Celebrating 15 Years Towards Sustainability, Engagement & Innovation
In 2008, Dhana Inc. was incorporated in Marin, California with the vision of “Uniting Humanity Through Fashion” as we all know everyone wears clothes. The word “Dhana” represents “an offering” to connect people and planet through the medium of fashion. Thus began a journey to transform our collective way of thinking about the meaning, significance, opportunities and challenges associated with the social and environmental factors in making a piece of garment. Today, after fifteen years, Dhana has touched thousands of people across the globe through our teams, collections, campaigns, publications, social networks, partnerships and now technology platform.
As we celebrate our milestone, it is important to reflect on our highlights of Dhana Inc. and our accomplishments, learnings, as well as challenges.
1. Launched Youth Sustainable Collection
In 2011, DhanaEcoKids premiered with a 0-16 years organic, fairtrade collection ranging from everyday play wear for school, outdoors and travel. We offered boys and girls cotton jersey, woven and denim styles that were sold in stores and online (note e-commerce was just taking off) and also debuted in LA Fashion week. Dhana was a pioneer and leader in children’s wear and teens and offered a connection to the planet by partnering with global artists whose artwork was uniquely screened printed on cloth. We wanted to work with the young as we believed that it took a generation to transform our habits of fast fashion, social justice and climate change. Sourcing from India at a fairtrade factory,
I would travel to Pondicherry, meet with the garment workers, learn about new techniques in producing organic cotton, manufacturing, share insights, solicit input from these dedicated workers (80% of them were women) who were paid a living wage and given a voice at the table. Sustainable fashion a new concept back then and it was challenging to get media to be both interested or take note of the community and commitment Dhana represented as its foundational values.
2. B Corp Certification as a Force For Good
In 2013, Dhana Inc. received its first certification as a B Corp and it was the first time we believed we had connected and aligned, with a group of businesses that truly valued people and planet in the same realm as profit ; that stakeholder capitalism was indeed an integral factor to achieving a just, equitable, diverse and inclusive (JEDI) society. Today, Dhana Inc. celebrates 10 years as being a B Corp and being honored Best For The World 2016-2022. Our commitment stands strong and we continue to be inspired by our B community all being the change we want to see in the world.
3. Linear to Circular Business Model
In 2017, Dhana Inc. pivoted towards a circular business model after much research and realizing the amount of global textile waste was being created in the world, ending up in landfills and the dumping of waste in third world emerging countries. We stopped sourcing virgin resources and challenged ourselves to make clothing using existing circulating materials. This was part of the Dhana spirit and to “offer” a new mindset of thinking about our clothes, our values and the memories associated with our garments.
4. Signatory to Circular Fashion Commitment 2020
As one of the 96 pioneering global brands taking the lead moving towards Circular Fashion, Dhana Inc. was the only youth brand that adopted all four circular principles and was a case study in the final report released in 2020 with our first circular design collection - the Circular Memory Jacket (CMJ).
5. Wear Our Values Report and Campaign
Over 5000 people around the world completed a survey conducted by Dhana on what they would like to see more from fashion brands. The question Dhana asked: Is there Brand-Customer Value Alignment - in how we treat people and planet? The WearOurValues.com report released in 2020 has been downloaded over 100K today and laid the cornerstone to environmental, social, governance in the fashion and apparel industry. The report was critical to ensuring that the next generation leaders had a voice and that their actions were going to drive brand awareness and innovation.
6. The True Cost Movie (2015)
As part of building awareness on the plight of garment workers, educating consumers on the impact of fashion on all 17 SDGs, empowering customers to vote with their dollars, take action to stand up and speak out on social and climate justice, Dhana partnered with schools, universities, conferences, non-profits, and fashion brands to screen The True Cost movie all over the world. As Associate Producer of The True Cost movie, Shamini Dhana publicly spoke and communicated the importance of collaboration amongst all stakeholders in the fashion and apparel industry, published a series of ten articles based on ten themes covered in The True Cost Movie which still plagues the fashion and apparel industry.
7. D/Sphere Fashion Tech Platform
In 2019, Dhana Inc. witnessed the benefits of combining the shared economy with technology and made the bold move to pivot towards fashion technology to combine circularity principles to tackle fashion waste and offer customization as the new fashion innovation. In 2020, Dhana embarked on the development of a platform that would provide digital tools that was easy for the end user to design their next garment by utilizing existing second life, finished fabric, dead stock and circulating materials - reuse, repurpose, reimagine - what we call upcycling - to extend the life of a garment as long as possible and design it out of waste and pollution. D/Sphere Beta was launched in 2022 where D stands for digital fashion in the digital economy and Sphere is symbolism for equality and equity in a shared and circular economy that we all aspire towards for our planet. Dhana is thrilled about the potential of D/Sphere as using this AI powered platform we can see the benefits and applicability in multiple industries to divert waste and transform product into new designs, a marketplace of buyers and sellers and technology offerings. Today, D/Sphere platform is being offered to fashion brands, companies, manufacturers, retailers and universities as a B2B2C circular strategy.
8. Circular Fashion Collection and Partnerships
To date, Dhana has co-created a whole new line of circular fashion for our customers in partnership with Columbus Apparel Studio (CAS) based in Ohio including the iconic Circular Fashion Tee (CFT) and Circular Memory Jacket (CMJ). We envision more brands leveraging this partnership as we move towards customization and personalization. More importantly, as part of closing the gap between customer and garment worker and seeking to know #WhoMadeMyClothes,
Dhana is offering this connection on D/Sphere which is leading the movement to paying it forward by sharing gratitude and celebrating the hearts and hands behind our clothes. D/Sphere is realizing Dhana’s mission which is to connect people and planet through the medium of fashion through storytelling.
We ask the question “What Is Your Fashion Story?” and since we now can design our clothes and all wear clothes , we are united using a common denominator.
9. Conscious Fashion Consortium (CFC)
Dhana joins the fashion pioneers who believe that the end customer is a valued brand partner in the co-creation design process. This last part of including the end user is in fact ensuring what the WearOurValues campaign was all about - value alignment. That we honor all people along the way and in order to truly value a piece of garment, we need to democratize fashion by giving access to the design process. The Conscious Fashion Consortium (CFC) is a working group of stakeholders including fashion brands and university to ensure that D/Sphere provides the features and functionality before it launches globally in 2025.
Here’s to continuing the journey of empowerment, engagement and enlightenment as we collectively collaborate and bring into reality the vision of uniting humanity through the medium of fashion.
The Dhana Team gives special thanks and gratitude to all of our values partners, customers and stakeholders for being supportive and sharing your wit and wisdom along the way! It takes the world to realize the true inspiration in a piece of clothing and how we are incredibly influenced by the people who make our clothes to the planet that provides us with all the elements.
We’re Wearin’ the World! (Dhana’s tagline)
Shamini Dhana