We have two production partners in Bali. Both are small garment factories just a few blocks away from our house in a small neighbourhood called Umalas.
Our garments are beautifully made by experienced/ skilled sewers and take anywhere from 10-15 weeks for production. Lead times vary depending on the detail of the garment.
More experienced and highly skilled garment sewers are usually tasked with our production and they earn a living wage plus benefits including health insurance. We visit the factories a few times a week. One is an air conditioned and very beautiful location, with huge glass windows and lots of room, the other a big breezy location that's filled with big smiles and hello's as we wander in. Hours are Monday to Friday and do not work on weekends.
We source fabric locally where possible (for just about every garment we sell, and currently all garments in production). We go out of our way to select fabrics that are entirely natural.
We do not use natural dyes when dying our fabric, as the research we have done is not consistent that there is any benefit to the natural environment when dying with them. Natural dyes require more water for colours to secure than readily available dyes (which are designed to reduce the amount of water). Excess water waste when using natural dyes (output from the dying process) can sadly be more damaging to the environment (thousands of litres of onion or turmeric released im riverways and habitats is not natural). If you have true information on this, please do reach out to us as we truly want to do the very best here, however for now, we dye some garments with standard dyes for our Bali production until suppliers can confirm a more efficient disposal of waste and water usage.
Our bright and cheery prints are hand screen printed here in Bali. We've spent gone around and around on this topic (and will continue to), however at the time of writing it is our understanding that even if a printer uses water based or soy based dyes for screen printing, on an island where water is sparse, it is our responsibility to ensure we do not contribute to the damage of our island home.
The amount of water required for organic dyes, or water or soy based inks and printing and or where and how the waste is processed is the most obvious concern to us as both a business and as individuals.
Ultimately it is all about how printers manage waste. In reality, dumping water or soy based ink is likely more damaging than the readily available alternative. Being truly sustainable requires individuals to truly follow the process from start to finish, especially to follow the waste and water supplies in Bali.
Small Batch
Our production is hand numbered by me. We track every piece produced. Offcuts are kept and turned into gorgeous footwear, hair accessories, and we also use them cut into ribbons for our swing tag.
Ongoing accountability.
We will endeavour to update this page as often as possible. More to come. If you are a supplier in Bali and you are interested to show us your truly sustainable processes and procedures from start to finish, feel free to contact us!