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Tradle is a circular baby clothing subscription service - but we’d be nothing without the amazing brands we partner with to deliver our community eco-friendly, organic garments. Parade is one of those fantastic brands, so we sat down with their Sales and Marketing Manager, Anne, to learn more about their work.
What does Parade do?
We are an eco-clothing brand. Our main focus is clothing but we also sell accessories and baby gifts. All of our clothing is made with GOTS certified organic cotton and anything we source from different brands we try to find natural or sustainable options to align with our values.
What’s the best part about running a small business?
The best part is that we’re all just like a little family. We help each other out and as employees, we get a say in everything - it really fosters a great work environment. Being about to give back and connect with our community is amazing as well.
What’s the most exciting thing happening at Parade right now?
We’re hoping to expand into Mommy and Me pyjama sets and potentially unisex adult pyjamas so that we can cater to the whole family. It’s really exciting that we’re expanding each season.
What does sustainability look like at Parade?
The GOTS certification doesn’t only cover environmental standards but social as well. It ensures that employment is freely chosen, there is no child labour and more standards that we’re proud of. In addition to organic cotton which covers the whole supply chain with GOTS certification, we reduce plastic use as much as possible. We use biodegradable envelopes for online orders and paper packaging for retail orders. With our toys and gift items, we have a big focus on wooden toys or handmade fabrics. For example, we carry a brand called Kate and Levi that uses upcycled fabrics to make their toys. We try to do everything that we can to make our impact lighter on the planet.
What’s a recent sustainability win for Parade?
In 2020, we started a little segment on our Instagram stories called Parade Patchups. If we find pieces with a small flaw like a small stain or hole, we bundle them together and sell them at discounted prices. It gives our customers a chance to get great quality at discounted prices. The issues are almost always easily fixable.
In the conventional fashion industry, there’s so much waste and when something is slightly damaged it can no longer be sold at full price and items usually end up in the landfill. It kills us if we have to throw away a product for such a small issue so this was our solution! It’s been well received and we’re looking to expand in the future.
Do you have a standout customer connection moment?
There are quite a few. I personally love working in the store when we can. We have pyjamas that we typically release in September that people have grown to love to give as Christmas presents for groups of kids. We have people come back and share photos of a bunch of cousins with us in-store or on Instagram and we get to see those kids grow up over the years. One customer, in particular, has little ones in year life all over the world that she sends our pyjamas to.
What do you wish Canadians understood about your industry?
Generally, it’s important for consumers to keep in mind that the fashion/textile industry is not perfect but we do try our very best to make a difference. Because we’re a kid and baby brand we understand that we have to preserve our planet for the people we’re making clothes for.
There’s a lot of steps and thought that go into how our clothing is made. We’re lucky to partner with a great producer in India. Our owners are really good friends with the owner, Vikram. In normal times, they visit three to four times a year and stay with Vicram’s family in Delhi - it’s not just a business relationship.
What made you want to work with Tradle?
We so appreciate the fact that it’s reducing waste and promoting the reuse of our products because they do last a long time. We hate to see them be discarded in any way if they’re still usable. We love to see reuse and upcycling of our clothing.
Where can people find your brand?
Website: Parade.ca
Instagram: @ParadeOrganics
Facebook: Parade Organics
We are so grateful for the time that Anne took to chat with us and share more about Parade. Check back on our blog for more upcoming partner profiles!
