Olow

PRO­DUC­TI­ON LOCATIONS

• Por­tu­gal 
• Fran­ce
• Italy 

WOR­KING CON­DI­TI­ONS & LIVING WAGES

OLOW sta­tes that they are com­mit­ted to Euro­pe­an manu­fac­tu­ring. They work with 5 family-run fac­to­ri­es in Por­tu­gal, which they visit twi­ce a year, and whe­re each of the­ir part­ners on site ensu­re the well-being of the­ir employe­es. They also sta­te that some of the­ir items are craf­ted in Fran­ce by local artisans. 

MATE­RI­ALS 

• Orga­nic cotton 
• Cot­ton
• Recy­cled cotton 
• Linen
• Hemp
• Net­tle
• Recy­cled polyester 
• Ten­cel
• Elas­ta­ne
• Wool
• Recy­cled wool
• Cash­me­re
• Polya­mi­de
• Recy­cled polyamide

OLOW’s swim-shorts are made from recy­cled polyes­ter, which is a more envi­ron­men­tal­ly fri­end­ly alter­na­ti­ve to tra­di­ti­onal polyes­ter. The brand sta­tes that they some­ti­mes sour­ce the­ir recy­cled polyes­ter from the Spa­nish com­pany Seaqu­al, which manu­fac­tu­res the­ir fibres from oce­an plas­tic was­te. Recy­cled polyes­ter does, howe­ver, still have an envi­ron­men­tal impact, which you can read abo­ut here. 

The majo­rity of other pro­duc­ts cur­ren­tly ava­ila­ble on OLOW’s web­si­te are made from cot­ton, which is some­ti­mes cer­ti­fi­ed orga­nic. Orga­nic cot­ton is grown wit­ho­ut har­m­ful che­mi­cals or pes­ti­ci­des, and requ­ires less water to produce. 

OLOW sta­tes that they also use inno­va­ti­ve and more water-effi­ci­ent mate­ri­als, such as hemp or net­tle. Some of the­ir pro­duc­ts also featu­re coro­zo nut buttons. 

PAC­KA­GING 

OLOW has not dis­clo­sed what pac­ka­ging mate­ri­als they use on the­ir website. 

WATER USA­GE & CHEMICALS 

OLOW has not dis­clo­sed any measu­res to redu­ce the­ir water or che­mi­cal usa­ge in the­ir sup­ply cha­in. Some of the­ir pro­duc­ts con­ta­in syn­t­he­tic mate­ri­als, which will rele­ase micro­plas­tics when washed.

Howe­ver, the majo­rity of pro­duc­ts cur­ren­tly ava­ila­ble on OLOW’s web­si­te are made from plant-based mate­ri­als, and OLOW sta­tes that they favo­ur orga­nic cot­ton or linen. 

CIR­CU­LAR PRO­DUCT DESIGN 

Mono­ma­te­ri­als are easi­er to recy­cle than mate­ri­al blen­ds, and are the­re­fo­re pre­fe­ra­ble. The majo­rity of OLOW’s pro­duc­ts are 100% cot­ton, alt­ho­ugh the­ir knit­ted pro­duc­ts are com­mo­nly mate­ri­al blen­ds of wool and polyamide. 

CIR­CU­LAR BUSI­NESS MODELS 

Olow has part­ne­red with the Fren­ch com­pany Nopli to set up a second-hand plat­form on the­ir web­si­te. Thro­ugh here, you can eit­her sell or shop for used Olow pro­duc­ts, hel­ping to mini­mi­se was­te and give unwan­ted gar­ments a new life! 

DIS­TAN­CE & COM­PLEXITY OF THE SUP­PLY CHAIN 

Pro­duc­ti­on locations: 

• Por­tu­gal
• Fran­ce
• Italy 

OLOW wor­ks with a small num­ber of sup­pli­ers, all loca­ted in Euro­pe. As the­ir headqu­ar­ters are loca­ted in Fran­ce, this redu­ces the com­plexity of the­ir sup­ply cha­in. OLOW offers wor­l­dwi­de shipping. 

TRAN­S­POR­TA­TI­ON 

OLOW does not dis­clo­se what tran­s­por­ta­ti­on met­hods are used in the­ir sup­ply cha­in. As all the­ir pro­duc­ti­on is based in Euro­pe, tran­s­por­ta­ti­on rela­ted emi­ssi­ons are gre­atly reduced. 

• Wool 
• Cash­me­re

OLOW has not publi­shed an ani­mal wel­fa­re policy on the­ir web­si­te, or dis­clo­sed whe­re they sour­ce the­ir ani­mal-deri­ved mate­ri­als from.

PRO­DUCT DESIGN

OLOW sta­tes that they aim to design high-quality, uni­sex pro­duc­ts. They offer a wide selec­ti­on of clot­hing, inclu­ding shirts, tro­users, jum­pers, and jac­kets, often cha­rac­te­ri­sed by artis­tic desig­ns. OLOW’s aim to cre­ate unique gar­ments means that they have col­la­bo­ra­ted with 220 pain­ters, tat­too artis­ts, grap­hic desig­ners, illus­tra­tors, and pho­to­grap­hers; all of whom are lis­ted on the­ir website!

SLOW FASHI­ON PROCESSES 

OLOW rele­ases two col­lec­ti­ons per year, and has a sales sec­ti­on on the­ir web­si­te as items are not made to order. 

TRAN­S­PA­REN­CY ON PRODUCT 

On each pro­duct page, OLOW sta­tes the mate­ri­als used. Whilst the pro­duc­ti­on coun­try isn’t sta­ted, OLOW pro­vi­des some infor­ma­ti­on abo­ut the­ir sup­pli­ers elsewhe­re on the­ir website. 

TRAN­S­PA­REN­CY ON PROCESSES 

OLOW does not publish an annu­al report on the soci­al or envi­ron­men­tal aspec­ts of the­ir brand. They do howe­ver sha­re the loca­ti­ons of the­ir sup­pli­ers, and list all the artis­ts that they have col­la­bo­ra­ted with.