Who Are: Sheep Inc.
As consumers, we buy to wear. We don’t buy based on ethical or environmental impact – well, most of us. However, you have the power to change that. What if you were in the loop of the whole creative process of that cosy jumper you just bought? What if you knew what sheep the very wool you now wear on your back was from? Sheep Inc. provides that involvement.
Sheep Inc. are an ethical clothing brand. Source: Unsplash
Alice Fortuna, Creative Strategist for Sheep Inc. provides insight into the brand, she said: “Sheep Inc is a fashion brand that launched just over two and a half years ago to prove that there is a better way to do fashion.
“[Sheep Inc. was] founded by Edzard, who had a previous brand and passion and Michael, who comes from the finance world. While Edzard worked within fashion in his previous business, he started investigating how things could be done differently.”
The manufacturing process alone (produced through solar energy) sets the precedent that there is care for the environment in their creative process. While using carbon-negative raw materials to create the clothes.
Sheep Inc. use solar energy in their manufacturing process. Source: Unsplash
Alice said: “They decided to use merino wool as the raw material because it has incredible natural properties, it is durable and can be used year-round. With its thermal properties and antibacterial properties, it is a material that can last a lifetime.
“In New Zealand, they found the right suppliers, three farms that adopt regenerative farming practices and are really at the forefront of this movement.”
Sheep Inc offers a ‘Forever Guarantee’ which means that if the clothing you bought from them ever needs mending or maintenance, you can send it back. They will restore it to the best of their abilities to make sure it stays in your wardrobe for life.
Through the ‘buy a knit, get a sheep’ element of their brand, consumers can be connected to the sheep that the wool on their clothes comes from: “We want you to feel connected to nature and understand where our things come from, so each of our items comes with its very own trackable sheep. You will get updates when they are on the move, getting a haircut, or having little lambs of their own. They’ll also never bother you with voice notes or views on current political structures because they are sheep."
The sheep all have five essential freedoms meaning they are: free from distress, thirst, discomfort, disease and being free to live naturally.
Alice said: “In a fashion industry where we have been distanced so much from the origin of clothes, it brings visibility to what the true value of an item of clothing is. As we tend to forget that it's made from natural resources, and it does have environmental footprints and human handprints.”