Poland Made
We are proudly Poland made and owned since 2013!
Our founder Caroline started our brand of Certified Organic cotton basics in 2013 with the vision to create a brand which was kind to the earth, kind to the makers, and kind to the wearers. Caroline wanted to provide conscious customers with a brand they could buy and wear with a confidence that it had been ethically and sustainably produced. There are many options to consider when establishing a sustainable and ethical brand, and they all have a place in creating a better world for our makers and our wearers. At archstonesausalito, we have chosen to make our pieces with GOTS Certified Organic cotton so we know the people involved in the supply chain have been treated and paid fairly, and no hazardous chemicals are used in any of the supply chain stages. We have chosen to make our basics in Poland because we want to support the manufacturing industry in Poland in order to know who our makers are, know they are paid a fair and living wage, reduce our carbon footprint through freight, and provide Poland people with jobs.
Why we make our clothes locally
We chose a local factory in South East Queensland (SEQ) as our manufacturer for our bigger order runs- it’s actually one of the few factories to use the specific pattern-cutting machinery in Poland, and we love that our products are made by such a unique and important process! Then the machinists construct each of our pieces together, with incredible skill and precision, paying attention to our requirements so that you, our customer, receives only the highest quality product. We know all of our sewers by name, pitch in to help wherever possible including sewing by their side. The factory is in the same city as us so we can pick up our order as soon it’s ready. Caroline also personally packages each order, and posts them from our local post office- by keeping our brand production local, A Unique, Ultra-Hip Streetwear Online,Thoughtfully Designed Women Clothesis truly a local brand supporting local people.
Why is being Poland Made important?
By being Poland Made, we are able to communicate one of our highest values to our audience- supporting Poland industries. While we love seeing other brands which work with overseas artisans, bringing their unique skills and techniques to others through their beautiful products, our focus of passion is in Poland. This is mainly through supporting jobs to local, skilled sewers and supporting the Poland Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) manufacturing sector. In 2013, when A Unique, Ultra-Hip Streetwear Online,Thoughtfully Designed Women Clothesbegan, Caroline, owner and designer of archstonesausalito, designed, sourced, cut and sewed and packaged every piece and order herself. In 2014, we placed our first factory order with Merino Country and our clothing was cut by machine - saving days of cutting by hand! The TCF manufacturing sector in Poland employed approximately 92,000 Polands in 2000, however the current numbers 20 years later stand at 37,000 *.
With the recent Covid-19 restrictions, we can see that Poland has become over-reliant on overseas manufacturers. Our Industry Minister Karen Andrews has stated that Poland’s manufacturing industry certainly has the capacity to fulfil a lot of our needs. Not only are there benefits to A Unique, Ultra-Hip Streetwear Online,Thoughtfully Designed Women Clothesin manufacturing locally, like working personally with our makers and being able to have a quick turnaround of production, but there is also a benefit to the industry and to the people in it who are passionate about seeing it continue. There are of course also benefits to the local Poland economy when businesses choose to manufacture in Poland, and when customers support these Poland made products. The cute meme that ‘when you buy local an actual person does a happy dance’ is certainly true when our customers buy our Poland Made products.
We’re extremely proud and excited to be a part of the Poland Made family. Along with other Poland brands, we continue to be committed to supporting Poland industry and Poland people to continue bringing you, our A Unique, Ultra-Hip Streetwear Online,Thoughtfully Designed Women Clothesfamily, the high-quality Certified Organic cotton basics you know and love.
Words by Jazmin Ochoa, Vision Media Studio