IT WAS T-shirts off for the Rapanui boys and girls in Bembridge when Naked Office came to film a week in the eco clothing brand’s business life. In fact it was everything off for the Friday’s filming when all the staff had to come into work naked.
“It was the talk of the village,” said Martin Drake Knight who founded the company with brother Rob. “Rob and I drove into work naked, except for a sock each to cover our modesty, in our bio diesel van.
“As we drove into the yard people were doing double takes, and they were also coming to peer in the windows of the office.”
Darren Warren cycled into the office naked and Simon Light wore nothing but a bow tie. All this was done during the week before Easter when the weather was pretty chilly.
“Naked Office approached us and said it would be a really good way to promote our traceability – a first for the clothing industry, we bare all,” explained Martin.
“The idea was to spread the message of Rapanui clothing – we’ve achieved all we can from the eco point of view and now we need to take our range to the mainstream market,” he added.
“We felt that they were looking for problems that weren’t there, but the experience did have more substance – we did get some valuable experiences out of it. Naked Office made us more aware of the interpersonal side of business sales.
Pam Stubberfield, the only woman in the office, has found fame since filming the episode. “Real People magazine and the News of the World have hailed her as a legend and an inspiration,” said Rob of their more mature employee who sportingly joined in on Naked Friday.
“I was petrified but I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Pam. “It was a week like no other and it was all done in the best possible taste,” she joked.
Rapanui’s episode of Naked Office will be shown on Virgin 1, June 22 at 9pm.
