Yana here - TAMGA's co-founder! Over the holidays I took the opportunity to slow down and reflect on the past year. 2022 was filled with so much growth and change (both personally and professionally), and it got me thinking about how I can make more sustainable choices and habits that are better for the planet in 2023.

So instead of the cliche ‘new year, new me’ - why don’t we make it ‘new year, a more sustainable me’? After all, you don’t need to completely re-invent yourself to lessen your impact on our planet! To help you get started, I’ve put together some of my top sustainable wardrobe tips! And remember, it’s not about perfection, it’s about making better choices (one at a time!).

Yana’s ’Eco Me In 23’ Tips

1. BUY LESS, CHOOSE BETTER

Try limiting the total number of clothes you buy this year (even if it’s second-hand!). A good start is to estimate how many pieces of clothing you purchased last year and cut it by half. Use that number as your 2023 goal – break it down into 12 months and you’ll have a rough clothing ‘budget’ to work with. This is much less about hitting a specific number, and more about evaluating every purchase that you make. When you buy something new within that number, choose a high-quality, well-made garment, and it will be well-loved for years to come. At the end of the year, you’ll be able to prove that you bought less, and what you did buy will have much more meaning!

2. REPAIR WHAT YOU WEAR

Worn-out clothes are loved clothes! I’m talking about that white tee with coffee stains, a floral dress with a hole in the back, and those vintage jeans that stretched out over time. Mending and repairing your favourite pieces is not only easy, but it will bring them back to the forefront of your wardrobe!

3. KEEP LEARNING

 Whether you’re newbie to sustainable fashion or you’re a long- standing eco-warrior, the learning never stops! A good place to start is by picking up some books, listening to podcasts, watching documentaries and googling your questions. The more helpful information we have to understand the inner workings of the fashion industry, the more sustainable choices we can start making.

Dear TAMGA Community,

We’re on the cusp of another holiday season, a time when many of us choose which gifts to buy for our loved ones. We wanted to remind you where your dollars are going when you purchase from our small and committed team.

We started TAMGA six years ago to create a positive example in the fashion industry – exciting, colourful clothing that puts people and the planet first. Over the years we’ve been able to grow as a business by doing exactly that, finding people all over the world who share the same passion.

With your help, we supported our suppliers through COVID, when times in Indonesia were extra tough. We continued to donate thousands of dollars to our partners at the Sumatran Orangutan Society who are re-planting the rainforest. Our sustainable fibres continued to be responsibly sourced, woven, printed, sewn, packaged and shipped by our TAMGA team, tracking the environmental impact of each step.

THE FACT IS: ETHICAL SHOPPING MATTERS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOLIDAYS

When we’re spending on holiday gifts, we’re voting on the future that we want, and we’re sharing that intention with loved ones. When you give TAMGA as a gift this holiday season, your impact is felt around the world.

LET’S CHANGE THE NARRATIVE ON BLACK FRIDAY

We all look for deals, there’s no shame in it. We run a few sales per year, and our biggest one of the year is coming next week: Forest-Friendly Friday.

For the 5th year in a row, we’re offering great discounts during ‘Black Friday’ weekend. The big difference is that we choose to donate a portion of that discount to our frontline environmental partners at S.O.S., who are protecting and restoring the rainforest in Sumatra with measurable results.

How does it work? We mark down sustainable styles across the website, and on top of that, we donate 20% of all sales to S.O.S. This leads to thousands of dollars going directly to an environmental cause that needs everyone's support. Want to hear first when Forest-Friendly Friday kicks off? Click here to sign-up! 



This holiday season, we encourage you to shop mindfully and share the TAMGA story with friends, family and loved ones. With your support, we’ll continue to build a brighter future for people and the planet!

With love,
Yana, Eric & Anna

Slowing down, simplifying, and enjoying the little things. Golden Harvest is our latest collection to live and thrive in as we seamlessly transition into Autumn. Honing in on daily comforts with 6 effortless styles in 4 timeless hues, this versatile line of tees, dresses and skirts prioritize the earth as well as your comfort. Featuring a range of flattering silhouettes crafted from our mega-soft, forest-friendly TENCEL fabric and carefully designed to enhance your wardrobe. 

