What is transparency in sustainable fashion?
In the fashion world, transparency is the practice of a brand being honest and clear about where their garments were made, who they were made by and how! Being transparent means openly sharing ALL of this info...not just the good bits.
Supply chain transparency - what to look out for!
At Ilk + Ernie transparency is something we hold close to our hearts. We understand the value of being clear about every little detail of how our business runs - so that you lovely lot can put your trust in us!
There's plenty of info on our site about #whomademyclothes and and where we source our fabric. Our ethos centres around ethical treatment of our wonderful garment workers as well as making the fashion world a more sustainable place. Sure sustainable price points can be a little higher than normal, but we think it's work it. After-all, to be sustainable, we need to buy less and buy better.
How do you know if a brand is transparent?
If a brand is transparent you should be able to clearly find the details of their supply chain from start to finish, including the following:
Fabric Sourcing
A transparent fashion label should always share where the materials they use to make their garments are sourced, including details such as how they are grown. When researching this be sure to look out for greenwashing!
At Ilk + Ernie we source our fabric from surplus fabric waste produced by other fashion labels - which would have otherwise ended up in landfill. This helps save thousands of litres of water and greenhouse emissions every year.
Who makes their clothes
They will also be upfront about #whomademyclothes and if they're not then that's most definitely something to worry about. If there’s anything we’re learning in the news at the moment, it’s that terrible things are happening right under our noses. hundreds of thousands of exploited garment workers are subject to unsafe working conditions, people trafficking, harassment, low wages.
From the very beginning of starting up Ilk + Ernie we ensured that our amazing team of men and women producing our garments were cared for, not just financially but physically.
Action for change
Lastly, if a brand is truly ethical and sustainable they should be making it their job to introduce positive change. Take note of whether they are investing in any positive developments for the industry/influencing for the better good or are simply taking home a big pay check.
In a bid to preserve the planet and lower our carbon foot print, we've partnered with One Tribe! For every single purchase you make, we protect 100 square meters of rainforest- take a look here to see how we are doing!
What if a fashion label isn't transparent ?
If a brand isn't completely open about any of the above things, it's a big red flag. If they are trying to hide what they are doing, then there's obviously something they don't want us to know.