At Minga, every department has their own special magic that they bring to the brand, and this week we want to shine the spotlight on our seamstresses. The people who make every piece from start to finish, we would be nowhere without them. A dedicated and skillful forefront that brings our ethical fashion dreams to life, if you’ve always wondered what it was like behind the scenes at the Minga HQ for our seamstresses, well now is your chance to take a peek!
We’ve decided to give you the lowdown on what it’s like to make clothes for an ethical fashion brand, and what better way than to speak with them?
We make it our mission to work with a community of people, both internally and externally, whose values and efforts align with Minga London. From the materials we use, to workspace conditions, to how we approach making and marketing affordable ethical fashion, everything comes from a place of longevity and love.
Today we’re talking with our internal seamstresses Conceição, Paula, Elizabeth and Sónia, who all bring a different element to making our fave’ Minga pieces that you know and love!
A lot of the time when we think of ethical practices when creating clothes our first thoughts are always to do with the planet, and although we work hard and are constantly thinking of news ways we can do better, one of our main forms of ethical practice is ensuring that our employees are paid a fair wage and have safe working conditions.
Our own factory and our suppliers follow European laws and policies regarding labor relation practices. Our seamstresses work eight hours a day like the rest of our employees, and five days a week, with a lunch break and 22 paid holidays per year. Each employee has a fair wage and further staff benefits such as food allowance and health insurance. We respect people’s needs, kind communication, and the same rights for all employees no matter your background or job title.
As much as we want our customers to come back and buy new pieces from Minga when they feel like they need a lil’ closet upgrade, we encourage our community to get creative and find new ways to wear clothing you already have from us. One way you can ensure that your Minga pieces last as long as they possibly can is by taking great care of them, afterall, everything and everyone deserves some TLC.
We always provide care information with every piece sold so you can best understand how to look after each item. If you want to take it a step further and clean your Minga clothing in the most ethical way, why not try environmentally friendly washing capsules or detergent? If you’ve got any that you love and recommend, please share in the comments below 👇
Buying and wearing your clothes from Minga isn’t the end of the journey… If you happen to feel like you need a switch up with one of your Minga pieces, then we encourage you to recycle them responsibly so they don’t end up in landfill. This could take the form of donating them to a charity shop, swapping with friends and family, upcycling the pieces or selling them! How do you get rid of clothes you no longer want? Comment below 👇
As a brand committed to doing better when it comes to all things environmental and ethical, we’ve decided to take part in Fashion Revolution Week in April, but why not kickstart this in March? We thought it would be fun to let our community get to know the people behind the brand a little more with the #WhoMadeMyClothes initiative!
We got some frequently asked questions together and headed straight to the studio to speak with our incredibly talented seamstress team and here’s what they had to say…
- Q: What is your favorite part of working for Minga?
- C: I love being able to follow the evolution of the brand.
- P: The feeling of belonging.
- Q: How did you start to be a seamstress?
- E: I started making clothes for my dolls, then fell in love with it and became a seamstress.
- S: I started making clothes for myself when I was 18.
- Q: How has the seamstress trade changed over the years?
- E: I think it's much better now, the seamstresses have been more valued over the years.
- P: I feel more valuable as a professional now.
- Q: What was your favorite piece to do?
- E: It was the Foggy Green Maxi Skirt because of the lace details.
- S: It's so hard to pick just one, I love all of them.
- Q: How long have you been working as a seamstress?
- C: For more than 30 years, I mean, forever!
- P: For over 35 years.
- Q: What is the difference between an ethical factory and others you have worked in?
- C: I can have more professional development and learn how to sew different pieces of clothing, not the same piece every day.
- E: There is more respect for the people.
- P: We’re treated as a person, not numbers.
- S: The way of communicating with people is more kind and personal.
- Q: What was the first piece you made at Minga?
- P: It was the iconic rainbow unitard, in 2018.
- S: The first Minga corduroy skirts, in 2018.
We hope that you enjoyed getting to know some of the Minga family a little better! Which department would you like to hear from next? Comment below 👇
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