My growing business is selling eco-clothing

2:57pm Monday 7th January 2008

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A T-SHIRT made of bamboo that can be planted in the ground once you've finished with it.

It might sound like an entry for a futuristic Blue Peter design competition, but it's no such thing. The environmentally friendly fashion is very much a reality for one Westcliff business woman.

Abigail Billinge, of Crowstone Road, has recently set up her own design company Absolution, where the emphasis is firmly on ethical trading.

All the clothing is made using either bamboo or organic cotton, is fairly traded and sweatshop free.

Abigail's environmental stance doesn't end there. She's applied it to every aspect of her business. From only printing in one colour to save on the amount of water needed for washing the screens, to using plastic wrapping for her handmade cards made of 100 per cent biodegradable corn starch.

"My boyfriend and I are very much into recycling and try to do all the right things when it comes to the environment. So I knew if I was going to start a business I wanted to go down the environmental route," explains Abigail, who moved to Westcliff from Cornwall with boyfriend John last February.

After a short stint working in a call centre, Abigail has spent the last few months developing the business.

"I absolutely hated the call centre work. The people were lovely, but I just didn't enjoy the job," she says. It did provide the launch pad for her business idea though.

"I was always doodling and someone said you should make t-shirts out of that," says Abigail. "That's when I thought maybe I should."

With the idea planted in her mind, Abigail taught herself how to fabric print and set up a studio in a friend's garage. Her doodles soon made their way onto mens and women's t-shirts, baby wear, bags and cards.

"There is the perception that organic clothing is shapeless and very hippy. I wanted to steer away from that," says Abigail about her designs. "I want to take ethical clothing and make it more mainstream."

Not only is she hoping to make waves in the fashion world, she's also out to do her bit for farmers worldwide.

"Non-organic cotton is one of the most chemical reliant crops in the world," she continues. "It's such a huge industry and the demand on farmers to keep producing more and more is immense. But it's not good for their health, it's not good for their community or for the local wildlife.

"By changing to organic production, which is a process that takes three years, the farmers get more money for their crops, the environment does start to get better, wildlife starts to return and it's a much healthier way to live."

Abigail's t-shirts, which come with Soil Association organic certification, are sourced from Egypt and Turkey, while her bamboo t-shirts come from China.

"Bamboo is the most sustainable natural crop in the world," says Abigail. "It's got anti bacterial properties in it, which means it doesn't need any chemicals sprayed over it. It also grows at an amazing rate, it's something like 75 feet in just 45 to 60 days. In fact they say it grows so fast you can almost watch it grow.

"Also it's a great fabric. It feels like silk but has the benefits of being machine washable."

I strongly believe that organic and sustainable crops are definitely the way forward," says Abigail. "It's just about convincing more people."

Absolution T-shirts start at £10 for babies up to £25 for adults.

www.absolutionsaves.com