Esmé-studios

Esmé studios commits to an ethical supply chain by working with only two producers. This way, the brand can build an established partnership, and have more influence on working conditions and wages. So you can rest assured that your purchase was produced in ethical conditions!

The jumpers and lighter woven clothes are made by Chinese producer Great Garment. This producer follows the human rights principles laid down by the United Nations and is a member of BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative), an organisation that helps companies build an ethical production chain. Great Garment also has the GOTS certificate, whereby the production of organic cotton is controlled and has to meet ecological and social requirements.

The rest of the collection is produced in India, by The Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills (RCM). This producer also has the GOTS certificate and is committed to people- and environment-friendly production techniques. On top of that, RCM also has the SA8000 standard where social conditions within the company and the production chain are monitored. RCM participates in the Chetna Organic project to support local cotton farmers and encourage them to grow more organic cotton.

Much of the esmé studios clothing is made of organic cotton. Most of the cotton is produced in India, and some of it has GOTS certification. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) is an independent organisation that controls and certifies the production of organic cotton. The manufacturer must meet strict environmental and social standards for this. 

Esmé studios also uses modal and various sustainable viscose fabrics in their collection, such as Eco-vero viscose and Tencel. These materials are produced in a closed-loop system by the company Lenzing. The materials are made with wood pulp, for example from eucalyptus or beech, that comes from sustainably managed forests. Yet there are also downsides to the sustainability of the materials, such as the link between eucalyptus forests and annual forest fires in Spain and Portugal. Read the COSH! Research on the sustainability of viscose and lyocell.

Synthetic materials are also incorporated into the esmé studios collection. For example, the brand uses polyester from recycled PET bottles in its jackets. This material has the GRS label (Global Recycle Standard), which shows that 20 – 85% of the material comes from recycled resources. 

Esmé Studios also takes steps in the use of chemicals to reduce their environmental impact. For example, the brand uses GOTS-certified dyes and follows REACH regulations that prohibit and restrict the use of certain chemicals.

The circularity of a garment depends in part on the materials it is made from, a large proportion of esmé studios designs are made from mono-materials. This means that a garment consists of one material, for example 100% cotton. These garments are easily recyclable and thus contribute to the brand’s circularity.

Some designs are made of a material blend, the combination of different materials. This complicates the recycling process, but, the addition of elastane is for example often necessary for the clothing’s comfort and fit.

Esmé studios also integrates circular systems into their business plan! The brand founded their own pre-owned platform under the name esmé². Through this pre-owned platform, you can easily and safely buy and sell second-hand clothes of the brand. This way, you can easily give your garment a second life, or top up your wardrobe with a fun purchase, worry-free.

Finally, the Danish fashion brand also has circular packaging for orders within Denmark. Esmé studios works with Re-Zip to pack shipments in reusable, circular packaging. When your parcel has arrived, you can return the packaging so it can be used for a new shipment. Esmé studios and Re-Zip plan to expand this system to other European countries in the future.

Esmé studios does not have a short supply chain as its collections are produced in China and India, which means the clothes travel a long distance to be sold in Europe.

Nevertheless, the Danish brand has few links in their supply chain as they work with only two production partners. This way, the brand has more control over the quality of the products and the conditions in which the production process takes place. 

A few jumpers in the esmé studios knitwear collection contain a small percentage of wool and cashmere. Apart from these garments, though, the vast majority is entirely vegan. Unfortunately, the brand does not provide information on the origin of the wool, so we cannot form a perspective on animal welfare.

Esmé studios brings their Scandinavian roots to the fore in its minimalist and timeless collections. The brand often opts for light colours and simple designs with unique details. Besides an extensive womenswear collection, the brand also has clothes for men.

Esmé studios gives a look behind the scenes on their website. You can see where the clothes are produced and what steps are taken to ensure ethical production. You can also find information about the materials used in the collections and which certificates the brand has obtained.