We love the way that Kiwi women have taken to our brand, and for many of you it is so much more than a place to shop. It’s a place to connect and share your latest purchases and be involved in a community of supportive and like-minded women. Through the VIP group and regional Shiner groups, many friendships have been made and self confidence has been gained.

Yet underlying this we recognize that internationally the fashion industry has been in the past and continues to be a big contributor to environmental damage and a place where employees can be mistreated, overworked and underpaid. Yet on the other hand, it is also a source of employment for millions - and puts food on the table, and many economies are reliant on the industry. So what should we do as a company and as customers?

We believe that having an income, a place to work and a sense of purpose is important to everyone, so we are not advocating that people stop buying fashion, but instead for every consumer, retailer, wholesaler to keep asking the questions. We can all help to change the issues that this industry faces slowly but surely. As retailers and consumers our buying power to support manufacturers and wholesalers who are doing the right thing is important When it becomes the standard rather than the norm that these expectations are made and these questions are asked by retailers and wholesalers, then it becomes important commercially to the owners of these factories to effect these changes.

At Shine On our focus has been primarily a retailer of other brands, which means we work with the directors of those brands, who in turn deal directly with their manufacturers. Our Shine On label is also manufactured primarily through reputable NZ based supplier/importers, who manufacture our Shine On label (including Gloss and Alpine) with our agreement in addition to any other brands or retailers they might manufacture for.

This means that there are many factories that supply to Shine On - and some brands may have several factories. Often there are commercial sensitivities around suppliers giving details to their retailers or making them publicly available for competitors to see. Suppliers are the ones who work directly with the factories, including visiting them in person when possible. At Shine On, how we work with suppliers is that we are in the process of asking them to sign and adhere to our Shine On Suppliers Ethics Policy which details the standards that any of us would expect of any NZ supplier. You can read the Shine On Ethics Policy here. In addition to signing we are collating information by asking the directors of the brands and suppliers we deal with to write a paragraph or two about their operations/factories, perhaps include photos and include any examples of initiatives their company or factory has taken around ethics or sustainability. You can read these on our website as we continue to collect and update information.

This is always a work in progress for us as brands come and go and we strive to keep this information updated.

 

Thank you

Fee, Gene, Cliff