If you’ve heard Peri speak on the Untouched World journey, you’ll be familiar with the ‘little red shoes’ story. Often referenced as a moment that sparked our origin, Peri recalls a time as a child when she received a brown paper package in the mail. On unwrapping the paper, she discovered a beautiful pair of red leather shoes, with ‘Made in England’ stamped on the sole. “Ooh, that means they’re good quality” her mother assured her.
It resonated with Peri, this notion of a country having a brand that could speak to its exports, so much so, she decided New Zealand needed one of its own. Meanwhile, the pursuit of greater profits and shifts to overseas manufacturing saw the ‘Made in England’ brand lose its shine. Helped in part by misleading labelling and company buyouts.
A similar threat is now looming over the ‘Made in Italy’ reputation. The ‘Made in Italy’ brand, has long been synonymous with high-end luxury but in the last two years, five of Italy’s luxury fashion houses have been placed under court monitoring over alleged worker exploitation.
While all have responded seriously to the claims, it raises an uncomfortable truth: how did these issues arise in the first place? The answer often lies in where our gaze settles. We’re told a garment’s origin tells the whole story, but it rarely shows how much control—or care—a brand truly has over what happens within their supply chain.
Our Sustainability Manager Fiona commented; “The perception is that luxury and ethics go hand in hand, but in reality, profit maximisation is almost always the driving force. This is what we mean when we say we put people and planet before profit, it’s a mindset that has to be at the core of your operating principles.”
That intention guided our choice to manufacture a small number of pieces in Vietnam. It was never about chasing lower costs. We needed to ensure every standard we uphold in Aotearoa was upheld there too. Our GM visited the factory in person, and we’ve cultivated ongoing, respectful relationships with everyone involved.
It’s this kind of honest oversight that matters, not just where something is made, but how and by whom.
We still make the bulk of our garments right here in our Christchurch workrooms, sometimes teaming up with trusted NZ-based outworkers to meet demand. But it’s in the layers beneath where things can go awry, especially when sub-contracting enters the mix and visibility breaks down.
That’s why transparency isn’t just a buzzword for us, it’s a practice. Our supply chain matrix tracks far beyond the final stitch. It maps not just where our garments are sewn, but where the fabric comes from, and two layers deeper. We also include the third-party certifications that back that traceability.
On our decision to include this level of detail, Fiona said “transparency doesn’t equal sustainability, although it’s a start! But we wanted to set the gold standard and go further. Many in our community are time-poor; they shouldn’t have to dig through factory names just to decide if they’re buying something they can feel good about. That’s our job. And it’s a responsibility we take seriously.”
We’re thrilled that ‘Made in NZ’ carries such positive connotations, and are proud to manufacture 94% of our garments here. But we also recognise that the trust of our community should be earned with ongoing, impactful actions rather than relying on a blankets statement about provenance.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this, how important is supply chain transparency for the clothes you invite into your wardrobe?
