Dezeen Magazine

PACT underwear by Yves Behar

San Francisco designer Yves Behar of fuseproject has designed a range of sustainable underwear for online clothing retailer PACT.

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The range is made of organic cotton, is shipped in compostable bags (below) and is made according to strict environmental and social standards.

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Ten percent of profits will be given to social and environmental organisations, with the print pattern on the underwear reflecting the organisation that will receive the money.

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Here's some info from Behar:

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Yves Behar Flips Underwear Category On Its Head With Launch of PACT

PACT elevates buying underwear to a social movement through design, sustainability and philanthropy

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SAN FRANCISCO, August 17, 2009 – PACT, an online underwear brand that blends design and sustainability with support for powerful social and environmental causes, launched today with three premium organic cotton underwear collections for men and women. PACT believes that everyday essentials can communicate personal values.

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Buying PACT underwear is more than a transaction; it’s commerce as a social movement embodying the motto: Change Starts With Your Underwear. From how it’s made, shipped and shopped, the PACT brand is conceived in partnership with Yves Behar and his San Francisco-based studio, fuseproject, the industrial design and brand strategy firm behind iconic products like the Jawbone headset, Herman Miller LEAF Lamp and One Laptop per Child XO laptop.

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“We looked at underwear through the lens of 360º design,” said Jeff Denby, PACT Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder. “Having fuseproject as an equity partner in PACT illuminates the fundamental importance of design to the PACT brand. Our collaboration is key to generating what we believe are the most innovative ideas at the intersection of business, design and sustainability.”

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At the core of PACT are deep partnerships with nonprofit organizations that work to create social and environmental change. Each underwear collection is aligned with a nonprofit. Internationally recognized artists and designers create graphic visualizations of each organization’s mission with underwear as their canvas. PACT then gives 10 percent of each sale to support these organizations. Inaugural nonprofit partners are 826 National, ForestEthics and Oceana, with Yves Behar behind the first collections’ expressive, playful prints.

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“In building PACT, we re-thought everything about the way underwear is made and marketed,” said Behar. “We’re not doing anything artificial or superficial, not with the body, not with the packaging and not with our partnerships. Our vision is to unite fashion and design with doing good in an authentic way, building a company that truly embodies 21st century needs, showing a new way for businesses to operate in the future.”

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PACT underwear is manufactured in Turkey with all processes - from growing the cotton to producing the finished product - occurring within a 100-mile radius. Every part of the supply chain is certified to or exceeds the highest possible environmental and social standards. Underwear is shipped to customers in bright green compostable shipping bags, with each pair packaged in a reusable cloth bag made from scraps. No big cardboard boxes. No filler.

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By visiting PACT’s website, consumers can shop by cause, fit or print, easily choosing what matters most to them. With each new collection, PACT will continue to connect consumers and the world’s most creative artists with the global community of organizations and people who are effecting meaningful social and environmental change.

“More than ever, consumers want to see their values reflected in the products they buy, from hybrid cars to fair-trade coffee, and PACT is applying this mindset to everyday essentials,” said Jason Kibbey, PACT CEO and Co-Founder. “Underwear is a necessity. So why not wear the most stylish, best-fitting and sustainable pair possible and give back to organizations dedicated to positive change?”

Product is exclusively available at www.wearPACT.com

About PACT:

PACT is an online apparel company launched in 2009 by Jason Kibbey and Jeff Denby offering design-driven, sustainably manufactured, premium underwear connected to powerful social and environmental causes. PACT creates partnerships with nonprofits and donates 10 percent of each underwear purchase to support these organizations’ work. PACT underwear is made of responsibly grown and manufactured organic cotton, transported in zero-waste packaging and delivered with a minimized carbon footprint, demonstrating the company’s ongoing commitment to style, sustainability and social consciousness. For more information, email PACT at [email protected]

About Yves Behar / fuseproject

Founded in 1999 by Yves Behar, fuseproject develops cohesive brand and product experiences. With a focus on establishing new markets and disrupting old ones, fuseproject’s work takes a long-term strategic approach to developing and enhancing its clients’ business, with teams spanning brand and market strategy, identity and naming, packaging design, product development and communications design. fuseproject has offices in both San Francisco and New York.