Mylène and Claire, next to the owner of the mirror coating factory, accompanied by the quality controller on the right.
When Mylène and Linda travel to China
Our team visits the factories two to three times a year. We check on production and spend time with our colleagues overseas, to strengthen our relationship and the quality of our products.
Mylène and Linda’s recent trip involved significant changes and improvements, including the introduction of in-house designed hardware and a new technique for our straps. These elements require face-to-face collaboration to ensure the production process is on the right track.
Cutting the fabric.
Inside the factory: collaboration and quality assurance
We want to know, see, and understand everything. Which machines are used, how do they work, why is everything done in this specific way? What is the effect of this? Can it be improved? Can anything be made more efficient?
We examine bags stitch by stitch: the size of the stitches, the distance from the stitch to the seam, how the stitches are tied off, the thread tension, and whether all pattern pieces align precisely. We measure products, turn them inside out, while using our measuring tape.
We do this while the bags are 'in line,' meaning we check every step as they are being assembled, but we also repeat this process in the quality control department with finished products.
While we do all this, we pay attention to the working conditions and the tools of the workers.
In the quality control department, we check whether the circumstances are optimal for checking our products. For example, we check if the knives are sharp enough and if workers are wearing necessary glasses, with the correct prescription.
We also review packed boxes as they carry the final product. The bags arrive folded and packaged, ready for the store and webshop. It must therefore be perfect.
Mylène working with Mr. Ling Senior, the owner of the factory.
Final checks: cutting threads, checking seams, etc.
Social compliance and worker welfare
Social compliance in our stitching factories is taken very seriously. Our factory is BSCI certified. While BSCI certification provides a general framework to ensure the protection of workers’ rights, we prioritise the actual conditions for our workers over merely obtaining a certificate.
We ensure normal working hours and a balanced workforce. The factory environment is positive. Workers enjoy a cheerful atmosphere, making jokes and interacting freely with managers. Workers bring their meals and enjoy them in a communal canteen, and it’s perfectly normal for them to nap during breaks—an aspect of local culture that we respect and support. This absence of a rigid hierarchy fosters a relaxed, motivated workforce. Over the past two years, our visits have allowed us to recognize and reconnect with familiar faces among the workers.
The essence of our partnerships
Claire is our spokesperson, representative, and interpreter. She ensures smooth communication and oversees our production process. Working for a trading company, she connects all the production facilities, ensuring consistency and quality across the board. Claire has been instrumental in our shift from Vietnam to China in 2019, adapting alongside us and embracing our goals toward the most sustainable production process possible.
Ms. Gong and Claire.
Our production partner, Eastern Outdoor, is led by Mr Ling Jr. and his wife Vicky. It’s a family business, just like us. They understand our commitment to creating durable, eco-friendly products because of their experience with other sustainable brands from France, Germany, the US and Japan. We value working together with them in person, as it gives the best results. 