Formes
Website:
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/studio_formes
About Formes:
Slow fashion brand Formes, design and produce sustainable and easy-to-wear clothing with their core product being screen printed t-shirts made from 100% certified organic cotton and inspired by the works of Henri Matisse and his modernist contemporaries.
The creatively methodical technique of screen printing means that each tee is made with love and attention, ensuring a connection between the maker and the wearer. They believe that clothes should take time to make and be timeless to wear.
Fair Pay and Good Working Conditions:
Formes, source their t-shirts from a supplier committed to high standards across the supply chain. They partner with factories that demonstrate fair and safe working practices. WRAP (an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting and ensuring safe and ethical manufacturing) has awarded a Gold Certificate of Compliance to the manufacturing of these t-shirts.
All screen-printing, sewing in labels, and making hang-tags is done by Formes founder, Clemency.
Sustainable / Organic Materials:
Formes use 100% organic cotton products, Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) certified at every stage – certificates available for the yarn and the production (Dyeing, Cutting, Sewing, Finishing, Trading).
Sustainable Practices:
The Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX certificate is in place for the production of the t-shirts used, which means that every component of the t-shirts have been tested for harmful substances, and the items are therefore harmless in human ecological terms.
The inks used to screen-print are solvent-free and non-toxic.
Animal Welfare:
No animal products are used in the materials. Indirectly, organic cotton crops like those where the Formes T-shirt fibres come from provide a cleaner environment for local livestock.
Packaging:
Formes use recycled materials, such as recycled brown wrapping paper and envelopes, and screen-print all labels and tags in-house, ensuring they are produced with the same sustainable practices as their products.
The few plastic bags that the t-shirts arrive in from the supplier are re-used continually and repeatedly to store stock.
Social Responsibility:
Formes products are either modeled by the founder or friends, with no re-touching. Where available, Formes use informal imagery that friends, family, and customers have taken of their products to promote the personal side of their brand. Other promotional imagery has been shot by young budding photographers who are always fairly paid.
Formes is a zero-waste brand – any ‘imperfect’ items aren’t thrown away, but are sold at reduced prices.
Formes designs are trans-seasonal, with few new releases. They do not partake in major commercial dates, such as Black Friday, or even a major push for Christmas. Rather, they design small collections when the time feels right, and only produce new items when existing stock is low.
Charity / Community Contributions:
Formes have taken part in many community events in Leeds and London, such as local markets that promote alternatives to high-street shopping and support independent venues. They seek collaborations with other small independent brands and love working with independent magazines.