Spanning blue skies, lush botanicals and a whimsical mid-1800s property, 'The Giving Place' set the backdrop for Golden Harvest’s rich colours and elegant shapes. A local lavender farm nestled just outside the quaint town of Mt. Albert, Ontario, 'The Giving Place' is focused on sustainability, mindfulness and community. The owner, Leanne, has lovingly cultivated the 8.5-acre land over the past 5 years, creating a unique space where she can live to her fullest potential while showing the world her gratitude for all that life gives. The property includes a stunning french-inspired gazebo, an assorted lavender field, a picturesque pond, a small rescued-animal compound, a community vegetable garden, an apiary (for the bees) and blooming flowers everywhere you look.

Scroll down and get to know the magic of a Golden Harvest.

Fashion has a waste problem. Our industry consistently over-produces, which means that 85% of fashion ends up either in landfills or burned. Since day one at TAMGA, we’ve committed to watching our waste and production, to make sure we’re not part of this problem.

In line with our commitment and love for bold, colourful and feminine TAMGA styles, we are excited to bring you ‘Revival’ - a capsule collection of re-imagined TAMGA styles created from excess fabric and off-cuts from past collections. Revival includes timeless cuts from our Folklore, Wildwood and Freedbird collections that are crafted using our hand-drawn Oralia and Citrine prints. We’ve included a few new styles like the Kamari Boyfriend Shirt in linen, and some accessories such as an ultimate travel duo (and the perfect companion for Plastic Free July) - the Revival Tote Bag and Revival Pouch in our Sage and Savannah prints (with linen lining). We’re also including the sweetest Farm Bandana to dress up your hair-do in our Marigold linen fabric.

Revival is an expression of our belief that creative design and mindful production can help solve fashion’s waste problem. On average, nearly 15% percent of textile waste occurs at the cutting stage, which is why we work closely with our sewing factory to keep and measure our off-cuts. Our team then designs items like the bags and bandanas you’ll find in this collection, using as much of the fabric waste as possible.

In order to keep TAMGA from over-producing, we start every collection with small runs of styles, choosing to keep excess fabric for re-stocks once we know what’s selling. Revival is our newest effort to use every last metre of fabric that we have, creating new and vibrant designs for you to cherish.

Revival is launching July 14th at 9 AM EST - and as always, small-batch production means a very limited amount has been created! So set your alarms and scroll down to explore the beauty of Revival.

Dive into La Costa as we take you behind the scenes to Cadaqués, Spain for our latest campaign. With oceanic-inspired prints, La Costa radiates our love and deep bond with the sea, so shooting the collection seaside was a must! Captured in the remarkable small-fishing village on the Costa Brava of the Mediterranean, this shoot was a highlight for our TAMGA team (especially because it's been 4 years since we were all together!).

With Johanne Landbo as our muse, we wandered the whitewashed streets, clothes and shoes in hand, finding picturesque alleyways and breathtaking views with every corner we turned. We envisioned La Costa to be that perfect European Summer holiday spent strolling down cobblestone streets with a market bag, looking out at the untamed sea from the dock, collecting seashells as souvenirs and jumping on the scooter to catch a glorious sunset. This is La Costa - special moments captured on the coast.

With the launch of our latest sustainable collection 'La Costa', we've curated a seaside-inspired playlist to transport you to Spain's mesmerizing Costa Brave region. With its Mediterranean air and deep seaside flavour, these tunes will have you daydreaming of walking down cobblestone streets filled with blue-coloured doors and veilings of bougainvilleas everywhere you look.

