Jump to content
Bellazon

Jessica Alba


Guest Anonymous

Recommended Posts

Jessica Alba turns her maternal frustrations into Honest.com, a baby business that’s really green

Company makes a line of nontoxic, eco-friendly diapers and wipes

By David Yi / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Published: Monday, January 23 2012, 6:00 AM

Updated: Monday, January 23 2012, 6:00 AM

post-17383-1327385793_thumb.jpg

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Being a mom has inspired Jessica Alba to create a line of eco-friendly, nontoxic diapers and wipes.

Jessica Alba saunters into a restaurant in the theater district wearing a heavy fur-lined coat over her Carolina Herrera blouse and billowy trousers. Under the icy winter chill she steps out of a tinted-window SUV in her power heels, which seem to stomp in unison with every paparazzi shot.

Click, click, click.

They’ve been stalking her every move while she’s been in New York, documenting her every appearance, from “CBS This Morning” to the Wendy Williams show to every outfit change, from Doo.Ri to Erdem.

Jessica Alba, hot movie star, is now Jessica Alba, 30 years old and mother of two. It seems like years since she’s been out and about sans kids or hubby Cash Warren.

But for Alba, her packed schedule of interviews and TV appearances across the Big Apple has been all about business.

She’s here promoting her first entrepreneurial venture, The Honest Co. and honest.com, a line of nontoxic, eco-friendly diapers and biodegradable wipes.

Also in the lineup: organic bath and skin care and green cleaning products. The diapers are even decorated with patterns like ice cream cones, anchors, gingham patterns and skulls.

The skulls were her idea.

“I was like, I love Alexander McQueen so I thought there just needed to be skulls,” she says.

“Almost like an homage.”

Alba speaks softly about her new passion. Though in photos she seems to have a stare that projects an unapproachable demeanor, she smiles and giggles often.

While confident in the way she approaches her answers, she’s reticent when asked to take credit for anything she does, from her own baby care line to her red-carpet style.

In a lavender Gucci gown at the Golden Globes, she had just been named one of the best dressed at the awards show.

“Mr. Brad Goreski has certainly helped me,” she said, crediting her new stylist, the ex-assistant to Rachel Zoe and now star of Bravo’s “It’s a Brad, Brad World.”

“He’s great, he’s so sweet. I worked with the same stylist from age 18 to last year and I was going on this press tour so I was like, I need someone. So I called up Joe Zee [Elle magazine’s creative director\] and he was like, ‘There's this amazing new stylist and he’s so sweet.’”

She met with him and hired him on the spot.

“I don’t like people who talk bad about other people. I like someone who’s not, like, catty. Not a bad thing comes out of his mouth about anyone. In fashion people tend to be competitive. They start saying nasty things and I don’t want that energy around me or my children.”

Alba takes pride in protecting her two daughters, Honor, 3, and Haven, 5 months, which is one of the reasons she started the company.

Pregnant with Honor, she sought advice from her mother about household products and what to use around infants. But when she used a “baby-safe” detergent her mother recommended, she broke out in a rash.

“Not only that, I was sneezing my head off,” she says. “I was like, how is this laundry detergent safe for babies?”

Sitting there, disturbed about what had just occurred, she quickly researched that the detergent had a few toxic chemicals in it.

“I was like, how is this even possible, what else is there?”

After reading about products on the Web, she came to a frightening conclusion: Many of the products labeled organic, or green-friendly, were only called that because of the packaging.

She says she was also completely put off by what went into products she used.

“You’d be surprised that there was flame retardant on breast pillows,” she says. “There’s a lot of toxins your baby is inhaling.”

When she found products that she felt were safe for her baby, she would grab them — in Europe, at health food stores, online and around town.

“It was exhausting. I had a baby, I was working. I didn’t have time to go everywhere,” she says. “And I get it. Everything has a green leaf on it or brown or beige. I’m like, just because it’s eco why does it have to be brown, beige, or have a green leaf on it?”

She also realized that leaf costs money; being eco-friendly was costly.

“And then when I would talk to my brother — he has two kids — and I talk to my sister-in-law and my cousins, they’re like, ‘Well, we can’t afford that.’ Then I was like, ‘How in the world is a safer and healthier product only available to those in a higher tax bracket? That was my big a-ha moment!”

That’s when she decided she’d take on the mission to provide safe, biodegradable products that were also beautiful and affordable.

