prAna is Sanskrit for breath, life and vitality of the spirit. This ancient word holds great meaning for us, and so we borrowed it for our name. It lifts our aspirations and helps guide our actions towards becoming an evermore socially mindful and environmentally sustainable organization.
This year, we celebrate 22 years in existence. We started simply, rooted in idealism and a timeless belief that companies like ours should strive to give much more than they take from the world. That notion keeps us focused on making products that look great, but that are also easier on the planet’s resources.
Our customers are fun-loving, soulful people who travel well, play hard and care about the impact they have on the world around them. That’s who we are, too. We believe that a little yoga – or whatever form of moving meditation you choose – can help you breathe deeply through a tough day, or laugh in the face of a traffic jam. And we believe that when you reach into your closet, there should be something there that reflects who you are, how you feel and what you value most. We’ve focused on the details, and aren’t afraid to hang it out when it comes to bold colors and whimsical patterns.
That’s why in our collections you’ll find apparel and accessories that are made using fewer toxins and chemicals. In all that we do, we work toward the most ambitious goals with regard to the use of energy, water and chemicals in manufacturing. As a partner of bluesign, prAna is already guided by the textile industry’s top standards – avoiding, wherever possible, processes that can cause harm to people or the environment. Additionally, our clothes are created with organic cotton, natural fibers and recycled materials. And, prAna helped pioneer Fair Trade Certified apparel and became the first major company in North America to produce and market Fair-Trade Certified styles. Today, we’re offering more certified goods than ever.
In 1992, Beaver Theodosakis and his wife Pam started prAna in their garage in Carlsbad, California, and remain involved to this day. Together, they built prAna slowly and with purpose, taking care to limit the size of its footprint. They sewed the first pieces themselves and labeled them with tags from homemade recycled paper. The clothes were originally shipped in fruit boxes they gathered from the local grocery store.
prAna is still based in Carlsbad, and though we’ve grown, we continue to live and nurture our core values. We’re proud that many of our original employees have stayed with us to put into practice the same intention as those early days. In clean energy alone, our positively-charged changes and the “greening” of our electricity usage has cut greenhouse gas emissions to the tune of 71,961 metric tons – the same as taking 13,180 cars off the road or protecting 16,355 acres of forest.
Our actions and products have always been inspired by athletes like world-class climber Chris Sharma — who has been with us from the beginning — and renowned yogis like Shiva Rea. These friends, along with our customers, help inform our designs and push us to keep reaching. We’re on a journey, always evolving, and like a handful of great companies in our industry, our commitment to sustainability, community and right action continues to inspire others to think in the same way. Being part of this forward momentum will continue to keep us innovating and exploring, to strike that fine balance between commerce and idealism – doing well while doing good.