Hi Cat,
That sounds like amazing work!
As we're a super small brand we have to be quite grassroots about how we source materials that match our ethics; because we don't have capital to invest in MOQs or our own auditing. Our entire Ocean Protection range is made from Lenzing Micromodal. Lenzing certify the forestry, and I believe it's processed within the EU. The strapping is organic cotton and the rubber comes from a community project audited by the company we buy from. The laces we use are usually from a resaler of deadstock, so I can't make any claims about the original situation they were made in, but in terms of the money supply- I think it would be fair to say that if doesn't fund companies that use slave labour because it's a waste stream.
However, as you can imagine this is incredibly complex and frustrating for brands of our size. Our new luxury fully circular silk and lace items are actually much simpler supply chains, precisely because it means much better transparency. These fabrics come out at around 5x the cost of what we normally source. Then we have trouble getting members who can afford those fabrics! It's a real swings and roundabouts.
My master's project is all about localising production, in part to give alternatives to the complex and shadowy trade routes that are currently the norm.
I'd be really fascinated to hear more about what you're working on and if there's ways for micro-indie businesses like ours to do better. Slavery is a blight on our society and definitely needs to be discussed more.
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