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Isle of Wight firm design kit for England team at world championships

By Gareth Lewis

9:40am Wednesday 1st September 2010

A CLOTHING firm from the Isle of Wight is to make the new England kit... for the national tiddlywinks team.

Rapanui has developed “cutting edge performance Eco-wear” for the world championships, which take place in Washington this week, where England are the red hot favourites to return with the “world-tiddly-trophy”.

The move is just the latest attempt at diversifying by young island based entrepreneurs Rob and Martin Drake-Knight, who created the environmentally conscious surf fashion brand with just £200.

The pair have launched Rapanui Wholesale selling unbranded clothing to firms keen to cut their carbon footprint and enhance their green credentials for use as uniforms or in marketing. Already, ice cream giant Ben and Jerry’s has been in touch, as has the Marine Conservation Society.

Rapanui makes its clothes from organic fabric in a Fair Wear Foundation audited, wind-powered factory in southern India and claims to have reduced the carbon footprint of their products by 90 per cent compared to high street rivals.

This has earned the brothers national recognition, winning the 2010 Sustainable business Awards and a runners-up place at the Enterprise UK Young Brits awards.

Mart Drake-Knight “Fashion is like no other medium. You drape yourself in what you believe in. We want businesses to recognise that sustainability in a company can be won through a bottom-up hearts-and-minds campaign.”

He added that the move in tiddlywinks wear was a reaction against “photo-shopped stars”.

“Being English, being entrepreneurs, embracing our society, culture, environment and entrepreneurial heritage can be cool – young people need role models like the England Tiddlywinks team,” he said.

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