manufacturing
ethical clothing australia
Did you know that I am Ethical Clothing Australia accredited?
This means that all the workers within my Australian supply chain work to (or above) award conditions, work in safe and well-monitored working environments, and most importantly are treated fairly.
Fair and ethical manufacturing requires fair and ethical treatment of workers. As my one and only employee, I pay myself at Skill Level 3 of the relevant award. I can assure you I have adequate tea breaks and toilet facilities available to me at all times.
My only outsourced manufacturer - Next State Print - is also Ethical Clothing Australia accredited. This means their entire Australian supply chain meets or exceeds the minimum rights for workers as outlined in the relevant award.
seamless australia
Australia has surpassed the USA as the largest per capita consumer of fashion. To make matters worse, most of this is ultra cheap, ultra fast fashion. The Australia Institute reports that the average value of the items purchased by Australians is $13, far lower than the UK ($40), the USA ($24), or even Brazil ($16). It is well know that these cheaply produced items are made with very little thought given to their environmental impact, the working conditions of their makers, or their quality and longevity.
The Australian government has recognised this as an urgent and growing problem, and in July this year introduced the Seamless Australia stewardship program to help drive the Australia clothing industry towards circularity by 2030.
As a member, I am committed to paying a per garment levy to the program to help fund circularity programs and initiatives. I am but a tiny cog in the scheme - sitting aside industry mega-players like Sussan Group, Oroton, and Big W - but in order for the industry to reach true circularity, then Seamless must be (and is) available to all levels of
production. No-one can be left behind.
I am so proud to be an early participant in this important scheme!
upparel
Upparel is a Melbourne-based textile recovery and recycling organisation.
Every bit of scrap fabric or thread generated as a by-product of megsmithmakes garments goes to Upparel for recycling. I don't believe that recycling should be used as an excuse to be wasteful - I still try and minimise scraps as much as possible - but nothing is perfect. Upparel provides me with a better option than sending my scraps to landfill, and they do a great job of sorting, recycling and repurposing the textile waste they receive.
Upparel was also the 2023 winner of the Victorian Premier's Sustainability Award in Waste & Recycling Solution. Well done to them!
globird energy
GloBird Energy is the electricity supplier I use to power all my sewing machines, irons, and (most importantly) my coffee machine. They are based in Melbourne and have won numerous awards for their sustainability, as well as being a highly rated B Corporation. I
subscribe to their GloGreen plan which guarantees 100% carbon offset for each kWh I use stitching away in my studio.
Why am I telling you this? In the spirit of true ethical transparency, I believe that
every element of my supply chain (including how I power the machines that make the clothes) is important to help you fully assess the impact of your purchase.
As for powering me? Storehouse Roastery "The Dark Side" coffee beans from Olinda. Oh yes.
low waste & made-upon-order
These are two of the most important principles of my process.
Anyone who has ever sewn a garment knows that there can be a lot of fabric
wastage. Despite our best efforts to fit pattern pieces as tightly as possible, a lot of fabric still ends up on the cutting floor.
My process is a little different. Because I design pattern pieces and artwork digitally, I cram a lot into my 300cm x 145cm. This is also why my garments are sold as sets. The obi-belt and headband pieces squeeze in around the main dress. The bag pieces squeeze in around the jacket. And both of them come with a little something extra that I squeezed in as a surprise! Made-upon-order also means that I don't have fabric or stock lying around as the lovely team at Next State fulfil my orders as placed.
Both of these processes make for a low waste (and rather tidy) manufacturing process.