Local label Wilderness Wear Australia has joined the likes of Ginger & Smart, Carla Zampatti and Collette Dinnigan through a key accreditation.
The brand, which manufactures apparel
engineered to perform in harsh climates, has become accredited with
Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA), ensuring customers that the persons
involved in the production of Wilderness Wear have received fair
wages and good working conditions.
Commenting on achievement, Wilderness Wear founder and director Phil Endersbee, said producing locally and responsibly has been at the heart of his business since the beginning, so becoming accredited with ECA seemed a logical step to take.
“In an environment where many in Textile and Apparel Manufacturing are closing down and moving to Asia, we at Wilderness Wear continue to manufacture in Australia. In fact, we are investing in plant, systems and staff training as part of our culture of continuous improvement” he said.
Endersbee added that producing ethically for Wilderness Wear - which includes the use of fibre and materials that are environmentally friendly and traceable, such as musled-free wool - is also about environment.
“We enjoy the outdoors and we believe Wilderness Wear should do its best to protect the very resources that make this possible” he said.
Wilderness Wear Australia Pty Ltd has been in operation for over 20 years and supplies the Australian Antarctic Division, Victoria Police, Victorian Ambulance Service, Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife, Telstra and the Australian Defence Forces. In addition, Wilderness Wear is also sold through specialist outdoor retail stores, industrial suppliers and export to Europe, Japan and both North and South America.
ECA is an accreditation organisation for the Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Industry governed by a management committee of made up of TCF employer organisations, individual TCF business and trade unions.
ECA’s primary responsibility is to assist TCF businesses comply with the Homeworker Code of Practice and related legislation, in particular the Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award 2010.
There are currently 77 successfully accredited Australian brands and manufacturers, which span a diverse range of product categories; fashion, footwear, school wear, corporate wear, sports-wear, infant and maternity wear and work wear.