Mi Negrita - Devendra Banhart
Caraluna - Bacilos
Muriendo De Envidia - C. Tangana, Eliades Ochoa
Litoral - Toco
Rosa Flor - Baden Powell
Meu Rio - Toco
Long Forgotten Flowers - Pajaro Sunrise
Instalacao Do Samba - Toco
Alright - RAC Mix - Kytes, RAC
Tim Dom Dom - Joao Donato E Seu Trio
Consolacao - Baden Powell
Real Love Baby - Father John Misty

Listen on Spotify

Last month our TAMGA team travelled to Barcelona, Spain to visit our sweet head-designer Anna in her hometown. Between a TAMGA campaign photoshoot (our newest collection is launching soon!), sight-seeing the coast of Costa Brava and late-night Tapas dinners, we snapped some photos of Anna in her favourite Desert Calling styles - the Haley dress and Myra midi dress. We interviewed her over coffee so scroll down to read the full feature and mini shoot featuring our gorgeous TAMGA babe, Anna. 

Anna, tell us a little bit about yourself!

Hi, I'm Anna, I'm from a little city just north of Barcelona. I feel very lucky as I got to grow up by both the sea and the mountains. I studied fashion design in Barcelona, and I have a Master's in fashion from Florence. I grew up surrounded by the fashion industry as my hometown used to be one of the main fabric producers in Spain, and my family had a fashion company. I am the Head Designer at TAMGA designs and I design all the collections and help our print designer Suzi with the prints. I also work closely with our factories to create all the prototypes and supervise production.

Why did you decide to study and pursue a career in fashion? 

As I mentioned I was always surrounded by the fashion industry, and as a child, I was very creative! You would always find me drawing, painting or working on an art project. As I grew older, I got to play around with fabrics from my family’s garment factory and learn more about the industry. Becoming a fashion designer was an obvious choice for me - it is the perfect blend of creativity and creation. 

How has living and working in Bangladesh influenced your decision to move into the sustainable fashion space? 

The main reason I moved to Dhaka was to learn every aspect of the fashion business - from the operation of factories to the machinery required. The more I watched and learned, the more I realized how unethical the fashion industry is. I got tired and frustrated and tried to change things while working for massive brands - my voice never mattered until I met Yana (TAMGA's co-founder). Then and there I knew I had an opportunity to be part of something bigger that can make a positive impact on the industry.

I also moved to Bangladesh a few months before the Rana Plaza collapsed and I was devastated! I had worked in many countries and saw firsthand the horrible conditions factories operate under before this catastrophe. Sadly, it takes something as tragic as this to happen to confirm what I already knew. We all saw the consequences and I knew that I could not keep being part of an industry that doesn't care to protect its workers, their place of work or the environment.

What is your favourite part about being a designer at TAMGA? 

That's a tough question - can I say the people I work with!? I love my job so much - it is so different from any of my previous positions where I was constantly stressed about timelines and production prices. At TAMGA, I have more freedom to create styles that mean something, and I love working closely with our factories to make sure the patterns and styles are perfect. 

I also love that I can work from home, a coffee shop or anywhere in the world really -  the nomad life is part of TAMGA's DNA, and I am so lucky that I get to design wherever life takes me.

What does 'sustainability’ mean to you? 

To me, sustainability goes beyond selecting our eco-friendly fabrics and dyes and having responsible production processes. Sustainability is part of everything we do at TAMGA. From developing styles that have minimal off-cuts, to creating accessories that are zero-waste and measuring the environmental impact of every TAMGA garment produced.

On a personal level, sustainability also means that every decision I make will have an impact on the planet - so it's important to be conscious of our everyday choices and be mindful of our planet.

How do you design for different body types and sizes? 

Each time I begin a fashion sketch I try to envision all the different ways a style can aesthetically appear on different body types. I keep in mind how we can include elasticized bands and smocks to make it more fit-friendly, and how to create a flattering silhouette that's not uncomfortably tight or too loose. To ensure a perfect fit, we create 'samples' in our styles in 2 sizes - a Small and a Large/Extra Large. Once we have these samples we will try them on different body types and revise them so that the fit is perfect across all sizes! it's a lot of trial and error but this step is super important.

How do you want women to feel when wearing the clothes, you design? 

Free, confident, beautiful, comfortable and themselves. Whenever a woman gets dressed in the morning in her TAMGA piece, I want her to have a beaming smile as she sees herself in the mirror 😊 .

