Sally Dear
Ducky Zebra challenges gender stereotypes with sustainable, colourful clothing for kids aged 0–6 years.
Marketeer-turned-entrepreneur Sally Dear is passionate about gender equity and giving all children the opportunity to be whoever and whatever they want to be. That’s why she left her 15-year-career in marketing, having worked with brands such as Toyota Europe, Lexus UK and Virgin Trains East Coast, to set up purpose-led business Ducky Zebra. Her Oxford-based startup is on a mission to challenge high-street norms when it comes to gender stereotypes and sustainability in kids’ clothing – with the aim of creating a fairer, more equal world.
Sally setup Ducky Zebra after growing frustrated by the ‘cute, meek and pink’ or ‘adventurous, aggressive and blue’ stereotypes she couldn’t seem to escape when buying clothes for her kids. After doing more research, she discovered she wasn’t alone: over 80% of parents and carers she spoke to were happy to buy unisex clothing to avoid gender stereotypes.* However, only 6% of parents said their kids wanted to wear unisex clothing because of the poor choice and dull items on offer.
Ducky Zebra’s unisex designs are free from gender stereotypes. But rather than stick to beige, muted tones like many other gender-neutral clothing brands, the company’s clothing is fun and colourful. Items have child-approved designs showing characters working together, playing together and being kind towards one another. All items include an embroidered splash ‘power button’, often hidden inside a pocket, as a reminder to be kind and confident even at times when this might be hard.
Sally mentions: “Girls’ clothes are often pink, cute and impractical. They promote kindness, but not always confidence. And boys’ clothes are often blue, aggressive and adventure seeking. They promote confidence, but not always kindness. At Ducky Zebra we bring these two characteristics together, allowing all children, whatever their gender, to celebrate kindness and confidence through colourful, sustainable clothing.”
Ducky Zebra has a strong focus on sustainability because Sally didn’t want to add to the negative impact that the fashion industry has on the world: the fashion industry accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of wastewater and is responsible for an estimated 350,000 tonnes of clothing ending up in UK landfill every year. The company’s items are made from GOTS certified organic cotton by a small GOTS-certified, family-run factory in India. Fabric is digitally printed which uses less water, less energy and less ink than screen printing. Mailing packs and packaging are recyclable and reusable.
The company’s pre-loved programme allows customers to recycle old Ducky Zebra clothing by donating items to the Oxford baby bank in exchange for 15% off their next purchase. Plus, £1 is donated to Chance UK for every item of clothing purchased.
Sally concludes: “Developing Ducky Zebra has been a huge learning curve. I started the business to solve the many problems with gender-neutral kids clothing but I’ve also discovered so much about fabrics, dyes and how to manufacture more sustainably. The more I’ve learnt, the more I’ve become determined to create clothes that inspire change – both on a social and environmental basis.”
