Philosophy

“Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis” ― Patagonia’s Mission Statement

It’s fitting that this minimalist Mission Statement reflects the values of a business started by a band of climbers and surfers who promoted a minimalist style. Back then, the company focused on producing tools for climbers – and we’re proud to say that Alpinism remains at the heart of today’s worldwide business. These days we not only make clothes for climbing, we also produce technical garments for skiing, snowboarding, surfing, fly fishing, paddling and trail running. As ever, the approach we take towards product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility.

Importantly, all these pursuits are silent. None requires a motor; none delivers the cheers of a crowd. In each of these endeavours, reward comes in the form of hard-won grace and moments of connection with nature. For us at Patagonia, a love of wild and beautiful places demands participation in the fight to save them, and to help reverse the steep decline in the overall environmental health of our planet. We donate our time, services and at least 1% of our sales to hundreds of grassroots environmental groups all over the world who work to help reverse the tide.

We recognise that elements of our business activity – anything from lighting stores to dyeing shirts – have detrimental impacts on the environment. Accordingly, we work relentlessly to do whatever we can to reduce these impacts. For example, we use recycled polyester in many of our clothes, organic cotton (rather than pesticide-intensive cotton), chlorine-free wool and hemp because of its durable nature and the fact that it requires no irrigation or pesticides to grow.

Staying true to our core values during thirty-plus years in business has helped us create a company we’re all proud to be a part of. And our focus on making the best products possible has brought us success in the marketplace.

 

Background Photo: by Terri Laine