the principles of 'green' or 'eco' fashion, as put forward by these two companies, was based on the philosophy of the deep ecologists arne næss, fritjof capra, and ernest callenbach, and design theorist victor papanek. this imperative is also reliant on feminist understanding of human-nature relationships, interconnectedness and “ethics of care” as advocated by carolyn merchant, suzi gablik, vandana shiva, and carol gilligan. the legacy of the early work of patagonia and esprit continues to shape the fashion industry agenda around sustainability today. they co-funded the first organic cotton conference held in 1991 in visalia, california. and in 1992, the esprit ecollection, developed by head designer lynda grose, was launched at retail and it was based on the eco audit guide, published by the elmwood institute. throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the movement in sustainable fashion broadened to include many brands. though the primary focus has remained on improving the impacts of products through fiber and fabric processing and material provenance, doug tompkins and yvon chouinard were early to note the fundamental cause of unsustainability: exponential growth and consumption. esprit placed an ad in "utne reader" in 1990 making a plea for responsible consumption. in 2011 the brand patagonia ran an ad and a pr campaign "don't buy this jacket" with a picture of patagonia merchandise. this message was intended to encourage people to consider the effect that consumption has on the environment, and to purchase only what they need.