Sustainability

How we oversee our workers' environment and ensure fair remuneration.

Ethical Fashion is about demanding quality, not only from the clothes we wear but also the quality of life for the people who are making them. This is why Anaphe only works with suppliers that are accredited in social and ethical responsibility. 

Our suppliers see our vision and want us to grow together, they have become friends and share their lives with our team. These strong working relationships help us to encourage better working practices. We do not put pressure on them by asking for rush orders as we don’t want to encourage longer working hours. 

We pay a higher than average price for each product to ensure that it is passed onto the sewers by closely working with the overseeing management and asking questions. We believe our prices are reasonable for our customers, based on the fair price we pay our factory workers. 

While we provide affordable luxury to our customers, we also ensure that our workers, sewers, and packers receive a good liveable wage. We strive to remain around a reasonable price point, (for example 1200HKD for our silk dresses) and make beautiful clothing that customers can treasure and feel good wearing. We avoid following any trends or fads to keep our collections timeless. 

Many fast-fashion retailers have set an unrealistic price point for their products, for example paying 100HKD for a dress. Consumers need to consider the person who made the item and what they were paid. If a retail store can sell a dress for 100HKD, what does that say about the quality, material used, and the worker who made it? Most likely the worker was paid an unsatisfactory wage. 

Our producers are certificated with - OEKO (100), an independent certification scheme for manufactured items in domestic and household use. This ensures that our workers are only using safe dyes and are not exposed to harmful chemicals. 

One of the major benefits of silk is that it is a natural material, which doesn’t require harsh chemicals to dye it. We wear clothes from the day we’re born so it's important to ensure that what we put on our skin is safe. We do this by ensuring the compliance of all our suppliers.  

As a consumer we believe you have a right to know where the material you are wearing comes from.

All our materials are sourced from China and Vietnam and we selectively use only natural materials. When it comes to sustainability, there is no room for compromise and although cheaper alternatives exist, our climate and we as consumers are paying the price. 

Silk is a beautiful fibre and with the correct care, it can last you for decades. As a renewable resource, silk is biodegradable and uses less water, chemicals, and energy to produce then many other fibres on the market. Our supplier even has a water recycling system to reduce the water needed to produce the silk fibre. 

The silk we use for our products is sand-washed mulberry silk, which is ideal for hand-washing. We encourage our customers to hand wash their items as it uses less water than machine washing and avoids the use of dry cleaning chemicals that can impact our environment. 

Supply chain transparency.

We are fully aware and we are constantly asking questions to ensure all aspects of our supply chain conform to Anaphe’s ethics. We work with ethical, fair trade producers, and develop deep personal relationships with our suppliers.

Silk production is an important livelihood for many farmers around the world. The silk sector employs around 1 million workers in China alone. 

Extra steps we take towards sustainability & de-carbonising our operations.

Upon checkout, we offer our customers the choice to offset their carbon emissions by supporting a cause. We are currently working with TONTOTON Ocean Plastic Removal in Vietnam, as it is the first organisation to receive the Ocean Bound Plastic Certification.

TONTOTON collects and recycles low or no-value plastics that are often ignored. The project currently operates in 3 locations across Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, Hon Son island, and Phu Quoc Island. All rescued plastics are sent to a co-processing facility to generate Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials (AFRM), This reduces carbon emissions and prevents the plastics from entering landfills and the possibility of them becoming marine litter. The project also gives workers more income opportunities as they get to recover all forms of plastic, not just high-value materials. Each worker on the project receives an above-average wage and basic health insurance. 

Anaphe only creates 4 collections per year, alongside limited edition sets to keep our produce small, producing an average of 50 pieces of an item across 5 sizes. Our sizes range from XS-XL to ensure we remain inclusive of all sizes. When our collections sell out, we go to a pre-order scenario to ensure we don’t overproduce the second batch. If we have a collection that continues to sell out then we know that it is a safe product to keep within our permanent collection and produce again. Any material leftover or cuts are used to create reusable face masks, hair ties, and other smaller items. We aim for zero waste throughout our operations and we are currently using over 96% of the material.

