Surfer, fly fisherman, and Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard evokes a crystal clear message… Less Is More. During his recent interview on Treehugger Radio, he illustrated this point again and again. When asked what he thought of disgruntled youngsters complaining about the “Patagucci” price point, Yvon said they should try buying one pair of shorts that “will last forever” instead of twenty poorly made ones. The 70-year-old French Canadian states simply, “you don’t need a pair of surf trunks to go surfing.” Yvon’s Buy Less philosophy may appear slightly at odds with the business of selling things, but it seems to work well for Patagonia. He says even during the recent economic recession, business is booming because during tough times, people pass on “silly stuff” and choose quality products that are built to last.

It should come as no surprise that a company founded by a longtime falconer, rock climber, and environmentalist-at-large is so committed to the preservation of nature. Patagonia is a complete stand out in the adventure apparel market when it comes to ecologically sensitive methods of operation. It was Patagonia’s anomalous commitment in the early 90’s to carry only pesticide-free cotton products that set off the organic cotton industry in the State of California. Patagonia also pioneered the use of recycled soda bottles to make fleece. They pay employees to do conservation work around the world and historically take executives to the deep wilderness to ponder major decisions for the company.

In 2001, Yvon shared Patagonia’s practice of tithing with the rest of the business world by founding One Percent For The Planet, an organization that helps 777 companies (including Greenloop) donate 1% of their profits to 1,392 environmental groups. As a speaker at the 2007 Net Impact Conference, Yvon caused quite a stir when he turned down their swag bag in front of the audience and said “I already have everything I need.” This was yet another stark example of the minimalist philosophy Chouinard brings to both apparel production and his private life. “I’m trying to simplify my life personally and eliminate a lot of the unnecessary things…I’ve got so many t-shirts. I’ve never bought a t-shirt ’cause people are always dumping t-shirts on me. When they’re not organic, I hand it back to them and say, ‘thanks, but I only wear organic cotton.’ It kind of shakes em up a bit, but its my own personal thing.”

Merci pour l’inspiration, Yvon!