Sustainability is an essential part of the value chain, says Ido Movement’s Sandhya Lalloo-Morar DUBAI: Steps toward a greener lifestyle can start with simple wardrobe choices. As sustainability initiatives pick up speed in the Middle East and North Africa region, consumers are becoming savvier about truly creating change. For the founder of activewear brand Ido Movement, sustainability is an essential core part of the value chain. “A very important aspect that we have noticed over the last few months is that consumers are becoming far more knowledgeable about sustainable products and are able to discern between brands that are ‘green-washing’ versus those that are genuinely committed to driving change,” said Sandhya Lalloo-Morar, founder of the Ido Movement. “This is extremely important and a clear marker for brands like us that are investing to ensure that we are driving sustainability into the core of the value chain.” Passionate about the world of dance, Lalloo-Morar wanted to create activewear that is as comfortable to wear as it is good for the planet. Purpose-driven design is merged with technologically innovative fabrics to create unique, sustainable pieces. The startup launched over a year ago in February 2021 after facing delays due to the pandemic. When Ido Movement finally entered the market, it had healthy competition. “There is definitely a sharp increase in terms of the number of brands now focusing on sustainable clothing in general,” said Lalloo-Morar. “A large part of this is also due to the number of sustainable initiatives being driven by the country (the UAE) as a whole in terms of the vision to be fully sustainable in terms of energy by 2050.” Sustainability is a focal point of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda. Recently, the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched a Middle East Green Initiative, aimed at raising $10.4 billion for an investment fund and clean energy projects to reduce carbon emissions. Meanwhile, the UAE recently launched a Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and will play host to global climate summit COP28 in 2023. Ido Movement, which serves the Gulf Cooperation Council market, has seen rising interest particularly from Saudi Arabia. “As an example, with minimal engagement, we already have approximately 18 percent of traffic to our portal originating from Saudi Arabia, while other Gulf states (other than the UAE) account for 13.7 percent,” said Lalloo-Morar. Out of the website traffic coming from Saudi Arabia, 40 percent comes from Riyadh. HIGHLIGHTS • Passionate about the world of dance, Lalloo-Morar wanted to create activewear that is as comfortable to wear as it is good for the planet. • Purpose-driven design is merged with technologically innovative fabrics to create unique, sustainable pieces. • The startup launched over a year ago in February 2021 after facing delays due to the pandemic. • When Ido Movement finally entered the market, it had healthy competition. The brand’s products are sold through its portal www.theidomovement.com, as well as platforms such as WildFabrik and PlainTiger. Ido Movement also had a six-month engagement previously with Gigi Concept store in Galleria Mall in Dubai as part of its pop-up brands. In terms of business benchmarks, although Ido Movement is primarily an e-commerce platform, the brand has had over 65 percent of sales driven by direct contact. “We do viral marketing at dance studios of people seeing the clothes on trainers or other dancers and directly making contact to purchase,” she explained. The website performs well, with a retention rate of over 25 percent of repeat customers who are gradually transforming their wardrobes toward a more sustainable option. As a self-funded entity, its immediate focus is around growing brand awareness and educating consumers on the offering. “We are not just another clothing brand using sustainable fabric,” said Lalloo-Morar. “Our mission is to drive change by looking at design and construction more innovatively, optimizing our supply chain, while ensuring a fair and ethical manufacturing standard. We are also consistently on the lookout for new fabrics as this science evolves to allow us to provide the best quality, whilst still being good for the planet as well.” One of the key drivers of a truly sustainable and circular offering is the ability for consumers to dispose of items that have reached their end of life in a facility that allows them to close the loop with manufacturers. “Through partnerships and alignment with the relevant municipalities, this would enable us to create the right ecosystem for a fully sustainable offering,” she said. “Collaborations will drive the industry and also shift behavior to adopt sustainable options faster. We can all do our part.”