Honest.com launched just last week and Alba is learning the language of consumer marketing.

“What else makes it wonderful is that we sell through our website; we can have a direct relationship with our customers,” she says. “I’m in the office all the time, in the customer service room.”

Which means that she occasionally mans the phones.

“I’m in the office, totally. If they have a question about parenting or if they’re like, ‘My baby’s doing this or that,’ I can help in any way I can. Okay, my baby was teething and I did this and that … anything I can offer. Obviously go to a doctor or a pediatrician but you know, it’s nice talking to other parents.”

Talking about children is obviously an exciting topic for Alba.

“Honor is such an amazing older sister,” she says of her oldest. “She’ll actually help change her diaper, and then throw the diaper away. ... They can take a bath together now and she pours the water on the baby with her from her head to her tummy. She loves it.”

Haven, too, says Alba, is infatuated with her sister.

“It probably has a lot to do with Honor entertaining her all the time,” she says. “She’ll sing a song for her, she’ll kiss her, she’ll play peek-a-boo.”

The biggest difference between her daughters, she says, is that Haven is super giggly, something that Honor definitely wasn’t.

“Honor she never giggled as a baby,” Alba says. “She was always skeptical and would always be checking people out. Her nickname was Stink because she always gave the stink eye.

“Now she’s the most fun-loving hilarious kid and she loves dressing up. She loves wigs, heels, princess dresses. She’s out of control. I mean, there’s nobody more girly — she’ll walk around with three purses with her wigs and heels.”

She gets it from her mother, perhaps?

“No, I don’t wear wigs!” Alba exclaims.

Don’t expect Alba to give up acting for the life of a CEO, but starting a business has helped her gain a new confidence.

Now, she says, she feels she can accomplish anything.

“I’m much more adventurous," she says. “I kind of feel like I have nothing to lose. My real job and my real priority in life are to make sure my kids are happy and thriving. Everything else is just cake.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/heal...ticle-1.1009382

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ForbesWoman | 1/24/2012 @ 3:24PM

Mompreneur Jessica Alba Gets Honest About Business

Dressed conservatively in a pastel pink top and pale blue pencil skirt, actress Jessica Alba looks ready for her next role, as co-founder and president of just launched The Honest Company. The new online business offers a line of eco-friendly, non-toxic baby products that boast ease, affordability and playful design.

“When I was pregnant, I realized there are a lot of toxic chemicals in everyday products, including baby products,” recalls Alba, a 30-year-old mom of two daughters, ages three and five months, in a recent interview with FORBES. “I thought: That’s insane. How is that allowed?”

Concerned and inspired, Alba teamed up with Christopher Gavigan, author of Healthy Child Healthy World and a father of two, after deciding there was room in the baby-care market for attractive, all-natural products. “Everything that’s eco seems to be green, brown or beige,” Alba explains. “I’m not a beige girl. I like color.”

The pair brainstormed and researched the diaper business, deciding to create a brand at the intersection of health and design while also staying at a reasonable price point and easily accessible to parents through online and social media. Says Alba, “I want to talk to our parents and know how they feel about [the products]. When you have that intimate relationship with your customer, you can change and evolve and be more nimble.”

“The last piece of the puzzle was the business model,” she says. Cue serial entrepreneur Brian Lee, cofounder of popular eCommerce sites LegalZoom and ShoeDazzle (which has its own celebrity face in Kim Kardashian). Alba says she pitched the idea to Lee, also a parent of two young kids, who said: “My wife would love for this product to exist.”

Three years later, with Gavigan as the product expert, Lee architecting the subscription-based business model and Alba—“just a mom who cares”—The Honest Company was born. From eco-friendly diapers in plaid, floral and skull-and-crossbones to biodegradable baby wipes and organic body oils, customers subscribe online to monthly shipments delivered to their homes. Alba insists the method is convenient and, at $79.95 for a month’s supply of diapers, affordable for most parents.

post-17383-1327447147_thumb.jpg

A Golden-Globe nominated actress, with films grossing over $800 million worldwide, Alba is at once leveraging her celebrity while promoting herself as a relatable mom. She admits her fame gives the brand a marketing edge—she has 2.2 million followers on Twitter and is familiar with the morning show circuit—but also says promoting it doesn’t feel like work. “As tiring as it can be sometimes, it’s exciting and fun,” she says. “This is my passion. It’s my third baby.”

