The Footprint Chronicles

Patagonia has been mother nature’s biggest fan since before she was famous. It comes as no surprise, then, that the company has recently made another forward-thinking move in the form of The Footprint Chronicles, a design-through-delivery breakdown of the complete environmental impact of some of their products. For instance, instead of only mentioning the use of a recycled fiber in the Synchilla Vest, the Footprint Chronicles tracks the fiber from its original source to its final use. By tracking the movements of the future vest, Patagonia can document the overall environmental impact of the product (or in other words, its footprint). I love Patagonia for doing this, because it’s becoming evident that just by assigning a trendy term like “organic” or “earth friendly” to a product, less-informed consumers are inclined to take the product at face value. This holistic approach reveals the potentially damaging production methods that are often swept under the rug after the manufacturing process, meaning Patagonia should once again be recognized for giving our planet (all) the respect it deserves.