Ethical Production
You can only choose better, when you know better. At BOWIES, we will always be open, honest, and straightforward about our company operations.
We think it is important for our clients to understand where our products come from and how they have been made. By working closely with our suppliers and using advanced knitting technologies, we are able to lessen our environmental and social impact.
Ethical production
We produce in cycles instead of seasons. Think about the direct benefits of that.
In cooperation with our suppliers, BOWIES is developing a demand-based supply chain. Where a certain margin in stock will generate the need to start producing new items, BOWIES will never have a sale with leftover stock.
Prioritizing a progressive approach to sustainability, our manufacturer (Knitwear LAB) is constantly developing ethical knitwear made from biodegradable materials and regenerated and certified yarns. Moreover, the LAB places a high emphasis on zero-waste production methods.
Minimum use of fabric
Each BOWIES pattern is knitted ‘fully fashioned.’ When it comes to knitwear, there are basically two ways to shape the garment: the so-called ‘fully fashioned’ and ‘cut and sew’ processes. With cut and sew, you lay the patterns on a large square of knit, then cut out the pieces and sew them together. With fully fashioned knitwear, specific techniques are used to make lines of loops that shrink and grow depending on where more length is needed. In this way, you only need a minimum amount of fabric and leave no cutting waste.
BOWIES’ sweaters are carefully stitched together at the seams, with special focus on the shoulder- and neckline details. And, surprise, surprise: the inside of the sleeve hides a signature BOWIES detail.
Animal friendly
Taking animal welfare at heart, we do not source mulesed wool. Mulesing is the removal of skin around a sheep’s buttocks to prevent the parasitic infection flystrike. Once scarred over, the breech area does not grow wool and is less likely to hold feces and urine, which attract fly larvae. The skin is cut with a sharp pair of scissors and the tail is ‘docked’ to a stump to avoid organic matter from becoming stuck.
No local anesthetic is involved, which means the young sheep – they are cut before six months of age – are in a lot of pain. We believe that mulesing is a cruel practice and that sheep can be spared from flystrike through more humane methods, including special diets and spray washing.
Water-saving
Merino wool is known for its anti-bacterial and odour-controlling properties. Therefore, it does not have to be washed that often. By minimizing your water use, you’re taking care of your sweater’s durability and the planet at the same time. Also, we pre-washed your garment after production to prevent it from shrinking.
Wool heritage
For this order, BOWIES bought mulesing free wool from an existing batch. This batch contains wool from various parts of the world. From next order, we will have more information about the heritage per lot.
This batch contains wool from: mainly South Africa, Australia, New-Zealand and parts of Southern America.
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© 2023 BOWIES. All rights reserved.
© 2023 BOWIES. All rights reserved.
