OUR PRODUCTION

We care deeply about the way our garments are produced. We want to make sure that as a business we don’t impact negatively on the environment, animals or supply chain workers. When it comes to choosing where we make our clothes, we look at a number of different factors - quality, price, reduced environmental impact, and working conditions for the people in the factory.

Today 80% of our production is in Europe and 20% in China. By gradually moving a bigger part of our production to Europe, we will not only reduce our carbon footprint generated by the transport, but also be able to make regularly factory visits, making sure our Code of Conduct is being adhered. European factories are also ruled by the EU’s legislation of minimum wages. To make sure our workers are treated with respect, we require all our manufacturing partners to sign and adhere to our Code of Conduct. The code stipulates the minimal requirements suppliers must abide by, such as safe and decent working conditions and compliance with national laws and regulations. It is based on the UN 10 principles and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and will be reviewed and signed by all partners and suppliers annually.

 

DENIM 

• Location: Our eco-denim factory is located in Izmir, Turkey.
• Number of employees: 86 employees.
• Working hours: No more than 48h/week and the weekly leave is at least one day.
• Certificates: GOTS*, SWAN*, BSCI*, OCS*, GRS*, EU ECO Label*, Oeko-tex®* and they have been audited by FWF*.
• Environmental actions:
  - They use modern eco technologies for fabric and garment finishing, sustainable and efficient technologies that guarantee big amounts of water, energy and chemical savings, pollution-free and disruptive technologies that eliminate manual and harmful processes for the worker’s health.
  - All the employees are educated about the environment policies.
  - Minimal amount of chemicals are used in accordance with the related standards and properly.
• Safety, workplace and employment: 
  - All employees are trained in Occupational Health and Safety. An OHS handbook is always available and within reach for the employees.
  - First aid training is provided to the employees.
  - Drinkable water, toilet, resting areas, sports centers and food & beverage consuming areas are available.
  - National legal standards are complied with in minimum.
  - The minimum age limit for employment is 18 years and bottom wage is minimum wage.
  - There is a freedom to leave the job presenting reasonable causes. 
• Other sustainability projects:
  - Every new year the factory plants trees in northern Turkey, one for every customer. About 1,000 trees have been planted so far through this project which has been going on for 3 years. The factory also runs a project for rehabilitation and integration of citizens who used to be in prison. This is a social responsibility, socializing those who need support. They also establish textile workshops in prison.
• Signed our Code of Conduct: YES.

 

WEAVING & PRINT

• Location: Istanbul, Turkey.
• Number of employees: 400 employees.
• Working hours: 7,5h/day with 1h 30min lunch break.
• Certificates: GOTS*, GRS*, RWS*, OCS*, RCS*, ISO 9001*, ISO 50001*, ECUBE* and FSC*.
• Environmental actions:
  - Part of the ZDHC*, an environmentally friendly programme in order to reduce the use of chemicals.
  - They also have policies for energy use, waste management, water consumption.
  - All the employees are educated in a zero-waste management and the air emission is controlled regularly.
• Safety, workplace and employment:
  - They have a ‘Social Suitability Policy’.
  - The minimum age limit for employment is 18 years.
  - No forced or involuntary workers.
  - Prevention of discrimination.
• Other sustainability projects:
  They will switch to solar energy in the near future, all yarns and fabrics are sustainable, they have light saving modules in all areas of the factory and energy, water and waste management.
• Signed our Code of Conduct: YES.

 

DENIM TENCEL 

• Location: Cantabria, Spain.
• Number of employees: 315 employees.
• Working hours: 8h/day, 2h lunch break.
• Certificates: GOTS*, OCS*, GRS*, RCS*, BCI*, PEFC*, ISO 9001*, ISO 14001*, Oeko-Tex® Standard 100*. The factory has signed the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
• Environmental actions:
  - The factory has developed an efficient internal plan for reusing and recycling resources. They recycle both post-consumer and pre-consumer materials like TENCEL and cotton turning it into new fabrics based on responsible manufacturing.
  - The fabric has a vertical supply chain, which enables controlled traceability.
• Safety, workplace and employment:
  - The factory has an updated emergency plan to protect all the employees and assets in case of fire or any other exceptional or occupational incident. All the employees have free access to a medical and nursing team that is permanently available in their facilities to provide the necessary healthcare.
  - The employees are treated with respect and dignity, ensuring equal opportunities and treatments for everyone, regardless of their origin.
• Other sustainability projects: The factory is working on a 360º project, recycling garments and cuttings waste and produce recycled fabrics from those garments. They also run a couple of research & development projects. For instance, they look into recycling polyester from waste taken from the sea.
• Signed our Code of Conduct: YES.
  
