stores in Australia.
In the following
twelve months Fourzero hopes to also be stocked internationally in stores. I am very committed to keeping production
within Australia and promoting the brand story behind these choices.
Interestingly we
have recently had more international sales than domestic through our website!
If you are
interested in wholesaling fourzero in your boutique store please contact our
team info@fourzero.com.au
You can also connect with Fourzero via Facebook and Twitter.
