Sustainability ·

Arnhem 2022 Sustainability Roadmap

As 2021 comes to a close, we reflect on what an amazing and challenging year it has been.
Thank you for supporting us with so much love and kindness through the ebbs and flows of a tumultuous year.
Whilst we are avid believers in responsible slow fashion, we still make mistakes. Our intuition this year was off, and the truth is that we made more stock than we needed. 

 

 

 

We make mistakes, but we don’t waste them.

It has been said - that you are wise when you learn from your mistakes. So, looking back to move forwards, here are some of our 2022 intentions:

Less Is More

We are making more space by creating smaller, more considered collections. 

Reducing Waste

Thanks to you, our test pilot Freya was a huge success, so we will continue to offer Made To Order collections – only making the exact number of garments you order. 

Keep Circulating

We’re getting cryptic with this one as it’s a big marker on our sustainability road map, but let’s just say that soon you yourself will have the chance to join our circular fashion movement on a new Australia-first platform. 

Learn more about our sustainability efforts over the years and future roadmap. 

 

Strategy and Commitments.

“What a wild year, the highs and lows of the last 12 months have left me feeling dizzy. From the initial lockdowns of 2020 to the hyped up, frenzied success of the beginning of this year, when I stop to reflect, my dominant feeling is that of humbled gratitude.

With ongoing restrictions and uncertainties that we are facing on a global scale, it is paramount to me that we continue supporting each other now and in the future. I am excited to be part of a community that values sustainability and uses their buying power to create change.

As creators of timeless, new fashion we choose to focus on being as responsible as possible in our approach towards design, sourcing materials and manufacturing, ensuring that we give back and have minimal, to no impact on people and planet.

Whilst we have achieved so much, there is much more that we need to do. Sustainability is a lifelong journey and with your support it’s possible for us to make the future of fashion more sustainable, creating from a place where all life forms and future generations can flourish.

Thank you; what you buy really does makes a difference.”

Arnhem xx



2022 Sustainability Roadmap – where attention goes, energy flows…


  • We are going to expand emissions reporting and off-setting beyond our inbound freight to include our office, warehouse and distribution centre, and our Tier 1 suppliers.

 

  • Fashion has a huge waste problem; 30% of clothing remains unsold as deadstock globally. And we don’t always forecast correctly - sometimes we make too much. Whilst we never let a good thing go to waste, marking down any old stock in the warehouse and adding it to sale, it’s not sustainable to continue like this. Our first ever Made to Order Collection Freya was a huge success, so we will take the next steps on this zero-waste journey and expand on our pre-order business model.

 

  • Our intention is to focus more on localization by expanding on our made in Australia collections. Whilst we will always be loyal to our global family of makers, we value having the ability to strengthen our local community and economy by manufacturing here in Australia.

 

  • Social responsibility and ethical manufacturing is integral to our business. In the year ahead, we want to have more of an impact by aligning our social advocacy projects and investing in our global makers’ communities.

 

  • As we’ve said above, there are some exciting circularity initiatives planned for 2022. You have been huge advocates for our zero-waste Revive initiative, where fabric off-cuts destined for landfill are used to make new treasures. This level of engagement has inspired something new – all we’ll say is that a more circular fashion industry requires a collective effort – stay tuned for the invite, watch this space…

 

  • Five years on from our first responsible swimwear collection exploring the opportunity to work with more sustainable fibres, and looking for ways to regenerate and heal the earth, remains a top priority. In the year ahead we’ll be considering how we can utilise more plant based fibres and fabrics in our collections such as linen, hemp and organic cotton to further reduce our impact.

 

  • Supply chain transparency is critical for achieving a sustainable, accountable and ethical business. Whilst we pay auditing bodies to gain visibility over our supply chain, to be able to honestly say that we uphold and protect environmental and human rights, we need to be there on the ground with them. So once international travel opens up we plan to visit our suppliers to strengthen relationships and supply chain traceability.

 

 

 Stay tuned to our Quarterly Impact Reports in 2022 to see how we’re doing.

If you have any feedback for us email sustainability@arnhem.co or DM us through Instagram @arnhem_clothing

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