The denim industry has never been considered a beacon of sustainability. In fact, it is renowned for its arduous methods and unsafe practices with chemicals, dyes and procedures such as sandblasting. The ethical and environmental concerns with the production of denim focus on the use of water, chemicals and labour across the supply chain.
According to CEO Consult, the sustainability spotlight for fashion has recently highlighted denim, as consumers have become more reluctant to make purchases that might be feeding into negative social and environmental practices. And Australian denim brands have stepped up to meet the challenge to dramatically change production models to quash the ethical and environmental concerns associated with traditional denim practices. Following are six Australian brands that CEO Consult salutes for their involvement in ethical practices and sustainability. And these are just some of the Australian brands that embrace ethics and environment to ensure that denim becomes the sustainable industry that it should be.
Justice Denim
Launched in September 2018, this Melbourne brand is socially responsible. Not only does it refuse to take part in human exploitation, but it also has created positive social impact by partnering with the not-for-profit organisations Destiny Rescue and Project Futures to fund projects to help children to stay out of sexual slavery and illegal labour trade. Justice Denim is independently audited and accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia.
Each vegan-friendly pair of jeans is handmade in Melbourne to reduce textile, water and energy waste, and Justice Denim is working towards a zero-waste model by donating all leftover denim pieces to quilters who can use the denim for quilts and other projects.
Neuw Denim
This is a Sydney-based brand that focuses on environmental issues. The brand has achieved a zero-waste model for one of its denim lines by wasting no water, using no chemical distressing and having no waste from washing. Neuw uses Australian-grown cotton, which not only means it is locally sourced, but also recognises that Australian cotton is the highest-yielding and most water-efficient cotton available. They also encourage their customers to reduce waste by using premium fabrics and finishings that make their jeans last and by encouraging their customers to repair their jeans as needed to increase longevity. Neuw Denim is also dedicated to knowing its suppliers to ensure they treat workers as they should, and they audit their factories according to international standards.
Nobody Denim
Nobody Denim started in Melbourne in 1999 and have an ongoing commitment to ethical manufacturing principles, which can be seen in their responsible design. They are committed to sustainability, including local and ethical production. The brand manufactures exclusively onshore and are accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia to ensure safe working conditions and fair wages in Australia. Its goal for 2025 is to be paying living wages across its entire supply chain.
The brand espouses environmental responsibility and has recently become very serious about reducing its emissions and water use. In 2019, water use had been reduced by half since 2017, and the brand is continuing to work towards reducing energy use and waste.
Outland Denim
This company is determined to fight human trafficking. In fact, the company was started to save women from human trafficking by providing jobs that paid enough so the women could support themselves. In other words, this brand’s focus is sustainable employment, providing jobs and training for women who have been rescued from human trafficking.
For this reason, garment production is not done in Australia but in Cambodia, where the jobs and opportunities are essential. All workers are paid a living wage, which is very rare in the fashion industry. The skills taught are not just those needed to do the work but include skills that help the women flourish in all aspects of their lives.
Outland Denim continues on its path, with plans to pay living wages across the entire supply chain. They also continue to work to reduce energy, water and waste in their production practices.
Denimsmith
Denimsmith is another Australian denim house that revels in its ethical practices. Launched in Melbourne in 2015, all of its items are handmade locally. Claiming to take “locally made to another level”, Denimsmith jeans come directly from their onsite maker’s hands into their Brunswick East store.
The pride and dedication that Denimsmith have for their Brunswick East community is shown by their determination to stay small and local to turn out the highest quality denim possible. Denimsmith is also accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia.
Bassike
Started in 2006, Bassike is one of Australia’s leading fashion brands. While not exclusively denim, they work to be fully ethical in all they sell and do. Bassike’s flagship store is online. They also have 10 physical stores across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and in California in the USA. They have another 60-plus independent retail locations around the world, so they are reaching far and wide.
Although their products are not limited to denim, their denim is produced using the same ethics as all their products, so they treat people and the environment with respect and continually evaluate and reduce the impact they have on the planet.
Bassike also aims for the longevity of its products, which can reduce the throw-away mindset. And while Bassike does have physical locations across the globe, 90% of their products are made in Australia, helping to preserve the industry here.
