Woodfield uncovers naked truth in Lush protest

Katie Kovacik wanted to go naked for a cause.

But the Woodfield Shopping Center wouldn't let her.

The 25-year-old saleswoman and her colleagues at the Lush cosmetics store, known for baseball-sized soaps called bath bombs, had the perfect "ensemble:" just a black apron that only covered their front. It said, "Ask Me Why I'm Naked."

"I was really pumped and even had a great set of heels to wear, too," Kovacik said.

Employees at 23 Lush stores in 21 cities, including one on west Armitage in Chicago, Wednesday dropped their own "packaging" to stage half-hour demonstrations against excess packaging materials that pollute the environment and lead to extra truck deliveries and gasoline usage. No one's back was to the wall, but police did show up in some cities and warned them to get dressed or they would be arrested, a company spokeswoman said.

The Woodfield store in Schaumburg didn't get that far. After the mall management learned of the naked protest, it raised one of its own.

"We're concerned about the environment like others are, but we're more concerned about maintaining a family environment," said Woodfield General Manager Marc Strich. "They (Lush) agreed not to hold the demonstration and they've been very cooperative about it."

The British company sells handmade cosmetics and soaps often displayed and sold without packaging in 546 stores worldwide, including 66 in the United States. In conjunction with the demonstration, Lush stores have switched all plastic bottles to bottles made from 100 percent recycled materials; paper bags and boxes are now made from recycled materials.

Lush manager Linda Wong said that she and her three workers were eager to walk the mall with their backsides exposed in order to prove a point.

"They did this type of protest about six months ago at our streetside stores and it went well," said Wong. "We thought it was cool, something no one here has done before."