ETHICS & SUSTAINABILITY
AT SELF-PORTRAIT, WE ARE MAKING A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO IMPROVE OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND ARE COMMITTED TO REDUCING OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT BY UTILISING MORE RESPONSIBLY SOURCED FIBRES IN OUR COLLECTIONS.
FIBRES
In 2019, we began our journey into reviewing our fibre breakdown and subsequent collections launched in 2020 reflected those changes with the introduction of GOTS certified organic cotton and GRS certified recycled polyester.
Our SS21 swimwear sees the biggest change as we work with our suppliers and REPREVE®, the recycled performance fibre, resulting in garments made from between 35% to 100% recycled materials. Please see here for further information.
These substitutions will continue within our collections with the mindset to increase these practices with every new offering.
ANIMAL WELFARE
We demand that all suppliers adhere to our policies regarding animal welfare and prohibit the use of materials taken from endangered species, real fur or pelts, angora, real horn shell or Mother of Pearl. Leather, wool, cashmere and mohair are only sourced from producers that practise good animal husbandry.
SUPPLIER BASE
All Self-Portrait garments are designed in-house at our East London studio and manufactured between China and Italy. Before the pandemic, the Self-Portrait team made bi-annual visits to our suppliers to carry out our own due diligence and risk assessments, ensuring that our manufacturers adhered to our code of conduct. We will resume this as soon as circumstances allow.
PACKAGING
We hope all customers enjoy a memorable and unique experience whilst shopping with Self-Portrait. All the paper used in our packaging is FSC certified.
AFTERCARE
Due to our intricate designs, most Self-Portrait garments are dry clean only. In 2018, we began collaborating with Green Earth Cleaning, which uses a silicone-based, a non-toxic and non-hazardous alternative to traditional chemical-based methods resulting in a gentler solution for people and for the planet. We recommend customers to follow the after-care instructions on our garment labels and look for cleaners who utilise more sustainable processes. Green Earth Cleaning now operates in over 40 countries, please see here if there is a location near you.
FABRIC SWATCH DONATION
With over 350,000 tonnes of clothing making its way into landfills each year, we dispose of unwanted fabric swatches by donating all excess materials to First Mile, which works with third-party charities to repurpose them as new materials. This allows us to reduce the impact on the environment and our carbon footprint whilst increasing recycling rates. Please see here to learn more about their initiatives.
GET IN TOUCH
We fully recognise that there is a long journey still ahead of us, and we welcome all suggestions from our community on how we can improve our practices. Please let us know your thoughts at info@self-portrait.com
