Lion of Leisure

PRODUCTION LOCATIONS

• Antwerp, Belgium (Studio for design and printing)

WORKING CONDITIONS & LIVING WAGES

Lion of Leisure produces in Belgium, in its own studio in Antwerp. This means there are no traditional risks from outsourced supply chains and the brand benefits from high European social and environmental standards. The proximity to production enables full transparency and control over working conditions, which are regulated under Belgian labour law – including fairer wages, occupational health and safety and social security. Although production costs are higher as a result, this structure enables a more ethically responsible, small-scale production.

Fair Wear-certified cotton also stands for compliance with social standards in textile production, including fairer wages, safe working conditions and a ban on child labour along the supply chain.

The products are screen-printed by hand and made exclusively from GOTS-certified organic cotton. GOTS ensures that both ecological and social criteria are met along the entire supply chain. 

MATERIALS

• 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton
• Biodegradable, water-based printing inks

Lion of Leisure uses GOTS-certified organic cotton, which is more environmentally friendly than conventional cotton as it is grown without pesticides and fulfils social standards. Read more about the benefits of organic cotton here. 

Biodegradable, water-based colours that are harmless to health are used for printing. 

PACKAGING

Lion of Leisure delivers each garment in a reusable bag made from 100% cotton. These fabric bags replace conventional single-use packaging and can be reused, helping to reduce waste. The brand also aims to minimise plastic in its shipping materials: the cotton bags are packed in padded envelopes or small cardboard boxes.
For deliveries to retailers, the brand reuses the boxes in which the blank T‑shirts were originally received whenever possible. Hangtags are printed in-house on recycled cardboard.

WATER USAGE & CHEMICALS

The cotton used is GOTS-certified, which means that no pesticides or synthetic fertilisers are used during cultivation and that strict environmental criteria also apply during further processing. This not only saves water, but also ensures that no harmful chemicals are released into the environment.

When printing the illustrations, the brand uses an artisanal screen printing process with water-based, biodegradable inks. These do not contain any toxic solvents and are harmless to people and the environment. There is no bleaching or colouring with aggressive chemicals.

As Lion of Leisure works exclusively with natural materials such as 100% cotton and does not use synthetic fibres, no microplastics are produced during washing. The combination of certified natural materials and pollutant-free colours demonstrates a consistent commitment to environmentally friendly products that are harmless to health.

CIRCULAR PRODUCT DESIGN

Lion of Leisure uses only mono-materials, which makes the products easier to recycle and increases their circular potential.
There is no indication that recycled, upcycled or deadstock materials are used. The brand also does not offer a take-back system for worn-out garments.

The boxes in which the T‑shirts are delivered are reused by the company for shipments to retailers. As a result, packaging is used multiple times before being discarded.

Hangtags are printed in-house on leftover cardboard, helping to avoid additional paper production.

In conventional screen printing, excess ink left on the screen is usually discarded. Lion of Leisure, however, returns this ink to the production process.

Due to the simple structure of the children’s clothing – single-layer cotton garments without complex construction – it can be assumed that minor repairs such as stitching holes or replacing seams are easily possible. However, a structured repair service or modular product design is not offered.

CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL

Lion of Leisure does not offer a repair service. Instead, the brand focuses on durable products made from organic cotton, which are fundamentally repairable and easy to recycle due to their quality and straightforward construction.
According to the brand, many garments are passed on once children have outgrown them.

DISTANCE & COMPLEXITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN

• Antwerp, Belgium
• The headquarters are located in Antwerp, Belgium.

TRANSPORTATION

As design, printing, and finishing all take place in the brand’s own studio in Antwerp, Lion of Leisure’s supply chain is relatively short. Orders are shipped to customers via DPD or Bpost. Within Antwerp, Lion of Leisure delivers both customer orders and retailer shipments exclusively by bicycle.

Lion of Leisure does not use any animal materials at all.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Lion of Leisure offers clothing exclusively for babies and children. The range mainly includes T‑shirts and sweatshirts, as well as bodysuits designed with hand-printed animal illustrations.

The products have a gender-neutral design and are aimed at all children. The designs are playful, humorous and free of gender-specific colour or style elements.

SLOW FASHION PROCESSES

Lion of Leisure has a permanent collection to which new designs are added twice a year. The products have a timeless design and are not tied to specific seasons, which clearly distances the brand from the traditional fashion cycle.

The brand produces to order and keeps a stock of unprinted textiles. Each item is individually printed. 

TRANSPARENCY ON PRODUCT

The product pages of Lion of Leisure provide basic information such as the material used, a reference to FAIRWEAR certification, and the note that each T‑shirt is hand-printed in Antwerp using biodegradable, water-based ink. It is also mentioned that all T‑shirts are packaged in a reusable cotton bag. The products are described as unisex and non-seasonal, accompanied by a brief explanation of each design.

In terms of transparency, traceability is limited to the printing location in Antwerp. No details are provided regarding other production steps such as cutting, sewing, or the origin of the cotton fabric. Full traceability of individual products is therefore not possible. While customers learn that printing is done locally, it remains unclear where the textile was manufactured beforehand.

TRANSPARENCY ON PROCESS

Lion of Leisure provides basic information on its website about materials, printing methods, and production sites. Customers are informed that all products are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton and are hand-printed in the brand’s own studio in Antwerp. The use of water-based inks is also clearly communicated.

However, detailed information about suppliers or specific production steps such as cutting, sewing, or fabric sourcing is not disclosed. There are no references to particular suppliers, sewing facilities, or the origin of the cotton.

The available information is mainly found on a general ​“About Us” page and on individual product pages. However, these do not allow for item-level traceability. A product-specific transparency system or full supply chain tracking is not in place.

The label has been very open with COSH! and has provided transparent insights into its own processes.