01 - Introduction

01 Introduction

From seed to sheet, we make it our mission to create products that are good for our customers, our employees, and the planet we all share.

In truth, when this all started, we’d set out to make the best sheets for humans suffering from skin conditions. By accident, it seems we ended up making some of the best sheets for the environment, too. But of course, right? Because our health and the health of the planet are inseparable. Humans used to know this; it’s only in our modern, high-paced, efficiency-driven world that we’ve forgotten. Aizome is a centuries-old Japanese craft used to infuse the clothing of Samurai warriors with indigo’s medicinal properties – anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties that could offer protection to wounded skin. With aizome, we are working to make bedding that benefits our health as we sleep.

Why are so many products created for people with sensitive skin made with harmful, toxic synthetics, if plant-dye is such a good option?

The answer was a chorus of:

• Plant colors cannot make all color ranges that chemical colors can
• Consumers are not educated enough, and
• Plant-dyes cannot reach full color fastness.

We accepted the challenge.

1. We believe that consumers are underestimated (and intentionally misled) and that many are hungry for knowledge, change, and consumption with integrity
2. We refuse to accept that we can build AI and fly to the moon, but NOT find a way to improve colorfastness of plant dye without synthetic chemicals
3. We don’t really love neon, anyway.

Together with a team of scientists, engineers, and dermatologists, we developed an innovative sonarwave method to unlock the benefits of plant-based dyeing for home textiles without compromising in vibrancy, color fastness, or durability. Inspired by ancient Japanese craftsmanship and holistic wisdom, our cutting-edge process infuses soft, organic cotton with the pigment and properties of medicinal plants, creating fabric that soothes irritated skin, in harmony with nature: no pesticides, no synthetics, no petrochemicals. Our dyeing process requires significantly less water than most synthetically-dyed textiles, and our ‘waste-water’ is so pure that it has been used as organic fertilizer, and even skin care! (yeah, we did that). In 2018, AIZOME successfully launched our first bedding collection – to much acclaim from the likes of Forbes, Fast Company, and The Independent – and our crowdfunding quickly became one of the most successful campaigns from Japan  in 2018.

This report is to acknowledge our second goal: omoiyari. Omoi (思い) means thought. Yari is derived from yaru (やる), which means give or send. So, literally, omoiyari means to give your thoughts to others. It is sometimes translated as the art of consideration. Practicing omoiyari anchors our decision-making in deep relational care and accountability. This has grown our understanding of impact and transformed our expectations of business along the way. To us, omoiyari is what inspires true sustainability, rooted in respect and celebration.