Responsible Sourcing

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

We are proud to announce that we achieved Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification in January 2022. GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain. GOTS products have met strict social and environmental criteria from farm to the finished product. If you find a GOTS mark on our products it means that it has been made up of at least 70% organic fibres. You can be assured that all processes involved in the product’s creation have been certified as organic including the farm, mills, laundries, printers, manufacturers, and the processes we follow in our operations. 28.1% of products containing cotton produced in SS23, were GOTS certified.

Organically Grown Cotton

GOTS certified cotton is organically grown, processed and manufactured. We also use cotton that is organically grown but not necessarily processed or manufactured organically. Choosing organically grown cotton means that hazardous pesticides are banned, and any chemicals used meet strict biodegradability and toxicity standards. In additional to GOTS certified products, 33.5% of products containing cotton produced in SS23, used cotton that was organically grown.


Recycled Synthetics

5.1% of synthetic materials – found in shoes, accessories, and outerwear – were from recycled sources in our SS23 production. Our goal is to reach 100%, replacing the use of virgin synthetics entirely. The materials used to produce these recycled synthetics often come from familiar sources: plastic bottles, old clothes or carpeting, and even old fishing nets – saving them from landfills and incinerators. What’s more, using them avoids the use of non-renewable petroleum, and large quantities of water and polluting chemicals that goes into manufacturing virgin materials.

Leather

Paul Smith joined Leather Working Group in 2022 to support more responsible leather manufacturing. Leather Working Group/LWG is committed to driving improvement across the global leather supply chain, minimising the environmental impact of leather production as well as inspiring, educating, and challenging its member companies.

In SS23 production, 70% of the leather used in our products was supplied by Leather Working Group rated suppliers across all collections. We aim to only use leather from LWG, I.CE.C or ISO 14001 suppliers by 2025.

Outside of supporting these certifications, we have taken other measures to improve our leather: all our leather is a by-product of the meat industry; we use no leather that comes from protected animals; and we are increasingly opting for vegetable-tanned leathers versus chrome tanning.

Looking ahead, we are researching the use of recycled and biodegradable ‘leathers’, first using Piñatex®, a natural alternative made from Pineapple leaves, in our SS19 collection.

Responsible Down

We ensure our feathers and down are not from live-plucked or force-fed birds by sourcing from certified suppliers. As of our AW19 collection, we have also ensured that any down we use is a by-product of the meat industry. We support the Responsible Down Standard, which seeks to ensure animal welfare and traceability of down, run by the global non-profit Textile Exchange.

In addition, we are using Re:Down® which is recycled down and feathers extracted from post-consumer goods in upcoming collections. This helps to extend the life of down and feathers that would otherwise have been wasted.

Responsible Wool

Using wool from non-mulesed sheep is a big focus area for us. Mulesing is viewed an unethical procedure performed on a sheep to prevent flystrike, a condition which can cause loss to flock numbers and damage fleeces. In our SS23 production, 87% of products containing wool used wool from non-mulesed sheep. We will be increasing that proportion season-on-season, aiming to use non-mulesed wool exclusively as soon as possible.

We also use recycled wool, first using it in our AW20 accessories collection. Recycled wool is made through a mechanical process that returns used garments back to their raw fibre state before being spun into new yarn. Since the wool has already been processed once it places much less demand on energy and water, meaning recycled wool has a much lower environmental impact. Not only that, but recycled wool helps to reduce the number of discarded garments going to landfill, making recycled wool a circular system.


Other Materials

We’re not limiting responsible sourcing to addressing the main compositions of our products. We endeavour to use as many processes and materials as possible that are better for the environment and animal welfare. Here is what we’ve achieved so far:

• We are using responsibly sourced wood-based fibres in our ready-to-wear collections, particularly in our base fabrics for printed garments.

• We predominately focus on digital printing which has a lower environmental impact.

• We’re using potato starch, resin and corozo nut buttons.

• Our faux fur is made from recycled polyester, and we are exploring using faux fur which is made using a bio-based ingredient derived from corn husks.

• For SS23, over 50% of our indigo washes were identified as low impact based on a leading industry criterion developed by Jeanologia who is at the forefront of developing sustainable denim manufacturing processes.