The Sydney underwear start up with a brief to save the planet

How two Sydney underwear entrepreneurs brought in one of the biggest names in global nature conservation to be the face of their brand.

Quick quiz. What’s the link between Dr Jane Goodall, the scientist who discovered chimpanzees are omnivorous, not vegetarian as first thought, and a pair of bamboo knickers designed in the Eastern Suburbs?

The sustainability advocate is glad we asked. “I always say that every one of us can make a difference every day, so the small step of choosing any product that is endeavouring to reduce their (environmental) impact is a step in the right direction,” she tells the Wentworth Courier.

Goodall is the recently appointed brand ambassador for Boody, the Surry Hills-based producer of the “Official Underwear of the Entire Planet”.

For her new role, she’s literally front and centre of a Boody marketing campaign. In a 30-second advertisement designed mainly for video-on-demand channels, Goodall, draped in a grey “cosy knit” wrap and wearing one of the clothing company’s new black turtlenecks, is depicted standing in a rainforest flanked by models in their undergarments.

Dignified and thoughtful, Goodall says to camera: “It’s a big job making the world a better place but getting started, well, that’s as easy as changing your underwear.”

Dr Jane Goodall modelling in the Boody campaign.

The perky pair running Boody, co-managing directors Elliot Midalia and Shaun Greenblo, are beyond excited by Goodall’s involvement with their products. In one of their office meeting rooms, with Harper the spoodle (also the company’s chief happiness officer) sprawled asleep at their feet, the wide grins on their faces stay in place whether they’re discussing bamboo plantations, their competitors or in-store displays.

“It’s fantastic,” says Shaun. “It’s the first brand partnership Jane’s ever done.”

“She has that majestic side about her,” Elliot says. “Especially being an older woman as well, it represents Boody’s diversity and inclusiveness.”

Growing up in the Eastern Suburbs, they’ve been friends since boyhood and their business remains all in the family. They took over Boody from their fathers – Neil Midalia and David Greenblo – who founded the company after successful careers in the pharmacy and manufacturing industries.

Neil, after selling his chain of pharmacies, had gone into the distribution of non-pharmacy goods such as socks while David, who’d spent decades in the manufacturing apparel field, had left that industry and found he had – according to Elliot – “time on his hands”. David approached Neil and suggested they work together on their own branded products targeting the health and wellness mindset of pharmacy customers.

After agreeing there was a market for distributing underwear to pharmacies and after intensive research, they choose bamboo as the base material because of its antibacterial, antimicrobial and hypoallergenic qualities – with the major bonus, it was highly sustainable. In brief: briefs with benefits – good for the wearer’s health and the Earth.

Elliot Midalia (above) and Shaun Greenblo from underwear business Boody. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

Both David and Neil are still involved in the business as directors.

Commenting on the co-founders, Elliot says: “We are extremely blessed to have been given this opportunity because many things could have gone wrong in the dynamics between two fathers and two sons.”

And, yes – as you guessed – the brand name Boody is a hybrid of the word “body” and the American slang for bottom, “booty”.

“One of our core values is being high-spirited,” Shaun explains. “Boody is about not taking ourselves too seriously and having a bit of fun.”

In their newly opened offices opposite bills restaurant on Crown St, the team cheerfully jostle with multiple cardboard boxes while Shaun and Elliot sing the praises of operating a sustainable business.

Having undergone a rigorous analysis, Boody has been awarded the international B Corp Certification for a business that meets verified standards of performance, accountability and transparency on factors such as supply chain practices and materials. B Corp-certified brands include Patagonia and Aesop. One of the first events to be staged at the Surry Hills premises will be co-hosted by Boody and B Corp.

On the subject of the 18-month-long certification process – as on most things – Elliot is ebullient: “It’s incredible. You need a score of 80 to get B Corp Certification and we were extremely proud to land on 101.3 in our first year. We’re stoked about that. The certification proves that the companies involved are not only seeking profit but also purpose.”

The pair with their eco-friendly designs.

And, on the subject of profit, Shaun answers the question “how can you compete in a market where some of your competitors aren’t fussed about sustainability and ethical manufacturing?” with: “From the beginning, our niche has been ‘a better basic without the premium’. It’s about achieving a quality sustainable product at an affordable price range. So, while we’re not three pairs of undies for $9, we’re competitive by not spending unnecessarily and by putting our resources into quality and affordability.”

Elliot adds: “There are cost-of-living pressures that mean people may not make decisions which are better for the environment if those decisions sacrifice on price or quality. So we’ve tried to hit that spot where you’re not sacrificing too much on price and definitely not on quality. We don’t see other companies as competitors, we see them as frenemies. A lot of the bigger guys are following our lead in sustainability and even if it’s not in their DNA, any positive changes for the planet are fantastic.”

The business continues to expand in Australia and overseas. Globally, Boody products are sold by more than 5000 retailers as well as through e-commerce outlets including the company’s own website, Amazon and The Iconic.

So how is a 20m-high bamboo shoot turned into a bra? Elliot and Shaun explain.

Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on the planet, requires no artificial irrigation and needs only a third of the water used to grow cotton. The majority of the world’s certified organic bamboo plantations are in China and Boody sources its pesticide-free bamboo from the rainy Sichuan province.

Boody products are sold around the world. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

After being harvested, the raw bamboo is soaked in an organic solution to soften. Next, a dehydration process allows the manufacturer to extract the bamboo pulp, which is dried into sheets and later ground into a soft fabric, which is extruded and spun into a yarn used to knit garments.

“We’ve made sure that at every single point along the process it is sustainable for the planet and also ethical towards the people who are working on it,” says Elliot.

Back to Dr Goodall. To bring her on to the project, Boody made a donation to the Jane Goodall Institute. Goodall tells us that she supports Boody’s approach because “if we choose the products that are less harmful to the environment, to animals and to the people making them for us, then this is progress towards a better world”.