At GFW we have made a choice against standard commercial practice – we only make what is needed!
Every GFW shirt tells the story of many skilled hands, craftsmanship, and the intricate supply chains that bring it to life. We are committed to becoming transparent in our process, holding ourselves and our partners to the highest standards. By building close relationships with our independently owned manufacturer, who share our values and principles, we ensure that every step of production aligns with our commitment to quality, integrity, and ethical practices.
Production ethics
We have partnered with a small bespoke Turkish textile shirt making factory, who have a team of master shirt makers. Their policies, ethics, small scale manufacturing and friendly approach aligns with GFW values and they have been SEDEX certified. The shirts are crafted using finest quality cotton weaves, ethically sourced by our Turkish textile mill supplier.
Sustainability
At GFW, we recognise that everything we create has an impact on the planet. No matter how much we strive to minimise that impact—through the materials we source, the partners we collaborate with, or the processes we implement—producing any garment inevitably contributes to carbon emissions. However, we are dedicated to finding innovative ways to reduce this footprint further, and here are some of the measures we’ve taken so far:
- Pre-order Model: We only produce what our customers truly want, which minimises waste and supports the ‘Slow Fashion’ ethos—a sustainable alternative to fast fashion.
- Sustainable Shipping: We transport our shirts via sea and road. Freight by air produces around 10 times more CO2 emissions than road transport and 60 times more than sea freight.
- Minimal Packaging: Traditional shirt packaging often includes unnecessary, disposable materials. We keep packaging to a minimum—everything we use is either reusable or recyclable. No single-use plastic here!
- Efficient Packing: By forgoing traditional shirt presentation packaging, we can fit 25% more shirts into a box, reducing waste and optimising resources.
- Limited Annual Orders: We limit the number of orders we produce each year, ensuring that we don’t overproduce or waste resources.
- Facebook Pre-Loved Shirts: We’ve created a Facebook group where you can post your pre-loved GFW shirts, allowing someone else to enjoy them. It’s a great way to give your shirts a second life—because sharing really is caring!
- The ‘Orange Dot’ fabric scheme: We’re working on an exciting new initiative to further improve our sustainability efforts. Stay tuned for more on this!
We know there’s always more work to be done, and we’re committed to continuously improving our practices. Thank you for supporting our mission to create a more sustainable fashion future.
All pictures taken in our Turkish supplier September 2024.