Working with local manufacturers is incredibly important to us.
As a company, we have been thinking about how we can make less of an impact on the environment and we believe that waste management is the key! The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries, accumulating a huge amount of waste material with every single product. Working with local manufacturers means we have more control over how items are made, reducing the amount we throw away.
It is just one of the reasons why we love our local team.
Figure 1 - Fit Meetings in our London Studio compliant with covid rules - trying on samples and adjusting sizes
As our Weekend Doll factory is so close by, we can visit at any time to keep an eye on production practices and ensure everything is running smoothly.
Our small factory is run by a lovely family who focus on quality, rather than quantity. This is in direct opposition with overseas companies who tend to have high minimum order rules. We can produce the exact number of pieces that we need, rather than over-manufacturing in the hope of higher sales.
Does this cost more? Of course! And our prices reflect this. However, we believe that you will appreciate a premium product and will be less likely to throw it away after a few wears. Our garments are designed to be worn for years, unlike cheaper products that are destined for landfill after two or three uses.
The only way we could reduce our waste further, is to make items to order. We are not quite there yet, but our small order system does allow us to listen to customer demand and produce more of what you want and less of what you don't.
Figure 2 - Collecting Anne Top Samples that have just been made from our London Factory
Keeping our production process local dramatically decreases our carbon footprint. The distance from our London-based factory to our UK headquarters is short, reducing our fossil fuel emissions. This also makes for a much smoother transit, reducing our packaging needs so that we can keep our plastic waste to a minimum.
Figure 3 - One of our machinists sewing the bias binding into skirts and trousers
Working with local businesses helps to boost the UK economy. It is a circular process – we pay local people to create our designs and they then use their wages to buy local produce. The more money that is circulating around the country, the better for individuals, businesses and the overall state of the economy.
As a bonus side-effect of this – working with local suppliers helps to create more jobs, boost community spirit and adds value to the area.
When considering the costs of production, we have always been careful to calculate a decent wage into our budget. Unfortunately, some (not all) overseas manufacturers pay a very poor wage and offer disgraceful working conditions for their employees. We knew we wanted to create a happy working environment for anyone on our team. Paying them a wage that offers a better standard of living is important.
Figure 4 - Burgundy, Brown and Green Skirt Pieces being cut out in our Factory, ready to be made
There are many other benefits to British-made products. One that has been particularly important recently, is that the manufacturing process is almost pandemic proof. There are no border controls to contend with and social distancing and family bubbles can be maintained with ease in our factory.
Our turnaround time on production is much faster thanks to a reduction in transportation. This applies not only to our finished items, but to the materials required to create them. The whole process is localised, allowing us to work closer to the selling season and helping us to respond to what customers need, when they need it. A reduction in guess-work dramatically reduces the waste that we cause as a fashion company.
Finally, since we know everything about our production process, we can offer superior customer care. Want to know about the materials used in your favourite A-Line Skirt in Mustard or Navy from our latest collection? We can tell you about every single thread of yarn used. All of our materials are sourced locally from our list of trusted fabric suppliers.
You will see the Made in UK sign on the entire Weekend Doll collection. As a retro clothing retailer, it makes sense that we work in a way that gives a nod to production processes of the past. While our techniques are modernised, keeping it British is a signature part of our brand.
