Manufacturing In China
By keeping our brand small and simple, our supply chain is small too, which means we can better ensure that the people making our swimwear remain safe, happy and fairly paid. We do this with regular audits and by requiring certifications from the suppliers we work with.
Why China?
When we began sourcing recycled fabric in early 2017, there wasn't many options available for this non-conventional fabric. China is one of the biggest recyclers in the world and when we found an amazing quality fabric made from plastic waste, it made sense to keep full production there. Fast forward to today and we're really happy with the positive relationship we have built with our suppliers over the past few years.
Our Supply Chain
We have two main suppliers - we don't own the factories we work with and make up only a slice of their full production output. Our first supplier is the company who creates our recycled fabric. They hold a GRS certification which uses tracking and tracing to monitor the full supply chain. This also verifies the recycled contents in the fabric whilst ensuring responsible social, environmental and chemical practices. The GRS addresses the full supply chain from beginning to end: sourcing and collection of waste, handling, storage, shipping, recycling, manufacturing and final sale. Final sale is when it gets sent to our second supplier. Our second supplier is where our swimwear is made. Here the fabric is cut, printed, sewn and finished, before being boxed and sent directly to us in the UK. Audits ensure the factory is consistently in full compliance with the BSCI Code Of Conduct which addresses everything from; workers rights, pay, working hours, health and safety, child labour, bonded/slave labour, discrimination, ethical business practice and environmental protection. These audits are always announced and openly discussed with the factory. If areas of dissatisfaction are found, then plans are put in place and follow-ups are made to asses the improvements throughout the year. It's important to educate and empower not only the factory owners and managers, but the entire workforce who are interviewed to ensure they are always aware of their full rights.