      

Fashion Revolution has always been an important time for our team at TAMGA. We started the brand following the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, inspired to take action by the same frustration that brought FashRev to life. No piece of clothing is more important than the people who create it. 

Over the years, as we’ve grown as a business and had the pleasure of working with many different partners, we’ve learned a thing or two about the industry.

First thing’s first, transparency is key. As a brand or consumer, you can’t know the impact of your clothing until you know where it’s been. Clothing supply chains can get complicated, but that shouldn't prevent anyone from asking questions. From raw materials to yarn, weaving, dyeing, finishing, sewing and packaging, every brand should know which businesses are involved, and where.

Second, it’s not all doom and gloom, there are good actors in the fashion industry. When choosing suppliers we have to do a lot of research, from wages to social insurance to water treatment facilities. Thanks to certifications such as Bluesign, industry groups like ZDHC, organizations like the Clean Clothes Campaign and companies like Lenzing and Huntsman, more brands and suppliers are able to take steps towards social and environmental sustainability. If we know our supply chains, we can direct our business to the good guys and away from the bad actors (the same rule applies for consumers – it matters where we spend our dollars).  

Third, there’s always room for improvement. We’ve changed our packaging multiple times, from a ‘bio-plastic’ that (it turns out) doesn’t biodegrade, to cassava-based bags that are great (but fall apart in colder temperatures), to a reusable organic certified cotton bag. We’ve worked with sewing factories that are spotlessly clean at first glance but have quality problems, and ones that might look a little rustic but are cornerstones of their community and heroes for their staff and families (our current partners). We’re always learning and improving, which is exactly where we want to be.

For 365 days of the year we work hard to proudly share who made your clothes and Fashion Revolution Week is an opportunity for everyone to ask the important question of 'who made my clothes?'.

To see exactly how your TAMGA treasures have been crafted , get to know our makers and join the fashion revolution. 

In celebration of Earth Day (today and everyday!) - we've curated a selection of phone wallpapers from our 'Desert Calling' campaign to keep you inspired to be the change all year long! Just save the wallpaper on your phone and update your background - easy as that! Happy 🌍 Day TAMGA tribe!

Our newest Elysian linen pieces have been re-imagined in the Joshua Tree desert by our friend and California creative Rae Rockwell. Underneath the radiant sun and surrounded by Yucca plants, Rae blends into the landscape wearing the Vita Blouse, Sarai Skirt and Arlene Maxi Dress is our newest sustainable linen & TENCEL blend fabrication. Keep scrolling for the full shoot and get inspired by the silent beauty of the desert.

      

Spring is around the corner and we're embracing the new season with our newest collection Elysian. To celebrate, we've curated  playlist inspired by fresh buds blooming, the warm glow of the sun, and the earth coming to life again.

Loving Is Easy - Rex Orange Country
Part of me - Tedeschi Trucks Band
24/7/365 - Surfaces
Almost - Hozier
Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney
Kiss  Me - Sixpense None The Richer
Decide to be Happy - MisterWives
Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae
Sunday - Office Hours
Cloudy Day - Tones & I
Saturday Sun - Vance Joy
Superbloom - Mister Wives

Listen on Spotify

We’re a bit picky with our fabrics at TAMGA. In fact, since we started the brand in 2016 we’ve worked with only 4 fabrics! Each fabric has been 100% one fibre, never blended.

Why so picky? After all, most fabrics have that little bit of elastane, polyester or cotton in them. Try finding a 100% TENCEL™ t-shirt for example - aside from ours, it’s not that easy. We decided early on at TAMGA that we would only work with fabrics that are fully traceable, renewable and biodegradable. If we add in 5% elastane with our TENCEL™, we can forget about two of those criteria (elastane, also known as spandex, is made from oil and won’t biodegrade).

Our curiosity, however, kept us searching for new fibres with a different feel and drape. For years now we’ve been talking to suppliers in Europe and Asia about one magical plant in particular: flax. There’s a region that hugs the Atlantic coasts of Belgium, France and the Netherlands where this plant is grown with zero irrigation or pesticides, then processed into Linen fibre using traditional techniques. It’s the natural home of Linen.

