Most of Aarrelabel's products are made at our own factory in Northern Portugal and with partners located nearby. Our pantyhose and socks are made in Italy, caps in Estonia and knitwear accessories in Finland.
Where are our clothes produced?
Aarrelabel garments are produced mostly in our own factory, Black Moda Portugal, Lda. Our knits are produced by Elmate, Lda. The Dot –collections and our bath articles are produced by Somani, Lda. Our fabric supplier is Armaco, Lda and the woven articles are manufactured by Youngstar, Lda. The only product that is produced outside of Portugal is our hosiery, which is produced in Italy.
Under which conditions are Aarre clothes produced?
Portugal is an EU country, which is not considered a country of risk. In Portugal working life is regulated by law and enforced by the authorities. Portugal has ratified the International Labor Organization (ILO) Treaties. In accordance with the principles of the ILO, all its Member States have the duty to eliminate forced labor, child labor and discrimination and to guarantee freedom of association. In recent years, the main objective of the ILO has been to implement Decent Work globally.
Responsibility for the employees, suppliers and products of our own factory lies with Riikka Oliveira, CEO of our factory. Suppliers and partners adhere to ecological and ethical values of our brand. All of Aarrelabel suppliers are given a Code of Conduct, which includes social responsibility and environmental requirements for our suppliers.
All workers can give anonymous feedback through a comment box. In case of irregularities, workers are free to contact the portuguese Authority for Working Conditions – ACT. The contact for ACT can be seen in the notice board in the common area of the factory.
During the COVID-19 crisis we have implemented a contingency plan at the factory. During the work, everyone wears a mask and keep a safe distance from each other. Regular disinfection of the working areas is performed as well.
What kind of conditions are Aarre clothes made in?
Portugal is an EU country not classified as a risk country. In Portugal, the labor market is regulated by law, and authorities monitor compliance with these laws. Portugal has also ratified the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). According to ILO principles, all member states are obligated to eliminate forced labor, child labor, and discrimination, and to ensure freedom of association. In recent years, the ILO's main goal has been the global realization of decent work. The responsibility for our factory's workers, procurements, and products lies with our Finnish CEO, the middle sibling, Riikka Oliveira. She ensures that suppliers and partners adhere to ecological and ethical values.
Is our production certified?
Our own sewing company is Oeko-Tex Standard 100 class I certified. This means that our products are free of pesticides, heavy metals or formaldehyde residues that are harmful to our health.
In addition, the REACH Regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals), which applies in the European Union and came into force in 2007, places greater responsibility on industry when it comes to the risks that chemicals can pose to the environment or health. All of our organic cotton is GOTS and BCI certified. From 2019 onwards our organic cotton is also GMO free and the products made in our factory are vegan. Our partners have Oeko-Tex certified production.
During 2020, all our suppliers will be supplied with Aarrelabel’s Supplier Code of Conduct, which includes social responsibility and environmental requirements for our suppliers. By the end of July 2020, the Supplier Code of Conduct has been signed by all Aarrelabel suppliers. The implementation of the Supplier Code of Conduct is monitored through annual supplier surveys and the monitoring is reported in annual sustainability reports. We are committed to ensuring that everyone who works in Aarrelabel’s productions is paid a living wage. We monitor this through annual supplier surveys and report on its results in an annual sustainability report. In raw material procurement, we prefer GOTS-certified cotton and BCI cotton, and these certification schemes are part of supply chain control, such as control of social conditions and the environmental impact of production.
In addition, we visit our Portuguese suppliers every year to monitor the implementation of the Code of Conduct. In 2020, one of the board members of Aarrelabel has visited Portuguese suppliers for a total period of three months.
