Sustainability
‘Our company's commitment to sustainability has never felt more necessary. From production to head office, we’re committed to a journey of learning, to responsible practices, and to pursuing sustainability as a brand.’
Our company's commitment to sustainability has never felt more necessary. Founded in celebration of the transformative power of a beautiful dress, we’ve grown to recognise the less-than-beautiful aspects of fashion's impact on the planet and people. From production to head office, we’re committed to a journey of learning, to responsible practices, and to pursuing sustainability as a brand.
Improving our fabric impact was an easier objective to make progress with (although still complicated); we’ve now successfully eliminated all elastane from our jersey styles and are continuing to source viscose from FSC-certified sources. Fabric innovation has meant our fabrics are now better, not just in terms of environmental impact but also in quality and feel.
We thank all our suppliers for working cooperatively with us on our sustainability journey. Maintaining strong and long-lasting relationships with them is critical to our success and we are committed to supportive collaboration over the long term. We know we need to do the right thing and grow our company sustainably, and we understand, more than ever, the importance of sustainability in today's world.’
CHALLENGES
Unsurprisingly, there have been many obstacles in our journey towards being more environmentally responsible. One of the biggest challenges has been reducing our carbon footprint in terms of production and customer transportation. Our products are shipped to various locations around the world, and finding sustainable shipping methods is an ongoing struggle.
However, we’ve managed to make significant progress in offsetting our overall CO2 emissions by introducing sustainable materials, including certified cellulose fibres, to our production process. While transport remains a challenge, we’re continuously seeking innovative solutions to reduce our carbon emissions and become a more sustainable brand overall. It is an ongoing journey, but one that we remain committed to.
JOURNEY
‘From design to transport, we’ve seen how being more innovative with our fabrics can make a large environmental impact as well as push our creativity. We’ve also realised that reducing our CO2 is a lot easier said than done.’
OUR APPROACH
THIRD PARTY
We have partnered with different third parties to help us collect data and interpret the results. For example, we’ve partnered with Zellar who will help us to calculate our 2024 carbon footprint.
SELF ASSESSMENT AND VERIFICATION
To collect factory data, we asked our suppliers to complete a detailed questionnaire which covered minimum and average wages alongside the handling of factory waste, community involvement and gender split. We then verified this information using third-party auditors who conduct on-site assessments.
‘Paying living wages across our supply chain is crucial for not only the well-being of our workers, but also for the sustainability of our business. A living wage provides employees with the means to cover their basic needs, and it also allows them to support their families and invest in their future.’
WHY PAYING A LIVING WAGE IS IMPORTANT
Paying living wages across our supply chain is crucial for not only the well-being of our workers, but also for the sustainability of our business. A living wage provides employees with the means to cover their basic needs including food, shelter, and healthcare. It also allows them to support their families and invest in their future. By ensuring that our workers are paid a fair and livable wage, we are promoting social justice and economic stability within our communities.
Definition of a living wage: ‘Remuneration received for a standard workweek by a worker in a particular place sufficient to afford a decent standard of living for the worker and her or his family. Elements of a decent standard of living include food, water, housing, education, health care, transport, clothing, and other essential needs, including provision for unexpected events.’
WASTE
We understand that there are certain areas within our operations that we have more control over than others. With this in mind, in 2023 we set ourselves ambitious goals. One of our top priorities is reducing the amount of waste generated in our factories. We are committed to implementing sustainable practices and finding innovative solutions to minimise our environmental impact. Additionally, we continue to reduce paper waste throughout all aspects of our business, from packaging to internal processes. We also recognise the importance of addressing customer waste and returns, and are actively working towards streamlining our product offerings and improving the overall quality of our products to reduce the need for returns.
Paper waste
We have reduced this area by introducing Royal Mail paperless returns in August 2023 in the UK. DHL will be introducing paperless returns in 2024 across the EU which will dramatically help us and other companies they work with.
The team is continuing to recycle all customer packaging that is returned, however whilst the cornstarch bags are compostable our warehouse site doesn't have food waste bins available from the local council so unfortunately we currently have to add them to general waste.