Not only do Kristen Schwartz and Heather Sinkwitz design infant, maternity and nursing wear out of organic cotton, they also adopt endangered animals—a panda and an elephant to be exact.


“My heart lies in the protection of the animals and the protection of the environment for the human race,” Schwartz said.

Beginning as a retail Web site in September 2005, Joli Bebe Boutique is now a wholesale business based in Arizona with retailers in 21 stores nationwide, a store in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The two women met when Schwartz was pregnant with her first child and they knew that being involved with an organic baby boutique was something they would really enjoy. They wanted to couple that idea with their beliefs in conservation and the protection of the planet Earth. From there, they then began to look into it further.

They found the fabric source, the manufacturing plant and the mills, Schwartz said. They then designed their own pieces, perfected them, passed them onto a manufacturer and waited for the items to be mass produced.

“Because the organic clothing market is just now starting to be trendy, the people who want organic clothing really want organic,” Schwartz said.

With a shortage of organic cotton in the United States because of its demand from big corporations, Schwartz said, they decided to have their designs manufactured in India.

“Some U.S. farms are limited and the markup on organic cotton in the U.S. is astronomical,” Schwartz said. “To be able to afford manufacturing, we had to start out overseas, but our ultimate goal, once we have enough capital, is to invest and keep the money within the U.S.”

Schwartz also explained that with the shortage on organic cotton in the United States, businesses now have to secure their fabric.

“I pay ahead in thousands when I know I’ll need a certain amount of fabric,” she said.

Currently, Joli Bebe Boutique carries the Brown Bear and Layette Collections for infants, along with a Jolie Maman Maternity and Nursing line for moms. The Brown Bear Collection includes kimono sets in low-impact dyes of raspberry, vanilla and chocolate, and the Layette Collection includes items such as bibs, hooded baby blankets, bodysuits and nightgowns, all made out of organic cotton.

The nursing line was introduced eight months ago, with Australia and the United Kingdom only distributing Jolie Maman’s maternity and nursing products.

In their effort to support the Earth and design products that are organically beautiful, Schwartz and Sinkwitz knew that their business had to have something that set them apart from their competitors.

“We knew that being a company selling organic products, and other’s who sell organic products, most or all of us are doing it for the betterment of the environment … but we had to go one step further,” Schwartz said.

Over a period of six months, Joli Bebe Boutique donated two percent of their profits to the World Wildlife Fund, and eventually adopted a panda and elephant. The company now donates one percent of profits to 1% for the Planet.

“It’s a way to not only say that we’re environmentally savvy and want the world to be a better place, but it’s putting our money where our mouth is, giving back on top of our products,” Schwartz said.

Joli Bebe Boutique is also in a transitional stage with the possibility of splitting into two companies.

“I would take the maternity/nursing line, that being my own company, while Heather took the baby line, that being her own company,” Schwartz said.

Designing on a seasonal basis, Schwartz and Sinkwitz are currently working on their winter 2008 designs and their spring/summer 2008 line will begin October 12. And alongside their clothing creations, they will eventually market an organic teddy bear, which is now in the prototype stage.