How Is Marcella "Ethically" Produced?
Take a closer look at the fashion industry today, and it might not be what you expect. You’ll find harmful production practices. Unsafe working conditions. Low wages and missing benefits that don't meet the cost of living. And in the fashion world, there are plenty of meaningful talking points to address these realities, but not enough meaningful action. Our community deserves more. So, we’re here with our receipts.
Since Marcella’s beginning, we’ve set our hearts on creating a new standard. Our Design That Matters™ movement is built on four core pillars: democratized design, social impact, ethical production and sustainability, which guide every choice we make. Today, we’re shining a light on an area where real change is long overdue to show you how exactly we’re making it happen at Marcella: ethical production.
A Truly Living Wage
It's not common practice in fashion, but fair pay is non-negotiable for our team. While 93% of the world's fashion brands fail to pay a living wage to their garment workers, and fewer than 2% of those ~75 million garment workers worldwide earn a fair wage, we pay our team dramatically above the industry standard.
More specifically, we pay our mainly Bulgaria-based garment workers an average of no less than 3 times the global average garment worker salary (according to Statista). This means that when you buy Marcella, you’re investing in clothing made by skilled professionals who are valued, respected and paid what they deserve to thrive both inside and outside the workplace.
We’re BIG On Benefits
On top of a truly living wage in and of itself, everyone involved in the making of a Marcella design enjoys robust benefits, including free healthcare, a 40-hour work week, 20 days of paid vacation annually, paid sick days, paid overtime, one-year paid maternity leave and social security benefits.
Safety First
Though there’s been progress in the fashion industry since tragedies like the Rana Plaza collapse, workplace safety for garment workers is still a huge concern globally.
At Marcella, we keep a close eye on every facility and partner we work with (including ourselves) to ensure accountability to the highest safety standards. We ask our vendors regularly for outside certifications, while also having both the overall safety, as well as the air quality, of our own production and logistics facilities outside-certified annually. And, on top of that, we’re constantly assessing what more we can do to upgrade, because a safe working environment is the bare minimum from our perspective.
Building a Better Future
We know that putting ethical production first in a fashion company isn’t the easiest (or most profitable) route, but for us it’s the only way forward. It’s how we can promise you that every Marcella piece you purchase is made lovingly by people who are treated with care and dignity. It’s how we envision a new future, one that sees fashion as a vehicle for meaningful change, and how we, ourselves, are working to create it.
You can dive deeper into what drives Team Marcella by visiting our website "About" section. Thank you endlessly for supporting Design That Matters™ and joining with us to revolutionize the ethics of fashion.
6 comments
Thank you for taking the time to create such timeless and elegant pieces all while maintaining ethical standards. I feel comfortable purchasing from your brand, regardless of the pricing knowing that the quality of each piece was made with thought and consideration of others. Thank you for taking the initiative and modeling to other companies that this can be done right.
Desiree
I love your clothes and I do appreciate your efforts to be responsible producers. It means a lot so thank you. I will be buying more beautiful clothes from you guys.
Phyllis Mollen
Beautiful line and company culture ! You’re paving the way for impactful change in the fashion industry !
Nancy Vaccarella
Please hire me !!!
Nancy Vaccarella
Although I really love your clothing, I can’t afford them, but I am glad your company is committed to creating a fair and equitable work environment.
Donna Tate
Although I really love your clothing, I can’t afford them, but I am glad your company is committed to creating a fair and equitable work environment.
Donna Tate
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