Slow Fashion.

This slow fashion approach ensures we are not overproducing products and avoids leftover waste as opposed to fast fashion brands, which create around 4 collections per week with many products ending up in a landfill if they aren’t sold before the new collection launches. 

Packaging.

Sustainability is front of mind, even down to our packaging, which is made from ‘Plants Not Plastic’ (cornstarch material). Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. We are continuing to learn, research, and challenge ourselves to become better.

Repair, resell, rejuvenate clothing and textiles already in existence

The core of our philosophy is built around regenerative systems. Our products are made with natural silk fibres - a renewable resource whose production has a significantly lower impact on the environment compared to many other textiles. We also meticulously select our other materials, favoring those which can be endlessly cycled back into the natural environment or the economy, hence creating a circular model that decreases waste and extends the life of these materials. We use dead-stock fabrics when ever they are available.

Furthermore, knowing that the value of clothing extends beyond its first life, we offer services to help repair, swap, and ideas to rejuvenate pieces already in existence. We acknowledge that over time, a natural evolution occurs - bodies change, and so does personal style.

Therefore, our swap sales held in-store in Hong Kong serve as a unique opportunity for customers to exchange items that no longer fit or align with their tastes. This initiative reduces material waste, fosters community interaction, and gives clothing a second life. Moreover, our dedication to prolonging our products' lifespan doesn’t end after they leave our store. We ensure our customers are educated on caring for their purchases effectively to retain their beauty and function for as long as possible. We believe that consumers should not have to make the choice between style and sustainability. At Anaphe, we ensure they don’t have to.

Our brand offers a holistic approach to fashion—making fashionable clothing while rejuvenating existing textiles, educating customers on garment care, and promoting apparel swapping—ultimately aiming to build a more sustainable and stylish world.

Anaphe is driven by the pursuit of a greener, more sustainable fashion industry. We recognise the unique challenges within the sourcing and production stage of the supply chain, particularly in the silk industry, and we are continuously pushing the boundaries to develop innovative solutions. Our eco-friendly approach is embedded through our entire supply chain. We believe in creating economic value without compromising the wellbeing of our planet, hence the reason why we've turned to an OEKO-TEX certified process that ensures no harmful chemicals are used in production. Through these initiatives, we are taking significant strides toward reducing waste and curbing pollution.

Compliance with UK, USA & EU green claim regulations

As a fabric, silk has several properties that allow it to align with these green claims, provided it is sourced and processed responsibly:

1. Renewable Resource: Silk is a natural protein fiber obtained from the cocoons of the silk worm. Unlike synthetic fibers which rely heavily on fossil fuels for production, silk is a renewable resource.

2. Biodegradability: Silk is 100% biodegradable, meaning it will break down over time without leaving harmful residues. This aligns with regulations across the board which aim to reduce environmental harm from non-biodegradable materials.

3. Low Energy Production: The energy used in silk production is relatively low compared to the energy required to produce many synthetic fibres. This results in a lower carbon footprint, a factor heavily considered in green claims.

4. Resilience: Silk is a highly durable and long-lasting fabric. This means silk items typically have a longer lifecycle than many other textiles, reducing the need for frequent replacement and subsequent environmental impact.

5. Chemical Use: The amount and type of chemical processing used can vary among silk suppliers. Those that minimise chemical use or use safer substitutes align better with green claims, as the reduction of harmful chemicals is crucial in environmental regulations across the UK, USA, and EU.

The bottom line is that silk, as a material, holds great potential to align with green claims and as a brand we follow this up by working with ethical factories.

Final note.

We hope that Anaphe can continue to become even more sustainable in the future. As a collective we want to get to a place where every consumer is aware and tracks their human and environmental footprint.