Over the last few years, more large corporate retailers are adopting supplier and vendor codes of conduct which aim to place stronger checks and balances on social and environmental issues across the value chain. This has also meant that big fashion companies are beginning to source more regularly from suppliers that have achieved environmental and social certifications. As an example, H&M is now the largest buyer of the organic cotton globally.
As part of the SOURCE Expo 2012, we showcase a selection of leading suppliers of casual, sport and street wear that can supply materials and manufacture garments in large quantities – many of whom are also vertically integrated and offer services such as printing, finishing and embroidery.
Armstrong Knitting Mills
Armstrong, a textile knitting mill founded in 1969, is now a globally successful export house, recognised for their range of woven and knitted garments, specialising in organic and fair trade cotton. Based in the textile town of Tirapur, India, Armstrong Knitting Mills is not only dedicated to producing to a very high quality product, the company also boasts a range of social provisions for the workers and many villages near to Tirapur, including a mobile hospital, mobile eye clinics, a school with more than 1,400 local students, an HIV/AIDS awareness programme and yoga classes to encourage improved physical and mental well-being.
From raw cotton to finished product, Armstrong operates a vertically integrated facility with services for spinning, knitting/weaving, dyeing/finishing, printing, embroidery, and garment production. The production process is certified to the ISO 9001: 2008 standard. Armstrong offers the following fabrics and products + more:
For Knits:
- 100% Organic cotton
- 100% Cotton mercerised
- Cotton mix with polyester
- Cotton mix with Elasthan
- Cotton mix with lycra
For Woven fabrics:
- 100% cotton yarn dyed
- 100% viscose and cotton mix with polyester
- Cotton mix with viscose
- 100% linen
- Cotton mix with lycra
Garment Production:
- T-shirts
- Sweat shirts
- Underwear
- Casuals
- Sportswear
- Pants
- Pyjamas
- Shirts
- Shorts
- Polo Shirts
Mantis World
Mantis World is an ethical clothing manufacturer that offers a range of high quality, fashionable adult, kids and baby garments along with a 100% GOTS certified African Organic Cotton range called Tender Loving Clothing. Working with manufacturing partners in Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey, Mantis World’s Special Production service produces bespoke garments for customers. All factories are audited against its own Code of Conduct as well as social standards such as BSCI and the Control Union. Even further, they are GOTS, Oeko-Tex, Bio Inspecta, EcoCert certified ensuring no harmful dyes or substances are used at any stage of production.
Mantis World produces bespoke garments for a range of well-known brands through the Design-It-Yourself range. The bespoke service comes with a minimum order quantity depending on the custom finishes or service. A minimum order typically starts from one dye lot – approximately 500 men’s t-shirts, or from just 300 pieces if you simply want to add your own label into one of our stock products.
CONTINENTAL® Clothing
CONTINENTAL® has been designing, manufacturing and selling wholesale to the imprintables industry since 1994. The focus is on creating high quality, expertly styled garments for markets such as music merchandise, fashion, corporate promotions and athletics.
The company’s long-term vision is an entire industry of low carbon corporate wear, work wear, promotional wear and leisure wear, built upon fundemental principles of sustainable production and socially positive supply chain management.
Their EarthPositive® range is made to demonstrate the highest possible environmental, social and ethical standards. EarthPositive® Apparel is made in manufacturing facilities in India powered by wind turbines, from low-impact organic cotton, which is both Oeko Tex and GOTS certified as well as certified by Control Union and the Soil Association. Its state-of-the-art ‘Green Factory’ in India is a leader in the textile manufacturing industry in terms of sustainability, particularly carbon reduction.
Ordering information:
It usually takes around 4-7 days to receive a pre-production sample for approval, although printed or embroidered samples may take a few days longer. Production time ranges from 7 to 14 days for standard fabrics or 14 – 28 days for non-stock fabrics and garments that incorporate printing, appliqué or embroidery.
The minimum is 150pcs per colour and size when producing garments from their extensive range of stock fabrics in stock colours. CONTINENTAL® can also custom dye stock fabrics to a specific colour, which depending on the fabric and style could mean a minimum order of between 500 and 800 T-shirts.
They also run a high quality screen printing that is certified to supply organic garments. The minimum print run is 500 pcs per print design. And finally, they produce and sew-in woven and printed labels, and do attach swing tickets, bar codes, etc.
FUSION CLOTHING
Based in Tirupar, India and family owned/managed, Fusion Clothing is a supplier of GOTS ertified organic cotton, bamboo, soybean and blended fabrics in jersey, pique, interlock and fleece. Specialising in the middle to higher end markets, Fusion also manufactures garments including t-shirts, polos, tracksuits, shorts and shirts for men, women and children.
For all Textiles, Fusion also uses organic dyes – approved textile Auxiliaries for the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Version 1,1 – and can do eco friendly printing and special finishes like UV protection & 3 x dry from Schoeller Technologies.
As a medium-sized company, Fusion is very flexible and can process urgent orders very quickly or produce individual patterns. Lead times are 60-75 days with minimum order of 1,000 pcs for garment production. Production capacity os 20,000 – 30,000 pcs per month depending on style.
Clients include:
- Tomster USA in Germany
- Alptraum in Germany
- Masita in Netherlands
- Eesa in USA
- Sub Ind in Austria
- Harley Davidson in Greece
- Regatta in Uk
- Pelmark in UK
- Luhta – IcePeak in Finland
- Postie in New Zealand
Chetna Organic
Chetna Organic partners with Solidaridad, MADE-BY and others in enhancing the socio-econimic status of disadvantaged farmer families engaged in cotton cultivation in india through producing garments which are traceable down to the farmers fields. Farmers are schooled in sustainable agriculture practices and ethical trade. Established in 2004 with 234 farmers, Chetna today supports over 15, 279 farmers from 13 cooperatives in 3 Indian states – Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh.
Chetna supplies large brands and retailers such as Anita Dongre, Espirit, Felissimo, G-Star, H&M, Jackpot, Marks and Spencers, Pants to Poverty, and more.
