Australian accreditation body for the Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) industry, Ethical Clothing Australia, is calling for the Olympic and Paralympic uniforms to be Australian and ethically made for the Brisbane 2032 Games.
The body has launched a nationwide marketing campaign to drive the conversation, which is backed by a recent poll conducted by YouGov that shows that 82 per cent of Australians think that our Olympic uniforms should be manufactured locally.
National manager Rachel Reilly said the Australian team uniforms for the Paris 2024 Olympics were made offshore and polling shows this is not in line with the public’s expectations.
“More than eight in 10 Australians see representing their country and supporting the local industry as important reasons why Olympic uniforms should be made here, and this view is shared across all demographics,” Reilly said.
“It is estimated that the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic games will create up to $70 billion in economic opportunity and we must take steps now to ensure this opportunity is realised locally and ethically.”
Australian brands R.M. Williams, July, Sportscraft and Volley were the key brands that made uniforms for the Paris 2024 games.
R.M. Williams holds a decent portion of local manufacturing in Australia, which predominantly makes boots, belts and other accessories, alongside a growing portion of clothing products.
According to its FY25 Modern Slavery Statement, R.M. Williams’ material inputs come from a large portion of local sources, as well as from 25 overseas countries, being Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, India, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.
Its average supplier tenure exceeds seven years, decreasing from nine years in FY24.
“The change in supplier tenure this year included the retirement of a longstanding leather agent, which prompted us to establish direct relationships with the tanneries we were already sourcing from,” its statement read. “This transition, along with a broader review of our supply chain and product offering, has allowed us to simplify operations, enhance quality, and benefit from near-shoring opportunities, strengthening our overall sourcing strategy.”
July designs its luggage and bags in Melbourne, with most of its range made in China.
Sportscraft is housed under APG & Co, with the group sourcing finished products from a network of long-term tier 1 manufacturing partners located in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India, according to its Modern Slavery Statement for FY25. These suppliers support production across APG & Co’s three core brands – Sportscraft, Saba and Jag.
As for Volley, the Australian-born shoe brand is housed under Brand Collective, a company that manages the likes of Champion, Reebok, Black Pepper and Shoes & Sox in Australia and New Zealand, either under license or owned. According to Brand Collective’s Modern Slavery Statement for FY25, the group sources materials and products through an extensive overseas supply chain. This predominantly includes China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil and Spain.
Ethical Clothing Australia’s campaign to push for locally made Olympic and Paralympic uniforms comes as 97 per cent of all the clothes sold in Australia are being made overseas, according to research by the Australian Fashion Council (AFC).
Outside of R.M. Williams, other key players that have a large portion of locally made clothes include the likes of Farage, Bassike, Citizen Wolf, Cue and Veronika Maine. There are also a few major Australian TCF manufacturers, including ABMT in Melbourne, Waverly Mills in Tasmania, and Silver Fleece in Adelaide.
According to Ethical Clothing Australia, this country has a strong clothing and textile manufacturing industry that are already making a range of clothing products that will be required for the 2032 games.
This also includes businesses like Buckle, which has been producing belts locally for over 100 years and already have experience delivering Olympic uniforms. The brand sells online and through stockists including Myer and The Iconic.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore pride and investment in Australian manufacturing,” Buckle director Warren Sanders.
“Local procurement for an event like this would benefit not only businesses like ours that already have this kind of experience but also the broader economy and our industry’s workforce.”
The poll results show that Australians also support this approach, with 85 per cent agreeing that governments should use their buying power to support the Australian manufacturing industry.
Ethical Clothing Australia adds that tasking local, ECA-accredited, manufacturers with making Olympic uniforms also reduces the risk of workers being exploited both overseas and at home.
“The global TCF sector has long been plagued by allegations of human rights abuses from modern slavery and precarious working environments through to wage theft and unsafe working conditions,” Reilly said.
“In Australia, the TCF industry is known to experience systematic exploitation, and widespread noncompliance with minimum legal standards.”
The campaign is supported by the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union and accredited businesses.
The campaign also comes as the AFC prepares to launch a National Manufacturing Strategy, to revive local manufacturing across the TCF industry.