What We Wear Matters: What’s On at Ethical Clothing Australia Week 2023!
- Words by Peppermint
above COURTESY OF ETHICAL CLOTHING AUSTRALIA
As any conscious consumer will tell you, what we wear matters. Our clothing and shopping choices not only impact the planet and the economy – every time we add to cart, the reality is we’re also affecting the life and livelihood of the person who made the clothes.
In Australia alone, nearly half a million skilled garment workers – 77% of them women – are employed in factories and as outworkers (working from their homes) to make the clothes we wear. This huge population exists in an industry that’s at times unregulated with workers facing issues of exploitation, unsafe conditions, isolation, long hours and unstable employment – problems that can be exacerbated when workers have English as an additional language or find it difficult to access information about their rights.
Ethical Clothing Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that, for the last 20 years, has focused on protecting workers’ rights in the textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) industry. Its comprehensive accreditation process assesses all parts of a business’s local supply chain: from the operations of their head office through to “on the ground” design, pattern making, cutting, sewing, outsourced work and more – all with the goal of ensuring that every worker in the chain is treated and compensated fairly.
As you might imagine, it’s a huge undertaking for the organisation and a true commitment to ethical production – something Ethical Clothing Australia aims to recognise and celebrate during its upcoming ECA Week 2023 from 9–15 October.
We want the Australian public to also know about their commitment, and for the public to champion these businesses by buying locally and ethically.
“We are so proud of the commitment ECA-accredited brands and manufacturers make to producing locally, and to protecting and upholding the rights of their workers throughout their entire local supply chain,” says ECA National Manager, Rachel Reilly.
“We want the Australian public to also know about their commitment, and for the public to champion these businesses by buying locally and ethically.”
Now in its third year, ECA Week is a national celebration of ethical fashion and the people behind it, offering both in-person events across Victoria and New South Wales, plus a vibrant digital program from brands like The Social Studio, Cue and Clothing the Gaps.
Peppermint is very proud to be the official media partner of Ethical Clothing Australia and we can’t wait to get amongst all the events of ECA Week! Below you’ll find a round-up of some of the amazing events on offer including factory tours, specialty shopping nights, panels and more!
All of these events are free and open to the public, so if you’ve ever been interested in learning more about some of Australia’s most well-known and beloved ethical brands, check out the full program here and book tickets!
ECA WEEK 2023
Denimsmith VIP Night – Fitzroy, Victoria
Tuesday 10 October | 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Shop after-hours with the jean geniuses at Denimsmith! The family-owned business is opening its doors for an exclusive VIP shopping experience that includes fit and styling sessions, plus a Q&A with Denimismith’s team and ECA’s national manager Rachel Reilly.
Vince Clothing Factory Tour – Brunswick East, Victoria
Wednesday 11 October | 5.00pm – 6.30pm
Go behind the scenes with a tour of the Vince Clothing factory. Featuring an introduction by ECA’s accreditation program advisor Emma Conos, and the chance to meet the team from Vince Clothing, this is a unique opportunity to see a working garment factory.
Next State Factory Tour and Demonstration – Thornbury, Victoria
Wednesday 11 October 2023 | 10.00am – 11.00am
Ever wanted to print your own fabric? Learn all about digital printing with Next State founder Chole Kerr. Chole will share essential tips on how to get the best possible outcome for your print, including software options, file preparation and fabric selection. Best of all, your ticket gives you the chance to bring in your own digital file and watch it be printed on the spot!
READ MORE – CONSCIOUS CURATION: CARRY YOUR ECO-CRED IN THESE SUSTAINABLE BAGS
Remuse Virtual Tour – Online
Saturday 14 October 2023 | 12.00pm – 1.00pm
Peppermint alum Remuse (we featured their contemporary designs in Issue 53) will take you on a virtual tour of their studio, where they design, manufacture and dye their “plant-based cosmic earthwear”. All attendees will also receive 10% off their next online purchase!
Knovus Knit Studio Tour – Carlton, Victoria
Tuesday 10 October 2023 and Thursday 12 October 2023 | 10.00am – 11.00am
Knitters unite! Get an intimate look at knitwear manufacturing with a studio tour of Knovus Knit‘s Carlton studio, including a peek at the revolutionary Shima Seiki Wholegarment Knitting Machine which produces the world’s first seam-free knitwear. Your ticket also gives you an exclusive 15% discount on workshop bookings.
Flatiron Exclusive Release
Designed by sisters Sam Scally and Penny Duggan and manufactured in Melbourne, Flatiron is well-loved for its understated and utterly cool pieces and commitment to ethical production. During ECA week, Flatiron will release their best-selling Parks Top, with each unique piece made using the founder’s picks of their favourite fabrics from past seasons. Available exclusively from 9–15 October.
