Entrepreneurs take their inspiration from a variety of experiences. Some mundane, some serendipitous. Some arrive in an a-ha moment.
Robert Moss traces his inspiration for his company Moss Apparel, founded in 2024, back to his childhood, bringing his dog for walks in the Mianus River Park and taking pictures of streams and frogs.
At Greenwich High School, where he graduated in 2013, he credits Marine Science teacher Paul Ludwig with fostering his interest in wildlife and nature.
“I couldn’t emphasize enough how Mr. Ludwig inspired me down this path. In that Marine Science program we went to the beach to study marine ecosystems. I loved our salt marsh trips and checking out the fiddler crabs. That class was my absolute favorite. Hence my love of sharks,” Moss said, gesturing to his own Moss Apparel t-shirt featuring one of his own photos of a Great Hammerhead shark and a nearby Tiger shark.
“Great Hammerhead sharks are hunted for their fins,” he said. “They’re vital to the ecosystem and ensure diseases don’t go rampant.”
Robert Moss with a Moss Apparel t-shirt featuring his photo of a Great Hammerhead shark and a nearby Tiger shark that he took in Bimini. July 22, 2025 Photo: Leslie Yager
After GHS, Moss went on to major in environmental science major at Eckerd College in Florida before working in environmental engineering in North Carolina.
Along the way, he spent time outdoors whenever possible, going camping, hiking and scuba diving – always taking nature photos.
Moss said initially he sold his nature prints online and to friends and family, naming the effort Wildlands Photography.
“From there I realized there’s a bigger market for apparel,” he said, adding that his business brings together high quality clothing with sustainable practices and a commitment to conservation.
For every order, two mangrove trees are planted and 10 plastic water bottles are removed from the environment.
“It adds up,” Moss said, explaining that mangroves are valuable coastal ecosystems that serve a variety of wildlife and filter ocean water by collecting trash.
Beyond that, his goal is for Moss Apparel is to become an ecosystem for others who share his values of wildlife conservation and sustainability.
“Conservation is the bread and butter of Moss Apparel. All these designs are taken by me in the wild, and I want to make sure that all these animals I’m photographing receive the support they deserve and the rights that they’re entitled to,” Moss explained.
One of his favorite images that adorn popular shirts and hoodies at Moss Apparel is called Defiant Elephant, a photo he took in Zimbabwe of a large male African elephant. Other favorites are the lone coyote, the dancing penguin and the Hammerhead shark. There are also images of lions, giraffes and sea turtles.
“Apparel is a tough industry because there’s a lot of people with similar concepts, but my idea is to partner with non-profits that have similar values to Moss Apparel,” he said.
Moss said he is working with conservation non-profits who typically receive 10% from of all units sold, using Moss’s designs that fit with their mission statements.
“I want to be a central hub to bring in additional donations,” he said.
Recently Moss became a member of 1% for the Planet, a global network with thousands of businesses and environmental organizations contributing at least one percent of their annual revenue to environmental causes.
Through that membership, Moss was able to get in touch with non-profits like the Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund. The fund works to establish high-quality habitats for pollinator populations, including by planting wildflowers to benefit bees, butterflies and other wildlife.
“A key outcome of their effort is increasing US-sourced honey,” Moss said, adding that the program also supports the monarch butterfly population by planting milkweed, which is a crucial food source.
“Bee populations and monarch butterflies are declining rapidly and both have a fairly simple solution to enhance their populations,” Moss said. “All you need is a small plot of land to fill up with native flowers providing them with habitat and food they need to thrive.”
Moss is also speaking about a partnership with Wild Tomorrow who focus on protecting wild animals, restoring habitat and reintroducing animals to the wild.
Another group Moss has partnered with is The Good API.
“They’re doing something extremely meaningful that does make a difference,” Moss said. “And it’s home-based here in the US.”
Moss described his ideal customer as someone who cares about the environment and loves animals.
“With Moss Apparel pick the animals you want to support and know your purchase goes back to helping them,” he said.
“I want people to wear the shirt because they value the animal on it,” he said. “Then maybe they walk into a bar and someone says, ‘That’s a cool shirt. I love penguins.'”
“When I was walking through the airport in Atlanta a TSA agent said, ‘That’s an awesome elephant,'” Moss recalled.
All Moss Apparel is printed here in the US – in Indiana. The shirts are produced in El Salvador using 100% heirloom cotton grown in the US.
“Heirloom cotton a high quality type of ring spun cotton, which is raw cotton put through an intense combing process that makes it fluffier and softer. It’s nice on the skin.”
“I’m sourcing all the products ethically and trying to keep the costs down,” he said.
Moss said typically his non profit partners add a link to Moss Apparel to their website and 10% of what they sell through their website goes to them.
“My mission is the wildlife, their habitats, and planet earth,” he said. “The more people who can support it. And the more funds I can funnel into these places that are using their funding responsibly, the better.”
“I’m flexible how they work with me,” he said, adding that he’s open to talking to non-profits who align with the mission of Moss Apparel and can be reached at [email protected]