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Rapanui is an Eco-Fashion company from the Isle of Wight, that makes Organic, Ethical clothing using Renewable Energy with award-winning traceability. Rapanui is about making eco-fashion cool.
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Edinburgh Zoo Pandas
Category: Good Causes
We're stoked to have teamed up with Edinburgh Zoo to make t-shirts for their new Giant Pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang.
If you've seen the news recently you'll probably have seen the two giant pandas that have arrived at Edinburgh Zoo - the first to live in the UK for almost 20 years. The Zoo is keen to raise awareness about conservation and asked us to create a t-shirt made from bamboo to sell alongside the visitor’s attraction.
Whilst keeping animals in captivity isnt ideal, our world is very far removed from the natural ecosystems that once sustained life as it should be - in reality, people are moving further and further away from the natural world and this results in detatchment from understanding the impacts of our behaviour. In our cities, drastic changes are needed to reconnect people with wildlife. We think it’s a good thing to raise awareness of conservation and sustainability and there is already nationwide interest in the project, creating discussion about the conservation of Pandas, wider issues of sustainability and in some cases politics.
We recently won and RSPCA Good Business Award in reflection of our efforts to bring conservation issues into the mainstream through our fashion products, and that’s the plan at Edinburgh's zoo: To create a destination for people to go and learn all about conservation and sustainability in real life. Based on what we could see from Edinburgh's enthusiasm for education, we decided our Panda tees were the perfect fit.
We do understand though, that keeping animals in captivity is a sensitive issue – and it’s right that there are groups that look out for animals, and question motives. Are we benefiting this endangered species with captive breeding programs:Is it cruel or do the animals know no different, having been bred in captivity? Or is all the above a fair price to pay if thousands of visitors go away educated and inspired to do more for conservation in their lives; you decide.
If nothing else, bringing Panda’s to the UK is a great opportunity to get people thinking – and talking – about sustainability, and what we want to do about it as humans, and we're pleased to be involved in the discussion.
Let us know your opinion via our comments below.
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