Supporting our makers every step of the way #FashionRevolutionWeek
FASHION REVOLUTION is a global movement encouraging supply chain transparency in the fashion industry. It’s about using our purchasing power for good, empowering consumers to ask ‘who makes my clothes?’ and also consider ‘what's in my clothes?’
In honour of #FashionRevolutionWeek we want to share with you how we’re doing our bit to support the planet, our supply chain, and each other so we can continue to bring you beautiful garments to treasure for years to come.
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Continuing to #payup our makers and staff
As the world continues to face te Covid-19 pandemic, it’s clear that the unfolding situation is affecting everyone in one way or another, including the fashion industry and the people who make our clothes. In response to the pandemic, many major fashion brands and retailers are cancelling orders, stopping payments for orders already placed, even when work has already been done - creating a detrimental impact on the people working in their supply chains. In response to this, on March 30th, 2020, Remake Our World launched a petition demanding brands to #PayUp as a response to reports coming in from suppliers that brands had cancelled in-production orders as a result of retail constrictions following the outbreak of coronavirus.
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Supporting communities with meaningful collabs
We love to collaborate with brands, people and initiatives that are close to our heart - both locally and abroad.
Most recently, through our recent OLANA X OBUS collaboration with Ethiopian-born, Melbourne-based artist Olana Janfa, we were introduced to the fantastic work of Create Impact — an Australian-based non-profit organisation that provides education, clean water and health care to remote communities in Ethiopia. In conjunction with our OLANA X OBUS collection launch, we held an exciting online group art auction with all of the funds raised going to Create Impact and their Medagi school building project. Six contemporary Australian artists (Olana Janfa, Casey Burrill, Zan Wimberley, Jasmine Mansbridge, Stanislas Piechazek and Emma Gale) each generously donated one of their stunning works of art for the auction and together we were absolutely thrilled to raise a total of $11,700 in just seven days for Create Impact. Read More.
Earlier this year, as our hearts were breaking hearts, along with all of you, as the bush fires destroyed so much of our precious country - we knew we had to help. The Obus team all found ways to donate and help out in as many ways as we could, dedicating a weekend of profits from all sales to give to Australian Red Cross, as well as donating fabrics for much needed wraps and pouches for injured native wildlife.
Learn more about our social impact.
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Continuing to improve packaging + production
We are consistently reviewing practices and implementing policies to reduce our environmental impact at our head office and in our stores, especially in regards to order packaging and studio waste. Although we haven't been able to transition away from our biodegradable plastic bags to send you your online orders just yet, we have been working extremely hard to tackle the bigger impact of how our supplies and products are shipped and delivered to us.
Over the past 12 months we’ve worked hard with our suppliers to reduce the waste associated with the products we manufacture. Our deliveries now rarely arrive with any plastic and are not individually wrapped which reduces A LOT of waste - plastic or otherwise.
Within each seasonal collection, we prioritise the use of natural materials such as cotton, organic cotton, linen and wool, as well as eco-friendly fibres such as Tencel and Ramie. Leather used in our accessories and footwear is vegetable dyed (not chemical dyed and without chromium).
As technology in the digital textile printing space improves in leaps and bounds, we have been increasingly favouring this process to produce all of our custom-designed fabrics. It consumes less water than traditional screen printing and produces far less toxic waste water, whilst helping bring to life our bold and original printed textiles, which are present in each collection.
Now our soft cotton jersey fabrics are the only textile that we are still screen printing on, but we are working hard and continually testing and sampling to find a digitally printed jersey that will match our quality standards and continue to feel super cosy and comfortable for you to wear.
Learn more about our environmental impact.
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Reducing waste with creativity and care
We continue to think of ways we can turn our production remnants into something meaningful so they don't end up in landfill.
Obus x Beehemia Food Wraps
In celebration of International Women's Day 2019, we collaborated with Dahli - an inspiring young woman who is driving change and making an impact as a social entrepreneur via her business Beehemia.
Dahlia launched Beehemia with a vision to reduce food and packaging waste in her community, as well as support Asylum Seekers through business profits and employment opportunities. With the help of her mum, Gabrielle, Dahli and her Beehemia crew hand-make their beeswax wraps using natural ingredients (which smell divine!). While profits are donated to organisations such as the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), the venture also provides employment and skill-building opportunities for new Australians and people seeking asylum here.
Naturally, when we learned about Beehemia, we were 100% on board with supplying Dahli with linen and cotton fabrics in original Obus designs.
Fabric Face Masks
As we continue to adapt to the evolving health crisis, we are actively exploring how we can serve our community during such a strange and difficult time. For a limited time, we used our offcuts to create face masks that were both colourful, washable, reusable, and made from 100% natural fibres - which were an instant crowd pleaser.
While these masks are functional and act as a light barrier and can limit the transfer of droplets, they are not medical grade or classified as PPE. This means they will not stop you from contracting the COVID-19 virus or getting sick in general. We would like to reiterate that your safest option is to stay at home and self isolate. #stayathome
Scrunchies
While we strive to make the most of each piece of fabric (even tweaking the design of garments to ensure fabric wastage is reduced), there will always be small leftovers.
We often make scarves, scrunchies and other accessories - which are the perfect accessory to so many of our collections. Yes, by donning a humble Obus scrunchie, you’re doing something to save the planet from fabric waste! Thanks, scrunchies (*whispers* We’re so glad you’re back.)
Learn more about Obus x Beehemia Beeswax Wraps
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If you’ve followed us for a while you will know we talk a lot about our ethical considerations - everything from ensuring you’re receiving a high-quality garment, to managing waste is part of our commitment to creating clothing with a small ecological footprint.
Whilst it’s challenging at times, we truly believe we are in this together, and hope to come out the other side of this shared experience with more skills, strengthened relationships and most of all, more empathy, for one other.
We believe in the importance of supporting those local brands and businesses that you love, who with your loyalty, are able to continue to bring you products and garments that bring you joy.