Profile of Laura Routledge

3 Tree Apparelspaper--The basement window still is lined with spools of yellow, brown and beige thread, a clue that a clothing designer is at work inside the Port Coquitlam home. The modest basement studio is the ground where one young women had sown her dream to be her own boss. But this is no ordinary home-base business. Laura Routledge wants to make a point about environmentalism. She believes in moving away from the use of pesticides and chemicals for clothing, and is making that point with organic cotton underwear. Offering a range of sizes and styles including thongs, Routledge designed here 3 Tree line of bodywear with cotton grown naturally, without harsh toxins.

"I like fashion, but I don't like the way the industry runs," Routledge says. Most cotton is grown using pesticides and chemical waste results when cotton material is dyed and bleached, Routledge explains. Organic cotton, much like organic food, is not treated with pesticides, and the colours of the resulting fabric range from neutral to reddish-browns to ivory. Using 100 per cent organic cotton for her bodywear line also means good news for those with skin sensitivities. Routledge even goes as far as using cotton covered elastic for those allergic to rubber. Routledge believes organic cotton not only feels great against the skin, but also reduces chemical pollution and ensures cotton production remains in North America.

All production of the 3 Tree line is done through a Port Coquitlam manufacturer who cuts and sews the cotton.

Routledge said she began designing and sewing at an early age, watching her mother work at the sewing machine. Taking the left over scrap fabric, she would make outfits for the teddy bears and dolls. She has since graduated from a two-year fashion design and technology program at Kwantlen University College. In 1998, she was accepted to BCIT's Venture program and was awarded $15,000 to give life to her business idea. She plans to market her bodywear primarily through her Web site, www.3tree.bc.ca, launched last week, as well as mail-order brochures. She began with a box full of underwear from local department stores, which gave her the basic blueprint. The patterns for her camisoles and briefs were finished within a week, but putting them to the test took much longer. Family, friends and friends-of-friends volunteered to try them out. After several fit tests, she was able to finalize patterns for four different styles of underwear and three types of tops. Routledge hopes she's found a niche product which will appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers. "It's scary because you don't have a steady income coming in, but I know in the long run it's more gratifying and I'll be happy I did it," Routledge said. If her idea catches on, she said it just might lead her to a panty fortune.

-Angela MacKenzie

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