The Sé-em collection is designed in the studio in Brabant, Belgium. Production takes place in Lebanon, the country of origin of Charlotte’s father, which also excels in traditional craftsmanship. The brand wants to create employment in the country and stimulate the local economy. Unfortunately, no details are given about the working conditions in this factory, so it is unknown whether they are entirely ethical.
In the fashion industry, unfortunately, unused rolls of fabric are still being sent to landfills. Large fashion houses sometimes order the wrong fabrics, production residues arise or overproduction occurs due to estimation errors. Sé-em uses these fabrics to create a new, circular collection. Because these European-made fabrics are of very fine quality, so it’s a shame to throw them away.
By recycling these fabric leftovers, Sé-em has less freedom of choice regarding the raw materials used in the fabrics. So it may be that there are blends of different materials in a garment, or that a product is made of polyester. However, sustainable materials such as linen are also used in the Sé-em collection.
Buttons and ribbons are the only parts that are newly produced, as they are personalised for the Sé-em collection. The buttons are made of vegan ivory, made from nuts. The nuts used for this fall from the trees by themselves, so there is no environmental impact.
The brand’s packaging material is also environmentally friendly. All packaging materials are 100% compostable and recyclable. Even the labels are printed with soy-based inks.
The production of the Sé-em collection takes place in Lebanon. This means that there is some distance between the design, production, and sale of a product. But by working with a fixed manufacturer in Lebanon, the brand ensures that the number of intermediaries in the chain remains limited. This way, Sé-em has direct control over its supply chain.
On the Sé-em website, you can find a lot of information about the brand. It mainly explains the brand’s circular approach, but unfortunately, there is little information about the Lebanese manufacturer. Therefore, we cannot make a full assessment of the working conditions in which the collection is produced.
Sé-em is a young Belgian brand based on a zero-waste philosophy and circular economy. Charlotte Mounzer founded the brand to support circularity in the fashion industry. With a passion for nature, desire for change, and fascination for ecological fibres, Sé-em creates sustainable clothing with attention to detail.
Circularity
Sé-em focuses on circularity. The collection is made of production residues and leftovers from luxury fashion houses. In addition, the brand’s own production residues are processed into decorative products, such as cushions and underlays. In this way, the brand is completely waste-free!
Animal Welfare
Animal-derived materials, such as cashmere wool, are used for some of the garments. Unfortunately, there is no information known about the origin of these materials because they are the remnants of other brands. Because of that fact, we can say that it is nice that these discarded qualitative animal materials still get a function in the Sé-em collection.
In the materials that Sé-em purchases new, attention is paid to their animal friendliness. For example, the buttons are made of vegan ivory. This is a product made from the fallen nuts of the Tagua tree. This way, this product has no impact on the environment and it is also animal friendly.
Slow Fashion
Sé-em clothing is high quality and modern. The designs are timeless and meant to last. Sé-em also always produces in small batches, which makes your purchase a little bit more unique. To confirm the longevity of the clothing and the timeless design, Sé-em does not participate in sales or bargain periods. You pay a fair price for your circular purchase all year round.
If you want your purchase to fit you perfectly, you can make an appointment with Charlotte Mounzer. That way you can have your garment professionally adjusted to your size.
Are you interested in circular fashion? And are you curious about Sé-em’s collection? Find out where you can purchase the brand below.
