ABOUT
EarthFirst Consultants delivers thoughtful, sustainable apparel consulting services based on deep experience and insight across apparel and footwear brands, in addition to the entire supply-chain. No matter where your company is on the path to sustainability, we will help you plan and begin in a strategic and authentic way.
The journey to sustainability requires a thoughtful, phased approach that considers where your company is today both operationally and commercially, to where you want to be milestone by milestone.
Our breadth and depth of experience in building and evolving sustainable apparel brands allow us to create a pragmatic roadmap that uniquely addresses wherever your brand may be in the journey.
In addition, and depending on your needs, we provide carbon mapping of your entire supply-chain, access to industry recognized certifications and reporting (both to shareholders and consumer facing), to ensure that you stay on the path you have chosen.
Services
We provide fixed scope, project-based and long-term consulting services across all stages of creating and maintaining a sustainable apparel lifecycle, from concept to market.
SUSTAINABILITY FOCUSED COMMERCIALIZATION PROCESS
Our deep product development experience allows us to optimize product attributes while applying the creativity needed to anticipate and overcome obstacles along the way...
SUSTAINABLE AND CSR FOCUSED STRATEGIC GLOBAL SOURCING
At EarthFirst, we have solid experience across the sourcing continuum. Our richly cultivated global relationships allow us to move with speed and agility on your behalf...
GLOBAL MARKETING FOCUSED ON YOUR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS
Our experience with boutique and power fashion brands grants us the know-how and creativity to build, grow and evolve successful sustainable fashion and textile businesses...
INDEPENDENT CSO AND THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION CORPORATE SUPPORT
More often than not, an apparel brand approaches us without the full range of talent needed to bring their product to market. We can augment your team...
Portfolio
Portfolio
Apparel IndustryThought Leadership
Our consultants are often called upon by the industry to provide insight into sustainable textile and apparel trends, strategies, and best practices. Our contribution to the compendium of knowledge in the industry can be found in many leading publications and conferences.
Award WinningTeam
Testimonials
Jessica Lauren, Creative Director – Avocado
Kirsten and the EarthFirst Consultants team are a pleasure to work with. I have been lucky to collaborate with Kirsten via Sensil x Avocado trade shows and events. Kirsten brings great ideas to the table along with creative strategies and most of all FUN!
Personality and teamwork are extremely important to me in a collaborative setting, and Kirsten has been a valuable teammate for me not only with her “go getter” attitude, but also her quick thinking, excellent planning and organization and innovative ideas. She is kind, thoughtful and detailed. I look forward to our next collaborations with the EarthFirst Consultants team.
Scott Darlington, Product Development Manager – Nordstrom
EarthFirst Consultants have all the skills you could ever want. Their understanding and experience in product and the commercialization process (from raw material through bulk production to final delivery) is unapparelled. They are well versed in sales, marketing, social media and event planning.
What really makes EarthFirst Consultants stand out is their personalities and the relationships they build. We worked directly with Kirsten Harris and her team. Kirsten has the ability to make anyone she communicates with feel heard and recognized. Her empathy and desire to find common ground ensures that the relationships she builds are solid and long lasting. I would love to work alongside the EarthFirst Consultants team again and know they would be an amazing addition to any team.
Martin Yang, Head of Marketing – Nilit China
Kirsten is a great fortune of textile industry, she is experienced in whole value chain integration, abundant knowledge covering from yarn to fabrics to full garment, brand strategy management , corporate communication, product management... We like to work with her is because she is always full of passion, never give up, attention to details and very willing to help others at any time, really a great team-worker.
EarthFirst always bring good ideas and innovations to any organizations, keep very good relationships with all the key contacts of international brands and key contacts of premium value chain resources all over the world. Kirsten is a friend indeed and worthy to have and trust.
Mark Lonneker, Global Business Development – Maxim Label & Packaging
I have worked with Kirsten Harris for over 20 years as a vendor in the apparel and footwear industry. From Kirsten’s early days at Nike, and then again with Nordstrom and Amazon, she has always been a pleasure to work with.
