Environment & Ethics

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

Knitting is an incredibly low waste form of construction when 'fully fashioned' - meaning everything is knitted to the exact shape and size needed. Regular woven clothing is typically made by cutting out garment shapes from a roll of fabric, which inevitably leads to fabric waste.

Where possible I aim to use materials that are 100% natural, or with a low environmental impact, for example the viscose is either EcoVero or Enka (FSC certified) and buttons are made from natural materials, such as corozo from the tagua nut. All yarns used are Oeko-tex certified, free from the use of harmful chemicals.

Garment manufacturing can use vast amounts of water; one of the factories I work with has created a water recycling system, where water used in key stages of manufacture such as steaming and washing is reused time and time again for the same process.

All my clothing labels are made from recycled polyester.

The brand swing tags and papers used for online purchases are made from surplus straw from British agriculture. Camilla Bloom Online uses Kraft mail bags which are treated with fewer chemicals than standard paper and are fully recyclable and biodegradable. 

ETHICS

I work with a small handful of knitwear factories - one is based in Dongguan, southern China and was founded in 1995 by Stephen Lam from a love of cashmere. It’s light, spacious and well ventilated and the technicians are well known for their knitting expertise in the region. Workers and technicians are paid a fair living wage, which includes performance based subsidy packages. 

I also work with two factories in Spain for smaller production orders, a knitwear studio based in East London, UK for 'made-to-order' pieces and a small factory in the Netherlands for Accessories.

As a brand, I want to put the people who make my clothes at the forefront, which is why I am in constant dialogue with all the factories I work with, and ensure I make personal visits.