KEEP AN EYE ON ECA’S SOCIALS FOR MORE INFORMATION!
Melco Fabrics Warehouse Tour – Charmhaven, New South Wales
Thursday 12 October 2023 | 9.00am – 4.30pm
Enjoy a “day in the life” with a visit to Melco Fabrics. The female-founded business – which proudly mills and prints all its fabrics in Australia – will open its doors for a full day so you can tour its facilities, meet the team and learn more about what it means to make a commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.
What You Need to Know About ECA Accreditation: Information Session for TCF Businesses – Online
Wednesday 11 October 2023 | 2.00pm
Thinking about your own business and ECA accreditation? This online event is a perfect opportunity for any designer or business to meet the team behind Ethical Clothing Australia and learn more about the process of accreditation and how to apply.
This article was produced in collaboration with the fine folk at ECA. ECA Week is on from 9–15 October in locations around Victoria, New South Wales and online. Check the ECA website for more details.
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Brighten up your inbox with our not-too-frequent emails featuring Peppermint-related news, events, competitions and more!
explore
More articles
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…. Which means we are officially entering party season. Work parties, friend-dos, family get-togethers and then we’re straight into New Year festivities. If you’re lucky enough, you might be staring down the barrel…
Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
Furred, feathered, fishy, scaled… The pets we choose are as diverse as our personalities. (And apparently, quite often we resemble each other.) But they all…
When you hang a painting on a wall, the story stays put. But when you wear a beautifully made garment that may as well be…
Hang out with us on Instagram
Any New Year’s resolutions on your list? We love this from @OtterBeeStitching - “be brave enough to suck at something new”.
There’s no points for perfection, but you’ll get a trophy for trying. If nothing else this year, take the leap and try something new.
#OtterBeeStitching #Embroidery #BeBrave #TrySomethingNew #EmbroideryArt
Sunday serving suggestion ☀️
Gorgeous photos from @JolieFemmeStore - who make sweet garments from vintage bedsheets.
#PeppermintMagazine #SlowSunday #SwitchOff #Unplug #ReadAMagazine
A toast to the old you 🥂
We wholeheartedly love this post from the brilliant @EmilyOnLife:
“2026: Reinvent, burn it down, let it go (whatever it is). Year of the Snake it up. Exercise your boundaries, exercise your body, take one teeny step every day towards a life that feels better to be in.
But don’t you dare shit on your old self while you do it.
Hold yourself with reverence and tenderness and respect, because you got you this far. You did your very best with the information and tools you had at the time. You scraped yourself together, you made it work, you survived what felt impossible to survive: again and again and again.
You are perpetually in the process of becoming, whether you can feel it or not, whether or not you add it to your 2026 to-do list.“
Some very wise words from @Damon.Gameau to take us into 2026 🙌🏼
⭐️ We made it!!! ⭐️
Happy New Year, friends. To those who smashed their goals and achieved their dreams, and to those who are crawling over the finish line hoping to never speak of this year again (and everyone else in between): we made it. However you got here is enough. Be proud.
It’s been a tough year for many of us in small business, so here’s to a better year in 2026. We’re forever grateful for all your support and are jumping for joy to still be here bringing you creativity, kindness and community.
We’re also excited to be leaping into the NY with our special release sewing pattern – the Waratah Wrap Dress!
How great are our fabulous models: @Melt.Stitches, @KatieMakesADress and @Tricky.Pockets - and also our incredible Sewing Manager @Laura_The_Maker! 🙌🏼
Ok 2026: let’s do this. 💪🏼
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #MeMade #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Putting together our annual Stitch Up brings on all the feels! We feel humbled that you’ve chosen to sew Peppermint patterns, we feel inspired by the versions you’ve created and we feel proud of you.
Where to begin?! As always, there has been a plethora of Peppermint patterns flooding our feeds this year, and we wish we could showcase more than just a handful of magnificent makes from you, our clever community. We encourage you to flip through the me-made items in your wardrobe or scroll through your grid and remind yourself of the beauty you’ve created with your own two hands (and maybe a seam ripper and some choice words). Congratulations to all of us for our creative achievements this year!
We’ve put together some (but absolutely not all) of our favourites from 2025 over on our website. We hope it inspires your next make!
🪡 Link in bio 🪡
Pictured: @FrocksAndFrouFrou @MazzlesMakes @KatieMakesADress @_Marueli_ @IUsedToBeACurtain @Nanalevine.Couture @PiperInFullColour @MadeByMeJessieB @SarahMalkawi @Made.By.Little.Mama
#PeppermintPatterns #SewingPatterns #MeMade #MeMadeEveryday
