Code of conduct

Indeed the motivation behind starting the brand was founder Mark Musgrave’s experience of working in highstreet fashion retail and the lack of transparency or concern for how their products are made, by whom? in what conditions? And at what cost to people and our planet?

We wanted to create an alternative to unsustainable, unethical fast fashion.

We believe that being paid fairly, treated with respect and having a safe working environment are a fundamental right.

So beyond mere fairness, we decided to set our sights on creating a small collection of beautifully functional products, made from natural and sustainable ingredients: Backpacks, clothing and tools designed for the commute and wilderness pursuit. Inspired by seasons found in nature, rather than those in fashion.

We choose to make the majority of our products here in Britain in tiny batches in collaboration with our ‘collective’ of individual makers and small factories. – including our backpacks, knitwear, shirts and tools. Our boots are handmade in Italy and our caps are made in Portugal. All the materials and components for which are also made in Britain and Europe.

This approach enables us to craft products with attention to detail and to be able to share the stories of expertise which goes into making each one – restoring a greater connection between makers and wearers. Clothing with a personal story and a dignified maker.

Manufacturing in Britain and Europe provides the benefits of more stringent labour laws and decreased environmental impact due to the garments travelling a much shorter distance.

However, to date we’ve been unable to find British or European-made blank T-shirts and sweaters available in the small quantities that we currently need.

Having these garments custom-made would require us to meet high minimum order quantities specified by factories, which isn’t financially or logistically viable for us at this point in our journey.

So the blank off-the-shelf T-shirts and sweaters we source are ethically made from GOTS certified organic cotton in Bangladesh, in FairWear Foundation certified factories. FairWear Foundation is a third-party organisation who inspect factories based on their business practises, working conditions and from speaking directly with the garment workers. The garments are of excellent quality and are the most ethical and sustainable ones we can get our hands on at such a small scale.

These blank T-shirts and sweaters then have our designs hand screen printed in Sheffield, UK using water-based, organic, vegan-friendly inks.

Our Code of conduct sets out the principles which all of our suppliers must agree to before working with us.

Whilst we attain much more than the basics of the statements below, we hold each of our suppliers accountable to the following code of conduct:

Supplier Code of Conduct

1) No Child Labour

There shall be no recruitment of child labour. Children under the age of 15 shall not be recruited or employed (or higher age if required by the law). Children and young persons under the age of 18 shall not be employed at night or in hazardous conditions. The policies and procedures shall conform to the relevant International Labour Organisation (ILO) policies.

2) Employment is freely chosen

There shall be no forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour. Workers must not be required to lodge deposits or their identity papers on commencement of employment. Workers must be free to leave their employer after reasonable notice.

3) Freedom of association and employee representation

Suppliers should respect the rights of employees to join or form an association of their choosing (such as workers council, union, or workers association).
Where law restricts the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, the employer should facilitate, and not hinder, the development of parallel means for independent and free association and bargaining. Representatives must not be discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative function in the workplace.

4) No Discrimination

There must be no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, nationality, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union or political membership.

5) Wages and benefits of employment

Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week must meet, as a minimum, national legal requirements, or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. Wages should cover the need to meet both basic needs and some discretionary income. All workers should be provided with written and understandable information about their employment conditions and wages before employment and provided with wage slips for each period they are paid. Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure is not permitted, except those required by law. Any such deductions must not be taken without the expressed permission of the worker concerned.

6) Hours of work and regular employment

Accurate attendance, payroll and production records shall be maintained. Suppliers must commit to working towards compliance with ILO guidelines and national laws, whichever offers greatest protection. Overtime must be voluntary, and all employees should receive at least one rest day in every seven. Overtime should be paid at a premium rate. To every extent possible work performed should be on the basis of a recognised employment relationship. Obligations to employees under labour or social security laws and regulations should not be avoided through the use of home working schemes, subcontracting or apprenticeships where there is no intent to provide regular employment. The conditions for the termination of a contract should be laid out before employment commences and conform to established and transparent company practices and local law.

7) Discipline

Employee abuse in physical, sexual or verbal form of intimidation is not acceptable and prohibited.

8) Health and safety

A safe, clean and hygienic environment should be provided, taking into account the specific hazards of the industry. Adequate steps should be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health at work. Workers should receive regular and recorded health and safety training. All workers should have access to clean toilet facilities and drinking water. Where provided accommodation should be clean, safe, and meet the basic needs of workers. A senior manager should be appointed as the Health and Safety representative for the company

9) Whistle blowing

We require our suppliers to provide an internal mechanism for reporting, investigating and remedying any wrongdoing in the workplace, and to ensure that whistle-blowers do not suffer any detrimental treatment as a result of raising a genuine concern.

10) Environment

We take the environmental impact of our operations very seriously, and work hard to minimise our impacts as far as possible. This is why 96% of our products ingredients are either certified GOTS organic cotton, wool, chromium-free leather, FSC wood or recycled polyester. We're working on the 4%.
As a minimum, we expect all suppliers to comply with local and national environmental legislation.

11) Anti-Slavery and Trafficking

We are committed to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our own business or in any of our supply chains.