by Sonja Kraft
At Purnaa, we believe that transparency in the fashion industry is vital. Without accountability transparency requires, unethical and unsustainable practices are common throughout the supply chain. As a member of the World Fair Trade Organization, Purnaa is committed to following the 10 World Fair Trade Principles, including a strong commitment to accountability and transparency in commercial transactions. It is this commitment to transparency that drives us to make all of our supply chain information readily available on our website for our own branded products in our Custom Print Gear line.
Our t-shirts start with Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified Fair Trade organic cotton which is grown, spun and knit into fabric in India. The supplier that we use is SA8000 certified, this is a certification standard that encourages organizations to develop, maintain, and apply socially acceptable practices in the workplace. They have a vertical chain of production meaning that they have full visibility in their supply chain. This organic cotton is dyed using low-impact fiber-reactive dye, this means that they use less water and heat and produce less harmful water than standard chemical dyeing processes. The dyes used are also GOTS certified. The dyeing process conforms to international standards of color-fastness. This same supplier also provides the GOTS certified Fair Trade organic cotton and spandex for our beanies.
Purnaa’s baseball caps, drawstring bags, and tote bags are made from organic cotton twill. The Indian supplier of this material is Fair Trade Federation and GOTS certified. The dye they use is fiber reactive, AZO-free and low impact. This supplier has a transparent, vertical supply chain and they are committed to fair labor standards.
Purnaa’s hoodies are made from bamboo fleece that is sourced from China. Bamboo is an excellent substitute for conventional cotton as it does not require fertilizers or pesticides to grow. It is the fastest-growing plant in the world; bamboo yields the same volume as cotton from 10% of the land area. It only needs rainwater to grow. Bamboo is incredibly soft, warm and hypo-allergenic. The bamboo is organic and goes through a closed-loop viscose process to turn the raw material into the fiber. The process is Oeko-Tex 100 certified. Our supplier uses low-impact dye in a closed-loop cycle, meaning that there are no harmful chemicals or waste by-products of this process.
After receiving these materials in the factory, they are cut using an electric fabric saw. A team of 6 sewers then completes each product, each person sewing a different step. They attach the Purnaa tag and wash care instructions during this process. We use the Toyota system at Purnaa which is more flexible, adaptable and gives sewers training in different areas of production. Afterward, it is labeled and packed by another member of the Purnaa team before it is shipped.
Purnaa products are printed in Colorado Springs, USA by a dedicated team of screen printers who’ve been in the business for decades. All ink that is used is phthalate-free.
Transparency is an important part of what we do at Purnaa. We want to make sure every part of our supply chain is ethical and sustainable and we want our customers to know too!