  

SEWING FACTORY 1

• Location: Seroa-Porto, Portugal.
• Number of employees: 55 employees.
• Working hours: Monday-Thursday: 08.00-17.45, Friday: 08.00-13.00. 1h lunch break every day.
• Certificates: GOTS*, Oeko-Tex® Standard 100*.
• Environmental actions: The factory is working with less consumption on energy, water and plastic reduction.
• Other sustainability projects: The factory is educating young and uneducated to seamstresses.
• Signed our code of conduct: YES.

 

SEWING FACTORY 2

• Location: Maia/Baião, Portugal.
• Number of employees: Two units with a total of 88 employees.
• Working hours: 8h/day. 1h lunch break and a 10min break in the morning.
• Certificates: SEDEX* SMETA Audit.
• Safety, workplace and employment: The working conditions are safe and hygienic. The factory is controlled by Portuguese technic services every second year. According to the SMETA Audit* standards there are no child labour, no forced labour, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected, living wages are paid, working hours are not excessive – all overtime shall be voluntary, no discrimination is practised, no harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed, and regular employment is provided.
• Signed our Code of Conduct: YES.

 

KNITWEAR

• Location: Poggio a Caiano, Italy.
• Number of employees: 40 employees.
• Working hours: 8h/day, 1h-1h 30min lunchbreak.
• Certificates: BCI*, Tessile e Salute*, Cardato Recycled*.
• Environmental actions: The factory use recycled fibres and BCI (Better Cotton Initative). Safety, workplace and employment: They follow the ETI base code* that includes an employment policy as well as safety and healthy policies for the workers. This also means that the employees should be trained in health and safety, they have access to clean toilet facilities and potable water. Food storage are provided and accommodations if needed. 
• Signed our Code of Conduct: YES. 

 

TAILORING

• Location: Shenzhen, China.
• Number of employees: 300 employees.
• Working hours: 8h/day, lunchbreak 1,5h.
• Certificates: Member of SEDEX*.
• Environmental actions: In line with the SEDEX certificate.
• Safety, workplace and employment: No child labour, no forced work, they do not require workers to lodge deposits. They never withhold the personal information of the workers such as ID cards etc. The factory provides dinner for the employees. Also, there are full attendance bonuses, seniority bonuses and positions bonuses to encourage the employees.
• Signed our Code of Conduct: YES.

 

EXPLANATION OF CERTIFICATES

• BCI - Better Cotton Initiative: BCI exists to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the sector's future.
• BSCI - A program of the Foreign Trade Association of Europe, designed to improve working conditions for the suppliers of BSCI's participating member companies.
• Cardato Recycled - To display the "Cardato Recycled" trademark, fabrics and yarns must be produced in the Prato district, be made with at least 65% recycled material (clothing or textile scraps), have measured the environmental impact of its entire production cycle taking into account three aspects: water, energy and CO2 consumption levels.
• ETI - The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is an alliance of companies, trade unions and voluntary organisations. ETI works globally to improve working conditions for people who grow raw materials or produce consumer goods. Audits focus on freedom of association, no child labour and secure healthy working conditions.
• EU ECOLABEL - The official environmental certification of the European Union.
• FSC - The FSC system allows businesses and consumers to identify, purchase and use wood, paper and other forest products made with materials from well-managed forests and/or recycled sources.
• FWF - Fair Wear Foundation.
• GOTS - Global Organic Textile Standards. GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres.
• GRS - Global Recycled Standard.
• ISO 14001 - Environmental Management System, since 2006.
• ISO 50001 - ISO 50001 Energy management systems.
• ISO 9001 - Quality Management System, since 1996.
• OCS - Organic Content Standard.
• Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 – chemically safe textiles - Ensures that no harmful substances have been used during the manufacture of the fabrics or in their verification.
• OHS - Occupational health and safety.
• OHSAS 18001 - Occupational Health and Safety Management System, since 2009.
• RCS - Recycled Content Standard.
• PEFC - international organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management.
• RWS - Responsible Wool Standard - RWS sets requirements for the welfare of sheep but also environmental requirements for the farms. The standard requires that the land on which sheep graze and live is used responsibly in terms of pesticides and biodiversity.
• SEDEX - Sedex is one of the world’s leading ethical trade membership organisation, working with businesses to improve working conditions in global supply chains.
• SMETA AUDIT - (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is an audit procedure developed by Sedex. They assess a site based on their organisation’s standards of labour, health and safety, environment and business ethics. Sedex believes these are key areas for assessing an organisation’s responsible business practices and meeting social compliance.
• SWAN - Nordic Eco Label - The official ecolabel of the Nordic countries.
• Tessile e Salute - The “Tessile e Salute” association is committed to adding value to Made in Italy productions and supporting the competitiveness of the Italian manufacturing system.
• ZDHC - Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals is an organisation dedicated to eliminating hazardous chemicals and implementing sustainable chemicals in the leather, textile, and synthetics sectors.