Piupiuchick

PRODUCTION LOCATIONS 

• Portugal

WORKING CONDITIONS & LIVING WAGES 

Piupiuchick remains super local and close to home! They design and produce their clothing in Portugal, near Porto, where they’re based. 

The brand states that they love to be near production where they get to know personally all people involved. According to their website, all production is made in fair conditions and strictly respecting the environment. 

MATERIALS 

• Cotton 
• Organic cotton 
• Alpaca wool 
• Polyester
• Nylon
• Leather 

Piupiuchick primarily uses cotton, and this is sometimes organic. Organic cotton is preferable as traditional cotton cultivation requires large volumes of water and potentially harmful chemicals and pesticides. Their knitwear is mostly made from blends of alpaca wool, polyester, cotton, and nylon. As they contain synthetics, they are a less sustainable choice. 

Some items contain a leather logo feature. 

PACKAGING 

Piupiuchick does not disclose what packaging materials are used in their supply chain or for e‑commerce. 

WATER USAGE & CHEMICALS 

Piupiuchick has not disclosed any measures to tackle water or chemical usage in their supply chain. They state that all their cotton jerseys and carded cotton fabrics are organic, meaning that they are free from harmful chemicals and pesticides. Unfortunately this is not yet the case for the remaining items in Piupiuchick’s collections. 

CIRCULAR PRODUCT DESIGN 

The majority of Piupiuchick’s products are 100% cotton, which makes them ideal for recycling. However, their knitwear items are material blends of wool with synthetics. Unfortunately material blends are much more difficult to recycle, meaning that these items are more likely to generate waste at the end of their lifespans. 

CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS 

Piupiuchick states that they are looking into and testing other forms of sustainability such as how to include re-used materials. It is unclear, however, if any progress has been made on this to-date. 

Piupiuchick does not yet offer any circular business models on their website such as a repair service or return scheme. 

DISTANCE & COMPLEXITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN 

Production locations: 

• Portugal 

Piupiuchick’s headquarters and production facilities are all based in Porto, Portugal. We can therefore assume that their supply chain is relatively simple and short. The brand does not however disclose where they source their raw materials from, which could add considerable distance to their supply chain. 

TRANSPORTATION 

Piupiuchick does not disclose what transportation methods are used in their supply chain or for e‑commerce. 

• Alpaca wool 
• Leather 

Piupiuchick has not published an animal welfare policy and does not disclose where they source their animal-derived materials from. This is detrimental to our understanding of the animal welfare aspects of the brand. 

PRODUCT DESIGN 

Many Piupiuchick garments are made from cotton, a material renowned for its exceptional quality and durability. Additionally, as the items are not designed to suit short term trends, they are perfect to pass down to younger siblings, cousins, or friends. 

Piupiuchick also provides care instructions on every product page, to help you make the most of your purchases for longer. 

SLOW FASHION PROCESSES 

Piupiuchick releases Autumn/​Winter and Spring/​Summer collections each year, and as their items are not made to order, there is a sales section on their website. 

TRANSPARENCY ON PRODUCT 

As every item is made in Portugal, you’re guaranteed to always know where your specific purchase was produced! The product pages also detail the material composition, providing further transparency for consumers. 

TRANSPARENCY ON PROCESSES 

Piupiuchick does not publish an annual report on the social or environmental aspects of their brand. Although they state their production locations, little information is otherwise provided about their processes, including where their raw materials are sourced from. This makes it difficult to accurately determine their sustainability efforts.