With a focus on organic and Fairtrade cotton, Little Green Radicals has spent 20 years setting benchmarks for responsibility and style in the childrenswear industry. CWB speaks to brand founder and managing director, Nick Pecorelli, to reflect on the company’s past, present and future.
Little Green Radicals has been a trailblazer in the world of ethical childrenswear for the past two decades, championing organic and Fairtrade cotton from its inception. Founder and managing director, Nick Pecorelli, recently marked the brand’s 20th anniversary with a heartfelt celebration, alongside the launch of a limited-edition organic cotton knitted jumper for adults in the brand’s signature rainbow stripes.
“We had a birthday party, of course, with lots of great messages from our suppliers and super stockists like Babipur,” says Pecorelli. “I got a little choked, which I didn’t expect, but I guess it has been quite a journey.”
From day one, Little Green Radicals set out to challenge industry norms by placing ethical sourcing at the core of its business.
Pecorelli’s passion for fairtrade was sparked by the realisation that while many workers receive a minimum wage, farmers often face instability and health risks due to pesticide exposure. After reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, which exposes the poisonous legacy of pesticides, the penny dropped. This awareness influenced the brand’s dedication to independent certification, ensuring transparency and accountability, as Pecorelli explains.
“I was very passionate about the fairtrade principle. People in work get a minimum wage, but farmers don’t. The poorest farmers struggle to feed their families, and pesticides cause huge harm to those who apply them and to the environment. Why shouldn’t they get guaranteed prices and a safe, healthy work environment?
“I am a great believer in independent certification of products. It may mean extra work and cost, but you’re not marking your own homework. We were in the first batch of companies to get Fairtrade Certification, and all our cotton clothes have always been certified organic. Last year, we also brought in the world’s first Fair Rubber children’s wellies.”
As Little Green Radicals has expanded, its core principles have remained consistent, drawing a community with a strong commitment to sustainability.
“We attract people who care about our values,” continues Pecorelli. “We have built long-term relationships with suppliers, which we work with on innovative projects like using up leftover fabric in the stuffing of our toys. As for our customers, we monitor our reviews and feedback very closely and are proud to have nearly 10,000 reviews with an average of 4.9 out of 5. I remember when our customers suggested we drop the boy and girl navigation, so that parents could make their own judgment about what was right for their child. I was a bit anxious about doing it, but as soon as we did, the feedback was incredibly positive.”
Reflecting on the early days of Little Green Radicals, Pecorelli shares how the brand’s journey began with a simple, light-hearted approach to design and messaging. “We started with some slogans like ‘locally produced’ on a babygro,” he explains. “I did them one weekend and took them to a market stall and got lots of laughs and enough sales to keep me believing. But I’m no designer, and thankfully we got an amazing one called Josie Bragg a couple of years later, and she has taken the range to where it is now. You know a Little Green Radicals product when you see it because everything from the colour palette to the beautiful fabrics stands out, and they really do last.”
Among Pecorelli’s favourite pieces over the years are the brand’s snowsuits.
Featuring organic cotton sherpa linings and striking prints designed by Bragg, they continue to stand out, with the fox print proving especially popular this season. He also highlights the knee patch joggers as a lasting favourite, noting sales of the toadstool pattern have soared this year. However, one particular range holds a special place.
“Probably one of my proudest moments over the last two decades was when the mother of a disabled child contacted us and asked if we would produce an adaptive range,” Pecorelli explains. “She had written to 50 or so brands, and they all ignored her, but we didn’t. And what I liked most of all is that it didn’t come from me, and I didn’t push it through. The customers and design team just said, “We want to do it,” and hey presto. Our adaptive range is now a core part of our offering.”
With a strong ethical foundation and a distinctive design identity, Little Green Radicals continues to set new standards for quality and responsibility in childrenswear.
As the business looks to the future, its dedication to fair practices and beautifully designed, durable clothing ensures it will remain a beacon for conscious consumers and the industry alike.
“I think the future belongs to ethical brands,” concludes Pecorelli. “I don’t mean we will be the biggest, but we will be the brands that raise the game of the big guys. I also think our ethical norms will spread beyond Europe and North America into Asia and the Middle East. Circularity and longevity will become more central to our and others’ propositions. We teamed up with preloved take-back brand thelittleloop, so that customers on our website can see how much they could earn back for each style once their child has outgrown it. Our clothes get passed along from child to child, as they are made for more than one adventure.
“In terms of the year ahead, I don’t want to say too much, but we will certainly be taking another step forward – we are teaming up with a national museum to bug the hell out of you. We are also landing in a very popular department store in the US…”