WHO MADE YOUR CLOTHES?

As Fashion Revolution Week kicks off again to campaign for a better fashion industry, we’re eager to share our vision for the future and outline the steps we’re taking to improve the industry along the whole supply chain. Making things better for workers, farmers and the environment, we’re setting concrete goals like paying a living wage to all our factory workers by 2025 and ensuring we are climate-neutral by 2030.  

“As founder and CEO of Stanley/Stella, my goal has always been to produce quality clothing made with respect for both people and the planet.

I’m proud of the fact that we’re fully transparent about how we work, who we work with, and where. Our clothes are made with pride in Bangladesh, and our teams in Europe and Dhaka cooperate closely with the Fair Wear Foundation to ensure the wellbeing, safety and advancement of all our workers.

Our commitment to a better fashion industry is clear and our scope has always been ambitious. This year, I have made it our top priority to positively impact the wages of our workers and farmers. That’s why we’re pledging to pay beyond the government’s minimum wage, and offer a living wage to all our workers in our partner factories by 2025.

We also aim to be climate-neutral by 2030. And until then, we shall keep working closely with our partner factories on innovative projects that bring us closer to our sustainability goals, day by day. “

- Jean Chabert, CEO Stanley/Stella

Made with pride in Bangladesh

We are proud of our links with Bangladesh and are transparent about the factories we work with. We have committed to keeping our production there and will continue to foster mutual and long-term relationships with our suppliers in Dhaka.

Very low wages elsewhere, such as Ethiopia where workers are only paid $26/month, have enticed many brands who are now leaving Bangladesh or Myanmar . This is seriously impacting the textile industry and is merely moving the problem of fast fashion from one country to another. By staying put, we know we’ll make a lasting and positive impact on the working conditions of more than 4.5 million people who work for the fashion industry in Bangladesh.

Fair-Priced Grocery Shops

In order to improve the livelihoods of factory workers, we are currently supporting 3 factories to manage subsidized grocery shops within their walls. Major discounts are offered on basic goods like rice, lentils and oil to help workers reduce their cost of living.

Wages in Bangladesh, as in many South-Asian countries, are set by the government, and often do not constitute what NGOs would consider a Living Wage. In order to somewhat close the gap, Stanley/Stella is subsidizing a number of fair-priced grocery shops inside its partner factories, offering considerable discounts on basic commodities. To date, more than 10.000 baskets have been sold with an average discount of 50%.

Find out more: https://www.stanleystella.com/en-gb/news/grocery-shop-project-our-way-improving-worker-livelihoods

Responsible production

We are proud to have a team in Bangladesh. Having made a partnership with highly skilled workers and teams.

Together we work to make the most responsible garments for the final customer, but also the less harmful for the workers.

By choosing Organic cotton, we prevent farmers to use toxic chemicals. At the dyeing stage also, we are looking for the most responsible option to reduce our impact on health, water and CO2.

Learn more: https://www.stanleystella.com/en-gb/we-are-certified

A fair price for our cotton farmers

The commitment is not only with the workers in the factories where we produce our fabrics or garments, but It is also with the farmers in India that work in the fields.

Our Premium Collection starts with high quality, organic cotton from small farm holders in India. These farmers use no GMO’s , chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicide s which can impact flora, fauna and the health of their community.

We’re currently working on tracing our supply chain, to not only pinpoint the exact origin of our organic cotton , but also to make sure our farmers get a fair price for their work.

Fair Wear Foundation

We have been a member of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) since the beginning and are honoured to have Leader status. We appreciate the FWF’s support in monitoring the ILO Standards, collecting and resolving internal factory complaints, and in helping us to assess the fair cost of goods locally. Working collaboratively with the FWF and our partner factories, we have proved that we can make positive, lasting change happen.

Get involved!

Want to know more about our projects? Feel free to contact our Sustainability team (sustainability@stanleystella.com), or download our Sustainability Report.