Excited to know more about Rawganique, a small business that carries GladRags, we reached out for a chat! Settle in with a cup of hemp coffee and read all about their mission, extensive line of organic products, and passion for sustainability.
Rawganique photo of coffee, pastry, and organic cloth stamped with 'Blaine, WA'

Can you talk a bit about what makes Rawganique unique?

We are off-grid island homesteaders who founded Rawganique in 1997 in the Pacific Northwest (Denman Island, specifically). Our mission is to create the purest organic clothing and home products from natural fibres such as organic cotton, linen, and hemp. We grow, weave, knit and sew our garments in small workshops in the USA, Canada, and Europe, all sweatshop-free. What makes our chemical-free products unique is that we aim to be as plastic-free and elastic-free as possible and to be as sustainable as possible! We showcase hemp’s breathability, for example, in our complete line of organic hemp underwear, T-shirts, shoes, towels, shower curtains, and bed sheets.
Rawganique storefront

Not only do you have an amazing website where people from all over can purchase organic products, you also have the Rawganique Lifestyle Store & Cafe in Blaine, WA! What kind of things can be found in the store?

The Rawganique Lifestyle Store & Cafe in Blaine, WA, right at the border with Canada, showcases our most popular products like organic bedding and mattresses and bath & kitchen products, as well as seasonal clothing and shoes. This is where you can touch and feel organic clothing as well as try our full line of organic mattresses and pillows that are handmade in USA. We also offer do-it-yourselfers lots to create with, like organic hemp, linen and cotton ropes, twines, braided cords, batting, fabrics, webbing, and edging tapes. Our customers have created amazing toys, mats, hats, bags, and more with our organic raw materials! Our cafe features an organic plant-based juice bar and bakery.

Why was it important for you to create and carry reusable menstrual products?

For us, menstrual products are right at the heart and soul of what Rawganique stands for. These products touch the skin at its most sensitive and vulnerable. The fact that GladRags products skip the plastic layers while still being functional and effective is amazing - that’s what our customers love about them! We love having discussions with our customers about organic menstrual products that are reusable, made in USA, and safe, safe, safe for the body and the planet.

GladRags display inside Rawganique store

What tips do you have for people who are newer to shopping for sustainably-made, organic products? Are there good "beginner" items for introducing people to low-waste, eco-friendly products?

I’d think menstrual pads would be a wonderful starting point, as they are closest to the skin. Likewise, organic underwear, socks, and bras which cover the skin where our most important glands are located. No wonder, these are our perennially popular products. Next up is the hemp shower curtain (which comes in 15 colors), because PVC curtains offgas some of the most toxic volatile chemicals throughout their lives - right into the lungs as you take a hot shower. Organic towels, blankets and bed sheets are also important “beginner” items — as are mattress toppers, of course, to block off-gassing from conventional mattresses. Our organic mattresses are popular with our customers, too, as they are all organic and handmade in USA.

 

Visit Rawganique's website and check them out on Facebook and Instagram! Visiting Blaine, WA? Pop into the Rawganique Lifestyle Store & Cafe!