Our Purpose
WE-AR was founded on the principle of oneness which means that from the very start we've been on a mission to design and make the clothes you love in harmony with people and planet. As a brand we recognise the fundamental interconnectedness of all things, and as designers, we think it's our responsibility to design not just clothes, but also solutions to the problems in the fashion industry.
Being a conscious human trying to make the right choices you probably sometimes feel awash in the greenwash. We empathise because we do too which is why we wanted to find a way to cut through and let you see for yourself what the positive impact of your choices at WE-AR mean.
To this end, during the last great Tamaki Makaurau lockdown here in Aotearoa, we decided to partner with Green Story in order to assess the environmental impact of our garments by calculating the resources consumed (raw materials, water and energy) and emissions generated. We source our fibres responsibly, use earth-friendly fabrics and make our production as sustainable as possible. From design to production, our materials and products have already made significant impact savings and by using the data we're now making visible on each product page of our website, we will continue to grow this with each new collection.
What's happening in the Fashion Industry
Fashion is a problem. Responsible for 10 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and 20 percent of global wastewater, every stage of the fashion industry’s supply chain is energy-intensive. From processing yarn, and producing fabric to transporting clothes the primary source of energy in the industry is fossil fuel based electricity which is a key culprit in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Conscious cloth + considered process create Positive Impact Savings
We use earth-friendly fabrics and employ sustainable manufacturing practices to significantly reduce our CO2 emissions. Our garments are made from natural fibers like GOTS certified Organic cotton and innovative eco textiles such as Lenzing ecovero and viscose that have a positive impact on the environment.
For example, our iconic Tri-ka Leggings are made using Organic Cotton. By choosing our Tri-ka Leggings over a conventional cotton pair, you save nearly half a kilo of CO2 emissions and 224 litres of water. Natural fibres such as Organic cotton, linen and Lyocell are renewable, durable and biodegradable. The production process of these natural fibres doesn’t use toxic chemicals like fertilisers or pesticides, which are harmful for our environment.
Our Impact Savings as of today 13th May 2022
How we measure our impact savings
The only way to really understand our impact savings is by looking into our supply chains to quantify a garment's impact from seed to shelf.
This is complex stuff. We collaborated with our suppliers and production partners to gather precise data on the materials and resources used along our supply chains such as resources consumed (raw materials, water and energy) and emissions generated.
We then shared this environmental data with our partner, Green Story, who analyzed the life cycle of our products and measured their environmental footprint through Life Cycle Assessments (LCA). LCA is a scientific approach to assessing the environmental impact of a particular product. It allows us to look into the entire life cycle of our garments and materials, from growing textile fibres and manufacturing fabric, to transportation between farm and production house to shipping. Each phase of a supply chain modifies the product and contributes to the finished goods, therefore impacting the LCA.
Impact Savings detail what has been saved by using sustainable materials and processes.
Our commitment
We want to see our positive impact and show you yours. Measuring the environmental impact of our supply chains helps us showcase our commitment to sustainability and clear communication.
We want to do MORE.
Through impact assessment of our products, we get more accurate data to measure our progress against the goals we have set up in our Sustainability Report. We will keep optimising our supply chain, designing better products and increasing our impact savings in this way so you can track the impact savings you're making as you choose your next wardrobe faves.