The true cost of 'cheap' clothing

Some of our manufacturer's crafting our gear, here!

After the recent tragedy at the Bangladeshi garment factory where, at last count, 1000 lives (loves) had been horrifically lost due to a collapsed building, we felt compelled to share some of our thoughts.

We didn't want to be all preachy about it (and somewhat disrespectful to those who have lost their loved ones) and so faltered with our words, but then a fire broke out at another Bangladesh garment factory and a further eight people had their lives cut horribly short.

Now we really feel compelled to speak up about the true value of clothing because, for us, when mothers, fathers, sister and brothers are being ripped away from their families in the pursuit of bargain clothes, the cost seems way too high.


While thinking about what we might say, a blog link was posted on our facebook page talking about that very incident and the realities behind the mass-manufacture of 'cheap' chain store brands. And, in a nutshell, it was exactly what we had been thinking. So, instead of doubling up on these words of wisdom, we'd like to direct you to Mindy Vallis's succinct and thoughtful writing instead...

http://bohobehaviour.wordpress.com/

standing by our words

Recently we unearthed some pretty little postcards we made way back in Summer '06. Reading the message on the back we were heartened to realise our values, mission and guiding principles are still exactly the same for today!

We are still a little boutique brand. We still don't mass-manufacture our gear, making small runs of each style to keep it unique. We are still made in New Zealand. We still prioritise the values of integrity, honesty and social responsibility.

Though our operations are still small and special, and our values are the same, some things have changed since we began too;

Now we also do more than ever to help preserve our unique natural heritage. We raise awareness of our endangered native species like Kakapo and Kokako and give you the heads up on how you can help. We devise ways to raise funds for special conservation projects, like our robin transfer

to Chalky Island and our donation to the Kaharoa Kokako Trust.

Now there's not just our designs to consider, and our lofty conservation dreams, but also our relationship with you. You can now get your chalkydigits gear straight from us via our website. You can keep in the loop with what we're up to on our Facebook page; we have begun twittering and started a Pinterest page (though we have only just begun to actually use it!) and started producing some videos so you can see behind the scenes actions of our photoshoots - and of course right now you're reading this blog.

We think these fresh new beginnings are awesome! They mean we can share with you who we truly are and what we truly believe in. They really forge a strong connection with you, the chalkydigits crew, because after all, you are the reason we do what we do!

We have extended our network, our community, in other ways over the years too. We now source and include talented NZ artist’s graphics on our gear. This adds another element of true-blue kiwi style to our company by showcasing some of the incredible artistic genius kiwi's are brewing. You can check out the who/what/where here.

So after reading our mission statements on these old postcards, we are feeling pretty chuffed that we really do stand by our words.

PS Our email address is also still the same so don't be shy - flick us a message and let us know what we mean to you - we love to hear your stories!
 

A Happy New Year from our crew to yours!

Whoop whoop its 2013!

We are mostly all back in the office now and getting underway with our new year and our new seasons - did you know we have to work on THREE seasons simultaneously?! Obviously you're aware of our Summer 12/13 range in the shops now (you're not?! quick - check it out here!), but we are also writing our Winter 2013 catalogue and finalising any competitions and conservation projects we are running in conjunction with that season PLUS we are halfway through designing our Summer 2013/14 range. Do you follow? Honestly, neither do we half the time! There's plenty of moments where one of us forgets what season we are working on and even what year it actually is! Our heads spend a lot of time spinning, that's for sure!

So for us right now its all about cranking up the air-conditioner so we can tap into our inner winter-mode and get next season's catalogue underway one minute - then trying on all the lovely summery samples from the following season the next - hot then cold, hot then cold...phew!! Its a confusing process, but one we love as we try to rock out some fresh new styles for you, all the while keeping our practises consistent with our values - and our heads screwed on tight!

Here's to us all having a cracker new year, full of nice surprises and satisfying creative expression, with some environmental conservation thrown in for good vibes (and because its super-important).

Whats your favourite thing about summer?
Do you have big plans for this year?
Do you like owls?

All the best,
the Chalkydigits crew x