Sustainability
Responsible production, not a performance. What we actually do, what those certifications actually mean, and what we're still working on.
"Sustainable" gets used loosely in merch and apparel, often to mean very little. We'd rather be specific: here's what's actually certified, what those certifications do and don't cover, and where our own practices stand.
OEKO-TEX®
Certified materials, tested against harmful substances.
GOTS
Organic fibres tracked from field to finished product.
Women-led ateliers
Many of our Istanbul partners are women-led businesses.
Ethical trade
Trusted relationships, checked and renewed every season.
Two labels, two different jobs.
OEKO-TEX® and GOTS get mentioned in the same breath so often that the difference blurs. They test for different things, and knowing which is which matters if you're the one asking a supplier to prove a claim.
OEKO-TEX® Standard 100
Tests the finished product, not the farming or the factory. The question it answers is simple: is this garment chemically safe to wear?
- Screens for more than 100 substances known to be harmful to health
- Tests every component: fabric, thread, prints, buttons, zippers, labels
- Applies to natural, synthetic and blended textiles alike
It does not certify organic fibre content, and it does not audit labour conditions. That's GOTS's job.
Source: OEKO-TEX Association, Standard 100 certification criteria.GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)
GOTS asks a different question: was the fibre grown organically, and was every step from farm to finished product handled responsibly?
- Requires a minimum of 70% certified organic fibre content
- Verifies environmentally responsible processing and dyeing
- Audits fair labour practices across the supply chain, not just the fabric
Where we use GOTS-certified cotton, both the growing and the processing have been independently checked, not just the final fabric.
Source: Global Organic Textile Standard, certification requirements.Choices we actually make, not just claim.
Istanbul, not a spreadsheet of factories
Our ateliers are relationships we've built over time, not the cheapest bid on a sourcing platform. That makes it possible to actually check the things we claim.
Women-led partners
A meaningful share of the ateliers we work with are women-led businesses. We name this because it's true of our current supplier base, not as a blanket claim about the whole industry.
Built to be kept, not replaced
The most sustainable piece of merch is the one that doesn't end up in a landfill after one wear. Fit, fabric weight and finish get sampled and reviewed before production for exactly this reason.
We don't claim what we can't verify.
Not every product we produce uses GOTS-certified or OEKO-TEX-certified materials; availability depends on the product, fibre and quantity, and we'll always tell you plainly which certifications apply to a specific run before it goes into production. We'd rather under-claim and be right than round up.