Have you ever stopped to think about how your clothes and accessories were made? We have. In fact, it's one of the main reasons we started OWEN STITCH.
Ethical sourcing is a conscious and sustainable approach to obtaining materials. It involves building transparent and holistic connections with farmers, shepherds, and factories and using a ground-up process of direct material sourcing.
The raw materials used in our products are the main ingredients, and unfortunately, the fashion industry is often characterised by a race to the bottom, with the supply chain being squeezed to increase margins. This can have negative impacts on the farms and raw material providers at the farthest removed level of the supply chain, who may be hidden behind layers of subcontractors and subject to poor business practices that compromise social and environmental risks.
To address these issues, we practice direct trade, a way of sourcing raw ingredients directly from the farmers without the use of traditional middlemen. By buying the raw materials ourselves, we are able to provide our customers with fair prices that reflect the quality of the products, rather than the label. We also provide farmers with better prices and business practices and transparency into how our partners conduct their business.
We began OWEN STITCH by working directly with shepherds for raw leather hides, growers for wool and cotton farmers in Kyrgyzstan, and we continue to do so today. Every year, we expand our on-the-ground personal relationships, working with them to best serve their business and community needs and helping us both grow sustainably.
We began OWEN STITCH by working directly with remote communities in Kyrgyzstan. And we continue to do so today:
- Mountain cow herders from Talas Region
- Merino sheep growers from all around Kyrgyzstan
- Organic cotton farmers from Jalal-Abad Region
Every year, we expand our on-the-ground personal relationships by going straight to the source. This direct trade approach that serves the communities and helps us grow sustainably.
We believe that traceability - the knowledge of where a product came from, who made it, how, and when - should be a standard, not a luxury. That's why we build our process from the ground up.
Wondering how this looks in reality? Just take a scroll at any of our product pages, and you will find yourself in the mind-your-materials section: breakdown of every material that goes to our products.
Feeling curious? Start with our basic organic cotton tee.
