People

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: We believe in cultivating a diverse, equitable world in which people of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, abilities, and religions thrive. For us, this manifests in a range of internal and external practices including, but not limited to:

• • Working directly with businesses owned by people from historically marginalized communities, including woman-owned and BIPOC-owned businesses 
  • Teaming up with nonprofits that share our ethical values. We are currently an ally member of Chicago Fair Trade and a member of the Nest Guild, a global network of over 2600 handcraft enterprises and makers from over 125 countries
  • Working with models from a diverse range of races, ethnicities, ages, genders, and more in our campaigns and not altering their faces or body shapes through photo editing software 
  • Offering educational workshops, including natural indigo dyeing workshops in which we teach participants how to create and use a naturally fermented indigo vat and mending workshops in which we teach participants how to mend, maintain, and care for their clothing using natural materials
  • Crediting our collaborators on social media and on our website (see “Transparency” below)
  • Self-funding our business in order to avoid corporate interests that may compromise our ethics
  • Educating ourselves and others on anti-racist theories, practices, and texts in authentic, non-performative ways
  • Remaining open to conversation and critique from within and outside our collective

Health: Because our products are made using natural, organic materials and botanical dyes, they are free from many of the harmful chemicals (including pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals) that are used in the production of synthetically constructed or dyed materials and conventionally grown natural fibers.

Transparency: We believe in transparency and accountability, which is why we keep an updated list of Our Partners (manufacturers, mills, dyers, photographers, models, and more) on our website.

Working Conditions and Wages: We believe that all workers deserve ethical treatment and living wages, which is why we support the International Labour Organization’s “Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work,” for ourselves and our partners, including, but not limited to:

• • The freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining
  • The elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor
  • The effective abolition of child labor
  • The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
  • Safe and healthy working environments

All of our products are cut and sewn the USA, predominantly by Sew Valley in Cincinnati, Ohio, Digit Pattern Services in Chicago, IL, and Found Surface in Cleveland, Ohio. They are then kept undyed or are dyed in-house or by Green Matters Natural Dye Company in Gap, Pennsylvania. Our current staff members are paid at least a living wage as calculated by the Cook County Commission for Human Rights. In addition, we prioritize partnering with small, local, U.S.-based businesses that pay their employees above the minimum wage (typically a living wage) and those that have Fair Trade, GOTS, and OEKO-TEX certifications. We vet all of our vendors through screening calls, emails, and/or in-person meetings in which we ask directly about their labor practices and request copies of certifications when relevant/available. Specifically, this means working with businesses such as:

• • Sew Valley, a non-profit, zero waste garment factory in Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Digit Pattern Services, a local, woman-owned, Chicago-based small batch cut & sew manufacturer who we visit multiple times a year  
  • Found Surface, a sustainable garment factory in Cleveland, Ohio
  • Green Matters Natural Dye Company, a woman-owned, Pennsylvania-based natural dye studio
  • EU-Design, a Certified B Corporation that produces our OEKO-TEX Standard 100 buttons from Ecuadorian corozo (tagua nut) in Italy
  • Signet Mills, a family owned and operated textile mill based in South Carolina that manufactures a certified organic line of textiles in the USA
  • Organics and More, a South Carolina-based wholesaler of GOTS Certified, Fair Trade, and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 textiles made in a GOTS Certified factory in Pakistan
  • Draper Knitting, a sixth generation knitting mill based on Canton Massachusetts

Planet

We believe in materials and practices that have as low of an environmental impact as possible. 

Fabrics, Trims, and Thread: For ALL WE REMEMBER®, we use only natural, organic materials that are fully biodegradable and industrially compostable. 95% of our fabrics are made from certified or GOTS certified undyed organic cotton, with the remaining 5% made from undyed RWS and NATIVA certified Shaniko wool or deadstock undyed Peruvian Highland wool. 90% of our threads and trims are made from GOTS certified organic cotton (the other 10% are made from undyed conventional cotton). 100% of our dyed products are crafted using natural, botanical dyes. In addition, we use the following materials in the production of our garments:

• • OEKO-TEX Standard 100 corozo (tagua nut) buttons
  • Water-based inks
  • Natural indigo inks
• For NEW AND SELECTED, we source natural fiber vintage garments that we overdye using 100% botanical dyes.