Anti-Slavery Day is marked in the UK on 18th October of every year. A much-needed opportunity to raise awareness of human trafficking and modern slavery, its aim is to encourage government, local authorities, companies, charities and individuals to do what they can to address the problem.
Founded in 2016, Outland Denim believes that fashion can be the solution to some of the greatest issues we face today, including modern slavery. The brand was founded to put an end to trafficking and exploitation by equipping people in positions of vulnerability with training, employment, and holistic support through their revolutionary employment model.
Awarded the A+ in the 2019 Ethical Fashion Report by Baptist World Aid, Outland Denim is also Australia’s first B CorporationⓇ denim brand, and is the winner of the 2020 Thomson Reuters Foundation Stop Slavery Award.
Outland Denim’s Anti-Exploitation Initiatives
Driven by a Zero Exploitation ethos, Outland Denim works to address exploitation on multiple levels.
Human Empowerment
Outland Denim’s revolutionary business model provides holistic support to people of vulnerable or exploitive backgrounds. This employment model provides opportunity to those that may not receive it elsewhere including career progression opportunities; a living wage; cross-training; on-site medical services, and education. In their 2020 sustainability report, Outland Denim reported that 76% of Cambodian employees have come from exploitative situations or from a position of vulnerability to being exploited, and 85% of staff (formerly at risk) report a reduced level of risk to exploitation after 6 months of employment at Outland Denim.
Industry Collaboration
Outland Denim has opened the doors to its socially, environmentally and economically sustainable Cambodian production facilities to other brands. Global fashion label Karen Walker is already on board, with product in development. Measuring the brand's sustainability across three key markers of social, environmental and economic impact, Maeka is poised to scale their impact and help other brands be a part of the solution to some of the industry's greatest downfalls.
Supply Chain Traceability
Outland Denim is a founding member of the world-first ‘Supply Network Intelligence System’ designed to support some of the most vulnerable members of the garment industry’s supply chain. The ‘Supply Network Intelligence System’, developed in partnership with Precision Solutions Group (PSG), actively seeks out instances of deliberate exploitation, slavery, and unsafe working conditions and puts methods in place to resolve them.
Outland Denim’s raw materials are sourced from suppliers who excel in social and environmental responsibility. Every button, rivet and stitch is carefully selected with the intention to minimize impact on the environment and mitigate the risk of exploitation in the supply chain. In their 2020 Sustainability Report, Outland Denim reports 94% direct supply chain traceability that has also met strict social and environmental criteria.
Read the business press release HERE.
See the latest collections HERE.
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For further press information or to interview James Bartle please contact:
Helena Baron
helena@whitehair.co
+44 (0) 7951 202 397