She’s one of many recent celebreneurs who’ve used their star status as a launch point for business: Reality TV’s Bethenny Frankel created low-calorie drink SkinnyGirl Margaritas and last year sold it to liquor giant Beam Global for a whopping $100 million; actress Gwyneth Paltrow pulled a quarter of her 2011 income from her growing lifestyle brand, Goop; and singer Jessica Simpson’s fashion line raked in $750 million in 2010 sales.

Alba is also joining a small circle of celebrity mompreneurs who’ve started kid-friendly businesses. But while Tori Spelling, Gwen Stefani, Madonna and the like have ventured into children’s fashion, Alba has chosen to focus on the nitty gritty of childcare: diapers, wipes, soaps and household cleaners. “I like fashion like the next person, but my biggest focus was about creating a healthy and safe environment for babies,” says Alba. “This is my heart and soul.”

For now, she’s focused on raising product awareness and getting feedback from parents, but she’s got her eye on expansion. A regular reader of mommy blogs–citing favorites salt & nectar, Kelly Oxford and The Pioneer Woman—she hopes to forge partnerships in the mom space. In terms of product evolution, they may just grow with her kids. “We could do so many things,” Alba says, listing potential for natural cleaning products like stain and odor removers and toilet cleaners. Plus, her youngest will soon be in pull-ups, so she’ll just have to make those too.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/...about-business/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jessica Alba “Extra” interview at The Grove in Los Angeles, 25 January

post-56105-0-1446090593-95857_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090593-98194_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-0031_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-02485_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-03974_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-05209_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-07364_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-08722_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-09709_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-12012_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-14235_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-16334_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-19503_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-21744_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-23021_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-24003_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-25131_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-29295_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-41147_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-47175_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-49392_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-50259_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-52179_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-53647_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-5636_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-59178_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-61789_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-70884_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-73378_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-76278_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-79994_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-82729_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-84391_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-87136_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-88407_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-91525_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090594-93344_thumb.jpg th_4145e2172675792.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1446090594-9465_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="3870301" alt="post-56105-0-1446090594-9465_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="150"> post-56105-0-1446090594-96693_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090595-00234_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090595-02283_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090595-04887_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090595-07244_thumb.jpg th_a441e0172676355.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1446090595-09279_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="3870319" alt="post-56105-0-1446090595-09279_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="137.2"> post-56105-0-1446090595-11584_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090595-1333_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090595-17274_thumb.jpg post-56105-0-1446090595-19432_thumb.jpg Jessica (51).jpg Jessica (52).jpg Jessica (53).jpg Jessica (54).jpg Jessica (55).jpg Jessica (56).jpg Jessica (57).jpg Jessica (58).jpg Jessica (59).jpg Jessica (60).jpg Jessica (61).jpg Jessica (62).jpg Jessica (63).jpg Jessica (64).jpg th_730c9e172676696.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1593849189-65004_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Jessica (66).jpg"> Jessica (67).jpg Jessica (68).jpg Jessica (69).jpg Jessica (70).jpg Jessica (71).jpg th_fc3df6172677399.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1593849190-42336_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Jessica (73).jpg"> Jessica (74).jpg Jessica (75).jpg Jessica (76).jpg Jessica (77).jpg Jessica (78).jpg th_400873172677871.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1593849193-02227_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Jessica (80).jpg"> Jessica (81).jpg Jessica (82).jpg Jessica (83).jpg th_12cc01172689675.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1593849193-52738_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Jessica (85).jpg"> Jessica (86).jpg Jessica (87).jpg th_83a7e9172689814.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1593849193-83849_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Jessica (89).jpg"> Jessica (90).jpg th_4f0b77172689920.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1593849194-10085_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Jessica (92).jpg"> Jessica (93).jpg Jessica (94).jpg th_be57a9172690144.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1593849194-45922_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Jessica (96).jpg"> Jessica (97).jpg th_f13453172690271.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1593849194-63678_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Jessica (99).jpg"> th_5e4782172690340.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1593849194-72665_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Jessica (101).jpg"> th_e629d2172690442.jpg/monthly_02_2012/post-56105-0-1593849194-81706_thumb.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Jessica (103).jpg"> Jessica (104).jpg Jessica (105).jpg Jessica (106).jpg Jessica (107).jpg Jessica.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...