Guave

This brand works with small batik entrepreneurs from Java, Indonesia to source batik fabrics. Working with these small businesses for long periods of time not only ensures their ability to monitor sustainable workplace practices, but also contributes to preserving the ancient craft and its artisans in modern society. The brand also makes sure to visit often, and pay fair prices for the materials sourced. 

The fabrics come from Enschede Textielstad, a Dutch weaving company that produces high-quality fabrics. This local production reduces transport emissions and guarantees fair & safe working conditions.

Final stages of production, including stitching and assembly are conducted locally in Het Gildelab as well as Guave’s own studio in Amsterdam; keeping part of the production in-house makes it easier to ensure healthy working environment and fair wages. 

10% of the proceeds of their waistcoats collection is donated to Indahnya Sedekah Netherlands foundation, which supports people in Indonesia with education, food and relief during natural disasters.

Majority of Guave’s collections are made using Cotton, which being a natural product is beneficial to the environment as compared to synthetic fibres. Aside from conventional cotton, they also partly use recycled cotton, and GOTS certified organic cotton, which ensures sustainable production and sourcing of the cotton material, and its minimum impact on the environment. 

A small percentage of their collection is, however, made of polyester. While this is a harmful product to the environment, it ensures the durability of the garment and keeps them out of landfills for longer. 

For haberdashery, they use ecological buttons of corozo palm seeds, which are dyed with environmentally friendly dyes. That being said, they still currently use harmful dyes for all their garments, in order to preserve the brightness of the colours.
In the batik scarf collection, the brand offers a choice: a padding made of fibrefill (polyester) material or an organic cotton padding. This way, there is an affordable option for everyone. In the future, the brand plans to replace the synthetic option with plant-based materials.

Guave works with mostly monomaterial, recycled, and biodegradable materials such as 100% cotton. Some of their products contain an inner lining of polyester, which while not natural or biodegradable, is constructed in a way that makes recycling easy at the end of the garment’s use, preserving its circularity.

They also make use of recycled materials for their ecommerce packaging, keeping the fibres in use for longer, but don’t mention the specific materials used for packaging, as well as within the supply chain.

Guave sources most of its materials from small batik businesses in Java, Indonesia, such as in Yogyakarta, Jeruk, and Lasem. This increases the length of the chain quite a bit, but the rest of their materials are sourced from within the Netherlands, keeping it local to production, which is also conducted in Amsterdam.

To reduce the number of links in the chain, Guave always has personal contact with each of its suppliers. This way, deliveries can be sent directly, and the brand also has more influence on the production process. 

The brand does not make use of any animal materials, making it vegan.

Guave personifies the definition of slow fashion, making the items only once an order is placed, and producing in small quantities. Hence, their garments are also personalizable, and you can contact them for different batiks or sizes. Their studio in Amsterdam can also be visited personally, for which an appointment can be made online through their website.

Batik making is an ancient craft, which can lead to imperfections, however this being part of the process makes each batik item unique and one of a kind. They provide detailed care instructions for each item, in order to protect the environment and keep the item in use for as long as possible.

Each item of Guave has a story behind it, explained on each of their product pages, which makes the shopping experience very personal and helps consumers develop a connection with their garment.

Guave attempts to provide 100% transparency in all of their activities. They have provided exact locations of all their material sources and production, even in most cases including names of the facilities and the working conditions within the facility. They could provide more information regarding their certifications, water usage, and transportation methods within the supply chain. However, considering the small scale of the business, Guava is doing really well regarding transparency.