Almost 15 years ago, I started DesignWerket with the intention of making the world more sustainable!
I wanted to help women get cool garments in nice qualities, with a sustainable cut, which were also made under decent conditions.
A winning concept, quite simply!
Who doesn't want nice clothes that make you feel good in?
That you also get a clear conscience, by having put in a few extra kroner. To make sure that the people who made the clothes can live on their wages and drink clean drinking water (because the fabrics haven't polluted their waterways with chemicals) is the icing on the cake!
What I didn't know then, 15 years ago, was that the world would spin faster and faster... Clothes would become cheaper and cheaper... And the age of enlightenment was over...
No one could guess what the plans were..? Or what was the result?
An overconsumption of clothes, furniture, home decoration details and a lot of unnecessary stuff... And this without us being/are aware of who manufactures and how much they get paid... Because no company wants to tell you how to exploit others, just to make money themselves.
You can read more about what happened in 2004, and how this carousel started... >> HERE
Now people are starting to become enlightened, and then the chains counter with a sustainable range... BUT, how sustainable is it?
- Do the clothes last 10 years?
- Are they made from recycled clothing?
- Do the people who make the clothes get a fair wage that they can live on?
- Is it ensured that the paint shops do not release chemicals into the waterways without filtration?
- Do you help those who work in the factories to change the laws in their countries, so that you can live on the minimum wage AND that it becomes forbidden to dump poisons into waterways?
Of course, I would have liked to be able to answer YES to all the questions above... But unfortunately the answer is NO - to all the questions!
Surely it feels safe to buy a garment that says it is made from recycled polyester? You kind of think that an old piece of clothing has been recycled... I'm sorry to have to tell you that it's not recycled clothes... it's recycled PET bottles. Read more in this interesting article in Råd&Rön, which you can find >> HERE
That you can buy a black lace dress in recycled polyester for SEK 199 is not strange... is it? Or is it just me, who knows how much it costs to sew a garment, as well as what lace fabric costs, who thinks it's strange?
Once upon a time I worked as a test seamstress and at the most I ended up sewing 10 pairs of jeans a day. Jeans are quite complicated to sew, so say I have a salary of SEK 100/hour, and a pair in sewing costs would land at SEK 118 each (incl. holiday pay and employer's fees). A pair of jeans is as complicated to sew as the black lace dress for SEK 199.
We need to add fabric, shipping, local cost, profit and finally 25% in VAT. We can also count backwards. The price of the dress: SEK 199 minus VAT = SEK 159. This 159:- should be enough for the shop's costs, the fabric, the factory's costs, shipping, profit and finally for the seamstress... How much do you think she will get?
Had we bought the black lace dress in recycled polyester (PET bottles) with a sustainability label for SEK 399? Or had it felt too expensive?
So how do you shop for sustainable fashion?
- Buy clothes produced in Europe. Important that both fabric and sewing are European. We have laws that regulate emissions and minimum wages.
- Buy clothes that are FAIRLY labeled and organic. (Clothes made in Europe may not be fair-labeled, as it is only a label that may be used in developing countries.)
- Sew your own clothes!
- Buy second hand.
Right now you can find both clothes (made in Europe) and fabrics in the shop!
We are selling out the warehouse because we are moving our headquarters soon!
Take care while your size is still available 💖
