Not only better for the baby, but better for the world!
All grandfathers want the best for their grandchildren – but this grandfather went one step further, teaming up with some ambitious moms to create Pink Elephant Organics and share their best with the world.
In 2013, a baby girl named Ahnika was born. Her grandfather, Sudhir Kakar, the owner of a successful woman’s clothing company, was on a mission to find the highest quality, most comfortable, fashionable clothing for her. Sudhir was looking for the things everyone cares about – quality, comfort and fashion. In his search, he noticed many European apparel brands touting the benefits of clothing made with organic fibers. Curious, and determined to find the best clothing for his granddaughter, he did some of his own research and discovered the many benefits of organic clothing for children. He discovered that not only is organic cotton the highest quality cotton, but also that there was an untapped market in the U.S. for this type of clothing. He didn’t find anything that lived up to his expectations. So, he paired his passion for his family with his apparel expertise to create a better option for little ones like Ahnika. Little did Ahnika know – her birth would inspire a whole new approach to girl’s clothing.
This determined grandfather teamed up with passionate & determined women (including his daughter-in-law) to produce high-quality, comfortable clothing for kids. They also wanted to make sure that these designs were fashionable and stylish for little ones.
When Sudhir began forming his team to create Pink Elephant, he asked Courtney Coughlin to join him as Creative Director & Head of Merchandising. Courtney spent over ten years as a buyer for a leading national retailer. She and Sudhir had worked together in women’s fashion, and after a few years she moved into girls’ clothing. Courtney thought Sudhir would be able to make beautiful clothing for girls and asked if he would consider entering the market. The first item of girls clothing they created together was a fashion t-shirt with an elephant on it –an unknown precursor of what was to come. Courtney now works mainly from her home in Massachusetts and travels to Pink Elephant headquarters in Manhattan a couple times per month. Courtney values input and criticism in order to constantly strive for the best. “Criticism is your friend.
Creating an environment where it’s a positive thing to provide criticism, and continually asking for feedback is key to long term success. It’s great to hear positive feedback but customers, colleagues and friends who truly care will tell you what you’re missing, or what you can improve. Sometimes the simplest frustrations for a customer can impede sales and fixing those might be just as simple as the frustration itself! Also, no team member should ever feel like they can’t give their input to another simply because it’s not their main role. Constructive criticism is our best friend!”
Courtney is living her dream of being a working-at-home mom to her three sons, Chase, Drew and Caden. Working in the land of little girls fashion is truly this boy-mom’s dream come true!
Another obvious choice for his team of super stars was mother to his precious granddaughter Ahnika, Liz Kakar. Prior to starting Pink Elephant Organics, Liz spent seven years managing production, sales, design and logistics teams in the fashion industry. She always dreamed of a situation where she could balance a career she was passionate about with being a mom. Liz is the Head of Operations and loves playing a part in creating a fun, fashionable, comfortable, organic children’s line that she can share with mothers across the country. As a woman with a sense of fashion, she loves a smart piece of children’s clothing with stylish embellishments. Liz enjoys brainstorming with the team and understands the importance of these valuable discussions. “Some of our best ideas come out of pure off-the-cuff conversation or unstructured, forum-type meetings. Everyone brings something different to the table, and when ideas are free-flowing, some of our best ideas come to light! Brainstorming also fosters efficient teamwork and a collaborative work environment. One individual might have a good idea, but gathering input as a team can make it an incredible idea. These types of meetings are just as important to our brand as structured, goal-oriented meetings.”
Rounding out this dream team is Katie Ryder, Head Designer & Manager of Operations. Katie has had a passion for kids from the start—she was a nanny throughout design school. She may not have kids of her own yet, but Katie has been a second mom to several children. She’s had a passion for kids ever since she took on her very first babysitting job—and went on to nanny to support herself through college and took a full-time nanny position before moving to NYC to work with a women’s clothing line. One of the moms she worked for even hired her to make her kids’ summer clothing, giving Katie the opportunity to create and designed her very own handmade children’s clothing line that was tested by kids.
Through her experience, she gained firsthand insight to what parents (and kids!) want in their clothing—primarily comfort and quality. Combining that with her education in apparel design and eco-friendly practices, and her love of cute, tiny prints and embellishments, Pink Elephant is a true passion project for her.
The goal of Pink Elephant is to make fashion synonymous with comfort and affordability. They did not want consumers to have to choose between Fashion & comfortable organic cotton. Pink Elephant Organic prides itself on offering parents high-quality and high fashion at great prices. Pink Elephant Organics believes that parents should be able to afford the best for their kids.
Choosing organic cotton is a healthy choice not only because it’s soft and comfortable, but it is better for the environment, ecosystem and the health of the farmers & manufacturers. According to “Natural News”, cotton farming uses more chemicals in its production than any other human grown plant. Pesticides, fungicides, and insecticides, many of which are known cancer causing agents, are being sprayed over large amounts of land and polluting our water and seeping into the cotton crops which in turn seeps into the clothing. It is possible to absorb all of those poisonous chemicals that went in to the making of the product through the skin.
Currently, less than one percent of all cotton grown is organic. Thankfully there are companies like Pink Elephant Organics who understand the importance of organic cotton, especially next to the fragile skin of babies and children. Organic cotton is a product pure and soft on your baby’s skin that is healthier and more economical for cotton farmers to grow and one that has significantly less impact on the environment.
Pink Elephant Organics is committed to social and environmental responsibility. This progressive company helps support the fight against child labor & human trafficking and the health and well-being of consumers, industry workers and our environment. A portion of all proceeds goes towards charities that help children and wildlife including (but are not limited to): Save the Elephants, Children’s Hospitals, St. Judes, Make a Wish Foundation and Save the Children.
Pink Elephant Organics is available online at pinkelephantorganics.com.
