PRODUCTION

Every year we launch two main collections: The Spring/Summer collection and the Fall/Winter collection. All IRIEDAILY items are made in our production facilities in Portugal or China. The good and fair working conditions in the factories are very important to us, which is why we have joined the Fair Wear Foundation in 2016.
Ever since the IRIEDAILY brand was founded, we have been producing in Portugal. For the first ten years our complete collections were produced exclusively there, meanwhile about 45% of our production volume is manufactured there. That includes all T-shirts, sweatshirts and socks.
China is currently our strongest production country. Last year, 55% of our products were sourced from there. Included in that number are jackets, shirts, shorts, pants, knitwear, headwear & accessories.

The long-standing relationships that we enjoy with our suppliers are the cornerstone of our success. We have continuous business relationships spanning more than 10 years with our most important suppliers – and considerably more than 5 years with nearly all of them.
In order to ease the burden on workers, especially in the smaller factories, we are increasingly seeking individual solutions for our suppliers to adapt the production cycle. This includes, for example, the earlier submission of orders or the acceptance of weekly deliveries.

SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS & VEGAN PRODUCTS

We are committed to improving social standards in our factories. However, this is of little use if we ignore our environment. For several years, we have ensured that the majority of our products do not contain animal ingredients and that they are eligible to be labeled vegan. That is why we have been „Peta-approved“ vegan since 2020. The switch to recycled or organic materials is in full swing. We succeeded in switching 71% of the Spring/Summer ’21 and 77% of the Fall/Winter ’21 collection to sustainable or recycled materials. In 2022, we expect this number to 86%.

Spring/Summer '21 71%

Fall/Winter '21 77%

Erwartungen 2022 86%

PRODUCTION IN PORTUGAL

Portugal is where we first started producing our textiles. We have therefore been associated with our key manufacturers for over 20 years.
Our supplier structure in Portugal mainly consists of small, family-run businesses. In total, we work with six Portuguese producers. They have existed for 20-30 years and are specialized in handling smaller orders. The workers are mostly locals from the surrounding area. The Portuguese laws on work safety are observed in all operations and payment of the minimum wage is guaranteed. As usual in Portugal, the minimum wage is paid 14 times a year.

We have been together with a textile agency that represents our interests locally, for more than 25 years. As our demands in the context of our FWF membership have become increasingly labor-intensive, we now have an employee at the agency who is increasingly involved in monitoring all FWF processes.

FACTORY VISITS 2021

Our CSR team regularly visits our production sites to check working conditions on site and take action if any issues arise. Together with the Fair Wear Foundation, we are working to improve labor conditions and wages for workers in the garment industry. These factory visits were accompanied by camera in summer 2021, enabling us to provide even more transparent insights into our production in Portugal.

PRODUCTION IN CHINA

More than ten years ago, we relocated a part of our production to China. For us, this represented a major step which involved growth and also entailed a great deal of responsibility. While China remains a difficult country in political matters, we are witnessing rapid change and growth – also in areas including social issues, environmental concerns and associated regulations. That is why we believe in our suppliers there and strive to develop long-term, trusting business relationships with them. Meanwhile, we work together with five Chinese producers.

We are very much aware that we have to play our part if we want to make a difference, which is why we are constantly working to improve the local working conditions on site. The Corona pandemic and the associated travel restrictions made it impossible for us to visit our factories last year. In order to be able to monitor working conditions on site, we work closely with agents and send independent auditors and trainers to the factories. Despite temporary factory closures, almost all workers have received their legal minimum wage.

In recent years we already reached first milestones in the payment of living wages, that exceed the legal minimum wage. Thanks to our long-lasting and trustful partnership with our supplier LuckyTop, we are currently able to pay a living wage for
50% of our production in China. However, the corporate structures of each of our suppliers are different, there is no common practice that can be applied to them all. This important topic will continue to occupy us in the future, because living wages are a MUST if we want to achieve sustainable change in the garment industry.

More about the production in China!