Ethics and Sustainability

Thank you for showing an interest in where your clothes come from. In this world of fast fashion, we believe that being curious is an important first step. You’re already a legend for supporting an independent Australian brand.

The fashion industry has a very long and hard road ahead of it to become one that doesn’t harm our planet or the people on it. We are making big and small changes and we will keep you updated as we go.

We are fierce advocates for the “fewer, better” approach to clothing. Buy fewer, more wonderful things. Clothes that take you through seasons, clothes that will not date year to year. If the price of your t-shirt is closer to single digits, you have to really wonder how on earth it was produced, and who along the way did not get paid.

Fabric Selection

We use natural fabrics such as cotton, wool and tencel. Tencel is a fibre made from the wood pulp of trees that are grown and replaced on specialized tree farms. Tencel is produced using recyclable, earth-friendly solvents. When blended with cotton, tencel adds wrinkle-resistance and the smooth feel of silk.When necessary we will use blends with synthetic materials which will enhance the durability and longevity of the product. Characteristics that are achieved by blending these materials into natural fibres include a lighter weight garment that holds their shape over time. These garments are also more durable to convenient washing techniques. Our aim is to create garments that will look as new in a few seasons to come. Our priority is to only use natural fibres and blends that offer the most versatile and comfortable wearing experience.

We are nowhere near perfect, but we are always working with our partners to improve our practices. Please know that it is a focus of our small team.

Our designs are created in Melbourne where we use sample machinists and pattern makers.

The production of our clothes is offshore, in China. Our designers make frequent visits to each of our factories (around 5 times a year). As a reasonably small label, we are able to have very close, personal relationships with our manufacturers. We believe these relationships are integral to an ethical relationship.

RYDER is committed to the communities in which we live and operate to ensure that we integrate good corporate behaviour into all aspects of our operations.

At RYDER we believe in looking beyond financial results and include social, environmental and ethical indicators in our performance measurements.

Factories must adhere to the RYDER social and ethical code of conduct when manufacturing goods for RYDER. Factories regardless of their previous results must be audited at least once per year.

Below is a summary of matters that are checked during the audit process. If any issues are found during the audit then a corrective action plan is issued to the factory and re-audits are scheduled (some announced, some un-announced) to ensure compliance with the code of conduct. This is an ongoing process.

Summary of the code of conduct audit;

- employment is freely chosen

- freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected

- working conditions are safe and hygienic

- child labour shall not be used

- living wages are paid

- working hours are not excessive

- no discrimination is practised

- regular employment is provided

- no harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed

- bribery and corruption shall not be used

- environmental standards are met

- review of certificates and documents are up to date

RYDER produces its products through approved factories that have passed standard compliance inspections for 5 years of offshore production. We do not enforce aggressive price driving and our ethical practice is continually reviewed from design to production.