Accountability & Traceability
Providing everything you need to know about what we do and why
Our Leathers
Right from the very beginning, the right materials have been our main focus. It is so important that we make sure, right down to the very last stitch, that we give you accessories and luggage that are not only well made but, that they are made with the best and most sustainable materials and practices possible.
We use four things and four things only in our products! Natural, plant based cork leathers, responsibly sourced metalware, internal cotton materials made from organic cotton and recycled single use plastics and natural, toxin free finishing paint.
What is Cork?
Our natural cork oak leathers come from the bark of the cork oak tree. They are only farmed after 25 years worth of initial growth and then again once every 9 years. This is done during the summer months when the tree is in its greatest state of growth and can regrow and rebuild its bark again. The cork oak is also the only tree on earth that can regenerate its bark, it grows at a rapid 1.5mm per year and soaks up large amounts of CO2 from our atmosphere.
Corks natural honeycomb structure of its cells, filled with air like gas, which are coated in natural acids are what prevent water and gas from being able to pass through it. Its millions of cells arranged in a particular structure are what also gives cork its natural capacity to float.
There are NO chemicals or unnatural irrigation systems used in the cork forests where our leathers are farmed as well is in the actual manufacturing process. Only a small amount of water is used to press the cork barks into blocks, which are then sliced into sheets of leathers. And, that water is reused time and time again.
Meaning they are 100% sustainable.
Linings, straps & metalwork
Just as important as the leathers, all these materials have been carefully chosen with lots of research, care and attention.
Our internal linings, cotton thread and strap webbing are all made up of 60% organic cotton and 40% recycled, single used plastics. While we could have just used organic cotton, it was important to our founder that we used materials that are also tackling the war on the climate crisis too.
All of our metalwork is responsibly sourced and ethically developed in Italy, specially made to our specifications, to ensure maximum durability, comfort and style.
Our team in Italy which is lead by Monika, have decades worth of experience in developing award winning collections for global super brands and sustainable brands alike.
Many hours of work goes into research and preparation before we even begin to start to create samples, to ensure that only the best and most sustainable materials and practices are used on every single piece.
Single use plastics
There have been some articles written recently questioning the use of recycled single use plastics in fashion, on whether or not the practice is sustainable at all, or if the materials still end up at landfill eventually.
However, here at FWF we believe that giving those plastics a new lease of life, allowing them to have a second purpose and being utilised as much as possible for as long as possible is only a good thing. Not only this but when our customers would like to recycle any of our products at the end of their very long life, we will either send you instructions on how to do so safely, or we will take care of that for you and even cover the cost of the shipping of the items back to us. But remember, our pieces are built to last, so that wont happen for a very, very long time.
5 Trees planted with every purchase
Fashion Without a Face are proud supporters and partners of Play it Green.
Play It Green is an award winning Manchester based sustainability business, with a unique, three step solution to climate change.
Play it Green is committed reducing the carbon footprint of people and businesses while ensuring they make an environmental & social impact on the way to net-zero.
Click the button below to take a look at the Play it Green website and see more information on their unique three step solution to climate change.
Fashion Without a Face has planted 156 trees to date.
