Production
Sustainable fashion starts with ethical production. At Alchemist, we only work with partners who share our values and adhere to strict ethical standards. We believe in a transparent supply chain, where we involve our customers in the story behind each garment.
Around 80% of our production takes place in Europe, mainly in Portugal, where we can rely on high-quality craftsmanship and strict labor regulations. Our production partners are regularly audited by independent organizations such as GOTS, BSCI, and the Fair Wear Foundation. This guarantees that the people making our clothing work under safe, fair, and humane conditions.
Another key aspect of our production is minimizing our ecological impact. We aim to reduce our CO₂ emissions by limiting transport and producing as locally as possible. In addition, we implement innovative technologies to reduce water use and waste. Our goal is to create fashion with the smallest possible footprint — but with the greatest positive impact.
Ethical Production
At Alchemist, our mission is to combine luxury fashion with an ethical lifestyle. Each year, we carefully create two collections, consisting of designs that can easily be combined with previous collections. Our standards for material quality and production are high. When the first samples arrive at our office, we inspect them thoroughly to ensure quality and fit. This is how we make sure our clothing is not only beautiful, but also durable. That’s what we call sustainability.
Our Mission
We believe that clothing should be produced in a fair way. This means production must be ethical and sustainable from start to finish, with attention to socially and environmentally responsible practices and transparency about our methods. It is important to us that everyone contributing to our collections can work in a safe environment and receive fair wages.
All of our current suppliers hold at least one social certification and are audited annually by various NGOs such as BSCI, FWF, SA8000, GOTS, and Smeta.
In 2016, we signed the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textiles (IMVO Convenant). With this, we committed to combatting discrimination, child labor, and forced labor.
The following nine criteria from this agreement are strict requirements in the production of our collections:
- No child labor
- No forced labor
- Safe and healthy working conditions
- Legal employment contracts
- Living wages
- Freedom of association
- The right to collective bargaining
- No discrimination of workers
- No excessive working hours
Transparency
Since June 2019, we have been registered with the Open Apparel Registry, an open-source database of textile producers where we share which factories we work with. This promotes collaboration between brands and manufacturers. You, as a consumer, can see exactly where your products are made.
On November 12, 2019, we signed the Clean Clothes Transparency Pledge. By signing, we committed to updating public information about our factories and suppliers every six months. Since then, we’ve added more product information to our website. You can now see exactly where an item is made under “Origin” on the product page. We have also published our list of manufacturers and fabric suppliers.
Each year, Alchemist undergoes a thorough mandatory audit by the Dutch Social and Economic Council (SER), a strong agreement with legally binding commitments between companies, governments, labor unions, and other stakeholders. This means that two independent parties are allowed to monitor our practices to ensure we do what we say. Read more about the five-year plan of this agreement and our Action Plan. Their analysis helps us identify where we can further improve our sustainability performance — allowing us to show not just what we do, but also why we do it.
We visit our factories at least once a year to review working conditions and make agreements on site. Since 2015, we have had a dedicated staff member who focuses entirely on meeting our sustainability goals and helping Alchemist further improve its performance.
Because only a maximum of 15% of our collection is produced outside of Europe, we are no longer a member of the Fair Wear Foundation. However, we still use their tools and standards, such as their code of conduct.
Reducing CO₂ Emissions
For several years, we’ve aimed to reduce our CO₂ emissions by moving most of our production to Europe. Currently, around 80% of our collections are made in Portugal. This has drastically reduced transportation. The only airfreight we still use is from Delhi. Additionally, we consolidate shipments from various suppliers into one truck to avoid multiple smaller shipments.
We work with production studios, laundries, and dye houses located near each other to reduce local transportation. When we need to send something to several factories, we send it to one address, from where it’s distributed to the right nearby locations.
We receive many of our materials from Lenzing, an Austrian textile supplier that produces, among others, Lyocell, Modal, and EcoVero. Lenzing generates 80% of its energy locally and sustainably. At this moment, around 13% of our collection is made from Lenzing materials.
More Than Just Clothing
In addition to sustainably producing clothing, we try to practice sustainability in various other ways:
Packaging
Our online orders are delivered in paper bags made from recycled, FSC-certified paper, including a return slip. To protect the garments, they are packed in recyclable plastic polybags. We are actively looking for an alternative that is both durable and compostable. Our retailers receive organic cotton tote bags, which they can gift to customers with their Alchemist purchases.
Paper and Printing
We minimize the use of print advertisements and magazines and focus on our online presence. If we do use paper, we only use sustainably sourced or recycled paper with an FSC label. Our stickers are made from FSC-certified paper and use plant-based glue.
Energy Usage
Our showroom and office are equipped exclusively with LED lighting. Since 2021, we’ve moved into a new showroom and office building that is CO₂ neutral.
Photoshoots
All of our photoshoots take place in the Netherlands, with models who live in the Netherlands. This way, no one needs to fly to the shoot location.
Garment Care
Once the clothing is in your wardrobe, it’s up to you to maintain its quality. That’s why we’ve created a dedicated page with important care instructions for every garment.