Daughter Earth

Daughter Earth was created in late 2006 by sisters Laura and Katy Tanis. After returning from a life-changing trip to the Malaysian Borneo where they volunteered with orphaned and rehabilitated orangutans at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabiltation Centre and saw first-hand how small conservation organizations are often in dire need of financial help, the two were determined to channel their visual talents into fighting habitat destruction and protecting endangered wildlife.

The initial goal of Daughter Earth was to spread awareness about a wide range of endangered species, focusing especially on Southern Asia, a region the pair got to know so closely. Katy and Laura wanted to educate people about the serious problems facing these species and offer them ways to help. They saw fashion as a way to reach the larger public and wanted to create playful, one-of a kind designs that people would be drawn to not only because of the cause they represented, but because of their appealing, fashion-forward look.

“People around the world spend billions on fashion each year, so why not filter at least some of that toward organizations that protect the wellbeing of the world’s wildlife?” says Katy. “We didn’t initially aim to make an organic fashion line because our goals were more about creating awareness about habitat conservation, but because we still thought it was important to make products that didn’t hurt the world we were trying to save, sustainability almost automatically became one of our main goals.”

Katy and Laura give a minimum of 10 percent of the company’s proceeds back to various wildlife organizations. One of these is the Orangutan Appeal UK, an initiative that works to benefit orangutans at Sepilok in Borneo—the same animals Katy and Laura grew to know and love.  Daughter Earth also works closely with the Red Panda Network in Northern California, assisting the group with many of its educational events. The company has also teamed up with the Sumatran Orangutan Society to donate to its Tree Replanting Program, as the group is one of the few organizations fighting to reforest in Sumatra. Sumatra is a critical habitat for many unique species, and its forested areas are disappearing quickly. The company also donates to the Clouded Leopard Project and Pandas International.

“We are a small business, trying to change the world from our attic, but I think what truly sets us apart is the belief that every single person can make a difference,” says Laura. “As humans, we have a duty to protect those with no voice: ‘the birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees,’ as our slogan says.”

Laura is in her second year as a photography student at Ramapo College in New Jersey.  She also is studying biology so she can tie her love of nature into her work.  Laura’s photography has already been featured in two books, Photography Vibes and Expressions From the Heart. Three of Laura’s photos have been named editor’s choice at betterphoto.com.

Katy has been working in the fashion industry since 2005. She worked with Betsey Johnson for two years before starting Daughter Earth, and received a grant for her environmental artwork from the Steinbrenner Institute of Environmental Research and Education in 2005.

Both Laura and Katy have been passionate about wildlife conservation from a very young age. It’s no coincidence that during their high school years, both were presidents of their high schools’ environmental clubs. Daughter Earth is a way for them to continue a lifelong passion in their professional lives.