Zoe: More than made in Australia

Made in Australia - Why we love?

Firstly let's chat about localisation, what this means and why it's a term we love! Localisation is about bringing the economy back to a human scale. It is the process of building economic structures that allow the goods and services a community needs to be produced locally wherever possible, and in our case, that's clothing. This can strengthen community cohesion and lead to greater human health and material well-being, all while reducing pollution and the degradation of the natural world.

Localisation isn't about ending all offshore manufacturing but ensuring we look to our own sunburnt country and what can be manufactured and produced here first. Localisation allows local, regional and even national self-reliance to replace dependence on distant, unstable offshore supply chains.

The pandemic exposed many inadequacies and the vulnerability of our economic system and dependencies on these volatile supply chains. It highlighted to us that being made in Australia and self-sufficient is the only way forwards for Arnhem.
By choosing to manufacture locally in Australia, we are not only supporting local economies and communities but also creating employment in ethically certified factories one dreamy Arnhem style at a time. It also means we are reducing our carbon and environmental impact and moving closer toward our sustainability roadmap goals.

Here at Arnhem, our commitment to manufacturing some of our collections in Australia is by no means a cost-efficient or easy task; however, we believe that in making this commitment, we are supporting the future growth of the fashion and textile production industry here in our own backyard, helping to rebuild and revitalise what has become a dying industry sector.

We also believe strongly that manufacturing in Australia, as opposed to offshore, allows for greater transparency in our supply chain, and as we all become that little more conscious about the ins and outs of our consumerism, this can only be beneficial.

What are the benefits of buying fashion that is locally made? Well, the first thing is this shortens the supply chain, as we hinted at above. By choosing to manufacture in Australia, we are significantly cutting down the time, money, resources (like water and energy), and human labour required for an Arnhem style to end up in your hands.

A shortened local supply chain also allows our design team to oversee and maintain control of the construction process, ensuring a high-quality product sure to last a lifetime. A shorter supply chain also ensures that workers' rights are respected, waste is minimised, and that transparency is available to consumers, and who doesn't want that?

It is also really important to us at Arnhem to note that when you support locally made by purchasing our Made in Australia styles, you're essentially fortifying and injecting confidence into Australia's garment-manufacturing industry. Making it a more viable option for more brands and therefore (hopefully!!) attracting more creators, which in turn will allow Australia-made clothing to become a more accessible and affordable avenue.

At Arnhem we could not be prouder of our made in Australia collections and all they stand for in terms of people, planet and future.