Every once in awhile, a company comes along and you think to yourself, “Wow! They really thought of everything!” Sustainability? Check. Durability? Check. Utter cuteness? Check. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Fableists.
Who are the Fableists? (fay-buh-list) noun: A group of people making the coolest clothing for little punks! Garments that are not only beautifully designed but made well and completely sustainable. Origin: Fable (a short story with a moral) Activist (someone with a rebellious spirit who makes positive change happen)
Recently launched by UK-based husband and wife team Matt and Sarah Cooper, The Fableists sought to “break the cycle of kids making clothes for kids“. That was the original idea–to make children’s clothing without relying on child labor. Once they started researching the manufacturing business, they realized that they could not stop there.
The massive environmental impact of modern clothing manufacturing and the chemicals traditionally involved in the process were mind-blowing. Combined, they have four children–they didn’t want these chemicals touching their children’s skin, so why would anyone else? Their mantra became clear: “We are kind to the makers, to the planet and the skin of the kids who wear us.”
And when we say they’ve thought of everything, we mean it. Here’s the Fableists’ Sustainability Checklist:
• All cotton 100% certified organic
• GOTS (who certified most of the cotton) also rates
social responsibility in their certification
• Non-cotton items certified by Fair Wear or Fair Trade
• Factories and dyeing houses are inspected
• No underage workers in the factories
• All employees paid a fair wage and given statutory
rights in accordance with International
Labour Organization
• Everything from thread to buttons to rivets are
considered (rivets and buttons are lead and
nickel free)
• Printing of t-shirts and dying done in closed loop
system so that chemicals are not dumped in to the
communities and ecosystems
• Shipping done over land and sea where possible to
reduce carbon footprint
• T-Shirts have almost zero carbon footprint due
to factories being run on wind and other renewable
energy sources
• Cotton grown by a collective of organic farmers to
ensure that they are paid a fair price and are
governed and protected by a committee
• T-Shirt artists paid for the limited print run with a
potential for share in any profits
• Percentage of profits to go in to an as yet unnamed
charity that will help to promote education in the
areas where our clothes are made
• Cotton grown in monsoon rain fed areas of India as
most cotton requires a huge amount of water
to grow
• No GM crops used in the making of our clothes
• Cotton is 100% pure and not reliant on use
of insecticides for growing or other chemicals in
processing
In addition to their thoughtful, eco-friendly tenets, The Fableists line is sustainable by design. Their aesthetic is based on time-honored vintage workwear, which makes sense; play is hard work! Because the look is timeless and the construction is incredibly durable, pieces may be worn for years, being passed from child to child and family to family. (Adorable marketing piece: Each item comes with its own passport so you can document its journey!)
The Fableists website is not just for selling clothing and promoting their brand, but for educating consumers on sustainability practices to aid the health of our planet. They even provide tips for laundering your clothing to not only make it last longer, but to create less waste and eliminate harsh chemicals. Seriously. They thought of EVERYTHING.
The Fableists. Play hard, live forever.
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Organic, Vintage-Inspired Kids Clothing That Fits For 3 Years
All images and quotes courtesy of The Fableists