Fite Fashion Impact Statement

Sustainability

We recognize that sustainability is a multi faceted issue and we act accordingly knowing that there is always room for improvement.

Sourcing and Design

Every garment starts with design and sourcing so this is where we start to consider our environmental impact. We only source high quality fabrics that are suitable for each type of garment and we choose fair trade, certified organic and low impact dyes whenever possible. Sometimes these fabrics are conventionally made and dyed which isn’t ideal but we only order what we need and we make sure that each piece is well made, meant to be reworn and is either made to order or as a small batch. Mass production of anything, even the most organic, naturally dyed, low impact items, is inherently unsustainable and high quality items that can be worn repeatedly without falling apart are always the best choice.

We only use higher impact items like leather, sequins or any other synthetic if it is designer deadstock or remnants that we are diverting from the waste stream. These deadstock pieces are sourced from places like FABSCRAP or Etsy. We do not purchase any “virgin” synthetics.

Our lining is special because it is Cupro, a cotton seed by-product created via a partnership between Bemberg and Asahi Kasei. It is low impact, breathable, biodegradable and not the typical petroleum based rayons and poly blends that the majority of brands use for woven linings. Learn more about the Cupro fabric we use for lining.

Waste Management

We design in order to minimize waste by creating pieces that let us maximize our yardage layout so that there is less leftover in the first place. Whatever is not part of a garment is sorted into containers based on size. These will become clutches, bustiers and embellishments. Whatever is truly too small to sew is sorted into bags that we take to FABSCRAP where it will be sent to a shredder who makes shoddy for things like insulation.

We maximize sustainability within design by emphasizing separates within the collection. Increasing versatility increases wearability and makes an item more valuable to the customer therefore less likely to be tossed after being worn once or twice. Our strategy is to make beautiful high quality things that fit well and are very versatile because loved clothes last! 

We pay attention to garment fit so that it is less likely to be returned. Return culture is inherently unsustainable. It requires driving or shipping an item repeatedly which uses packaging and fossil fuels and most brands don’t actually have the capacity to deal with more than a few returns so tons of new garments end up in the landfill!

Most people don’t know that when they clean out their closets and donate used clothing to local drop off points that they may not end up for resale in this country or anywhere else. Cargo ships full of baled, donated clothing are often sent from the global north to the global south where they may be piled up waiting for local bidders or sorted through and then trashed. This doesn’t minimize textile waste and has the added impact of the diesel fuels used to power a giant ship for thousands of miles.

Packaging

We only use plastic free packaging with high post consumer recycled content and lower impact dyes so that our customers can easily recycle or reuse it. We order from companies like EcoEnclose for boxes and stickers and noissue for our recycled tissue paper.

Circularity 

We understand that most people don’t have experience with basic maintenance or mending of high end garments in specialty fabrics. We don’t want that to either be a barrier to purchase or to cause an item to sit in a closet or be tossed when it just needs a little love from someone with relevant experience so we want to help customers extend the life of their loved item.

To accomplish this, we will implement a buyback program to increase circularity. Once an item is worn out a customer will be able to print out a shipping label and send it back to us. We will then inspect it, determine what we can salvage and issue store credit. We will also encourage customers to send items back for repair if they don’t have any local options.

Animal Friendly

We do not use new or reused fur in any of our designs. If we ever use faux fur it will be deadstock or some of the new plant based fabrications. We only use leather that is deadstock, thrifted or remnants from other designers, never new. We plan to add new vegan leathers in the future that are plant based and derived from things like pineapple waste fibers and apple peels. Sign up for our email list if you’d like to receive updates on new items!

Working Conditions and Inclusion

We follow the vertically integrated manufacturing model. This means we do all of our materials sourcing, web maintenance, designing, pattern making, cutting and sewing in our Philadelphia studio. We do not contract out any of our labor to any factories either domestic or overseas. This is the only way we can absolutely ensure that anyone who works for us is treated with the utmost care. The fashion industry is over run with the full spectrum of worker violations and we refuse to participate in unsafe conditions, harassment or exploitation of any kind. We support worker’s rights in every country.

We are committed to providing a comfortable, clean and safe work space to our employees and contractors because everyone deserves that and we’re all working in that space together so we have implemented a company-wide $15 minimum wage and we will implement profit sharing as soon as that’s possible.

We also believe in inclusion and make it known that we welcome applicants from every background, not because it’s legally required, because we know that everyone deserves a fair chance to show that they have what it takes for a job and we don’t just tolerate different experiences, orientations and perspectives, we celebrate them because they enrich our lives and our businesses.

It is our goal to hire via community outreach programs so that we are creating good jobs in our community and creating opportunities for people who might otherwise be limited.

We believe in being the change that we wish to see in the world and we will begin to participate in company volunteer days so that we’re making time as a company to enact the principles we espouse.

Supporting Traditional Skills

Our designs feature many couture techniques and we are committed to keeping these traditions alive through training and outreach. Fashion still has many closed worlds within it, and unfortunately some of those closed spaces create gate keeping around employment and skill sets. We believe that people of all backgrounds should be exposed to the widest range of job opportunities and that talented people who are motivated to learn traditional high fashion and couture skills deserve a chance to learn these techniques and see others like them represented within every facet of the fashion world.