about econscious.

the people

Dale Denkensohn
Founder and President

Dale Denkensohn has been a leader in the clothing business for the past twenty years.  After helping build a startup sports clothing company, he was recruited by Patagonia to design sportswear.  Dale’s inspiration was to approach casual clothing in a technical fashion.  “A shirt looks and feels good because the designer developed the right fabric, created the right design, and put them together in a precise way.”

Dale’s research, technical knowledge, and environmental concerns, helped lead Patagonia’s conversion to organic cotton in the 1990s. “It was part engineering and part diplomacy,” he recalls. “We worked with factories and suppliers who at first thought we were bonkers. Now, many of those who understood and followed us have since formed the core of today’s organic clothing industry.”

Leading a social and industrial revolution came easy to a designer who gets involved in every step of the process. “When designing and creating clothing, I like to know what the billboard will look like, how it will be presented to the consumer. I also feel that design has to take place in conjunction with how it’s made. The design process permeates the whole supply chain.”

Dale’s outlook for environmental concerns and benefits achieved through the use of organic cotton led to the formation of econscious.  He travels extensively, working with spinners, weavers, knitters, dyers, and sewers.  Dale insures that “we know our sources of supply. We must go wherever we need to go to get it done, and to insure the integrity of the process.”

Dale’s personal qualifications are reinforced with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Ecology and a Masters in International Management.

Dale lives in Southern California with his wife and two sons.

Stefan Bergill
Sales Manager

Stefan Bergill came to the United States from his native Sweden 15 years ago. A self-described “ski bum” who skied and climbed the Alps, Stefan went to work for Patagonia in part because he loved the company’s gear. “I was a total technical geek, I knew every fabric and zipper.” Stefan managed the Dealer Service Department, “making sure our wholesale dealers got the support they deserved,” and developing a solid reputation throughout the industry.

Later, he went to work managing Patagonia’s Beneficial T’s division, which manufactured and sold organic clothing. “I went from the most technical products to the least technical part of the line. That was the last time I said ‘it’s just a tee shirt.’ I realized that it’s not that simple to make a good quality tee shirt and get it delivered on time.”

Stefan is not only an expert in the customer service side of organic clothing, he believes in its larger impact. “Organic clothing is truly a passion for me. We’re helping the world with every shirt we sell,” by promoting organic agriculture, treating workers fairly, and offering a good product that will last.

“It’s not just a tee shirt,” he says. “On a deeper level, we’re saving wildlife, improving water quality, improving the health of our farmers, and paying them a fair price.”

Stefan is an avid outdoorsman, and lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two children.