EarthFirst Consultants has developed a reputation in the industry for being known for taking on the urgent projects and getting them done quickly, on budget and on time. Kirsten Harris has strong leadership skills, communication skills as well as negotiating skills when working with vendors and contractors. These skill sets have helped EarthFirst Consultants build strong, strategic relationships with both vendors and contractors over the years. I wish all of my customers had Kirsten Harris and EarthFirst Consultants assisting their team!
Morgan, Program Director – Nike
As a highly regarded and previous Nike employee who had moved to Seattle, Kirsten was asked to return during a volatile time to develop and manage an extremely challenging and urgent key product-line resourcing project.
Kirsten was unflappable and approached this apparel resourcing project with passion and a deeply organized approach that immediately put the team at ease. Kirsten developed the project plan, timeline and communication strategy and then set about establishing key relationships, both internally and with our factory partners.
Kirsten partnered directly with the factories to establish acceptable standards and variances, as well as problem solving some difficult to achieve graphics. She often worked independently and remotely, yet she kept leadership fully informed of the project’s progress and any obstacles needing additional attention.
News & Articles
How Biostatic Fabrics Promise To Revolutionize Apparel
August 21, 2019
Superbugs have quickly moved from science fiction to public health crisis as the antibiotics that have protected us for the last century lose their fighting power.
But an answer to solving this problem might not be in how we stock our medicine cabinets, but our closets.
Active Collective Brings Fitness, Fashion and Sustainability Together
January 29, 2020
We’re eagerly anticipating the upcoming Active Collective trade show in Anaheim, CA, which follow on last week’s show in New York City where the industry’s top brands and manufacturers debuted their latest collections in fashion-forward apparel, footwear, and accessories...
Sustainability Will Be the Gold Standard for Today’s Premium Brands
October 15, 2019
The recent G7 summit crackdown on fast fashion brands for their impact on carbon emissions shows that sustainability concerns are becoming critical for these businesses. Yet even luxury brands like Gucci and YSL, which rely on synthetic fibers, are getting pressure to go green...
Sustainability is What Makes your Athleisure Brand Stand Out to Consumers
January 9, 2020
Gone are the days of keeping a change of clothing tucked in your desk for cocktail hour and another in your gym bag for yoga class. Women especially expect more from an individual garment. They want to cycle to work, race from a board meeting to an afternoon gym class, and then catch up with friends over dinner -- all in the same outfit.
Why Apparel and Footwear Cannot Afford to Ignore Sustainability
June 4, 2019
As retailers focus on the next generation of consumers, millennial and Gen Z shoppers are increasingly vocal about their expectation that brands uphold environmentally friendly practices. Consumers’ demands...
Avocado + SENSIL® Launch New Collection in Venice, California
July 26, 2019
LA activewear brand kicks off Fall 2019 season with red carpet event.
Like the smooth green fruit often associated with the healthy California lifestyle, Made-in-L.A. activewear brand Avocado is committed to delivering its customers unique comfort, versatility, wellbeing, and quality.
Former Amazon and Nike Product Exec Joins Nilit
July 17, 2018
Nylon 6.6 leader Nilit has announced that Kirsten K. Harris has joined the company as Director of Marketing for North America, replacing Molly Kremidas, who left the company to pursue other opportunities...
Nilit’s Sensil Exemplifies Cooperation
April 1, 2019
Nilit, the largest supplier of premium Nylon 6.6, has come out with Sensil, presenting an example of yarn producers, mills and brands working together to meet customers’ demands. Sensil is nylon at its best. It is softer, stronger and more durable
Amazon Is Getting Into Sportswear
October 14, 2017
Amazon.com Inc. is tapping some of the biggest athletic-apparel suppliers to make a foray into private-label sportswear, according to people familiar with the matter, setting the stage for further upheaval in an already-tumultuous industry...
Nilit® Brings a New Dimension to Supply Chain Relationships With Sensil®
March 11, 2019
As ratings and rankings influence more and more of consumers’ purchasing decisions, the retail landscape is changing. Suddenly small emerging brands can hold the same cachet in shoppers’ minds as large, established players...
Amazon is taking on Nike, Lululemon with push into sportswear
October 14, 2017
Amazon is enlisting some of the biggest athletic-apparel suppliers as part of a foray into private-label sportswear, according to people familiar with the matter, setting the stage for further upheaval...