While flax thrives naturally in this area, it’s also grown in other countries where conditions and/or standards are not as ideal. Take flax out of its natural environment, and you begin seeing shortcuts being taken – either to adjust the soil (fertilizers), ward off pests (pesticides), speed the processing (chemical retting), or irrigate due to insufficient rainfall.

The key takeaway is that linen from Northwestern Europe requires fewer inputs than elsewhere, giving it a much lower chemical and water footprint, and resulting in the highest quality fibre. If we were to get linen of this standard elsewhere (like China), it would need to be certified organic – and since less than 1% of linen in the world is certified organic, it can be tricky to find.

Ultimately we settled on certified European Flax Linen, a fibre that’s traceable back to the farmer and grown in Northwestern Europe. It’s a high-quality fibre that guarantees proper treatment of soil, water resources and farmers. We especially love that the entire flax plant is put to use – stalk, fibres and seeds all have a purpose.

But as you may know, our work isn’t done until we can convert a sustainable fibre into a fabric that we actually want to wear. Linen is a notoriously “crinkly” fabric that wrinkles easily and can be a little rough on the skin. Our wonderful fabric mill in Indonesia was able to source the European Flax from France and blend it with TENCEL™, creating a fibre that strikes an incredible balance between structure and fluidity without compromising on sustainability. We like to think of it as a blend between old-world and new – natural and traditional Linen with a new-age, closed-loop fibre.

We’re so excited to introduce our newest fabric to the world, knowing that we’ve taken our time to get it right. Not only does it tick our ‘traceable – renewable – biodegradable’ boxes, but it’s also incredible to work with and has allowed our team to incorporate design elements that aren’t possible with our other fabrics. Ready to see the magic of our newest fabric? Click here and get to know Elysian!

With the launch of our newest sustainable collection 'Amber Skies', we've curated a playlist inspired by Madeira's vibrant spirit and exploring the island under sun, moon and endless sky.

From strolling down old Portugese streets, enjoying a mid-day coffee at a local snack-bar, and catching sunset overlooking the Atlantic ocean, this playlist will have you romanticizing your next European escape as we begin to venture into the world mindfully. 

Celeste - Ezra Vine
For the Lady - Ramon Mirabet
Eres Tu - Carla Morrison
Everybody Loves the Sunshine - Seu Jorge Aimez
Lingua Dos Pes - Luisa Sorbal
This Life - Vampire Weekend
Addicted to the Sunshine - Lime Cordiale
Samba Da Bencao - Bebel Gilberto
Smile - Madeleine Peyroux
Ai, Ai, Ai - Silvia Perez Cruz
Samba Sarvah - Pauline Croze
Les Eux de Mars - Stacey Kent, Jim Tomlinson

Listen on Spotify

Our newest sustainable collection Folklore is a mid-summer dream captured in the beautiful small town of Marysville, Ontario. When envisioning the campaign for this range, we imagined what a perfect day spent at a county-home oasis would look like. Doing things like enjoying an outdoor picnic, going for a stroll on the dock, playing the guitar, reading a book under a shaded tree, and swimming in the running river - we wanted Folklore to capture all our favourite summertime things to do! 

Our zodiac sign reveal a lot about who we are. From personality traits, to likes and dislikes, it even influences our personal style! Getting dressed is an an evereyday expression of who we are, so it's no surprise that our personal style is guided by the stars. Whether you are a fire, earth, air or water sign, scroll down to see your Mystic Island star style.

Our most recent collection Mystic Island is a homage to the great Canadian wilderness and the stunning landscape of our homeland. Planning this shoot during a global pandemic was no easy feat, but it also brought us (TAMGA co-founders Eric and Yana) back to our roots - no big crews or fancy equipment, just the two of us and an incredibly beautiful location. It's undoubtedly our favourite shoot to date!

Shooting TAMGA campaigns can be a bit tricky in the winter months given the weather, and with the COVID travel restrictions, we've had to keep all out photoshoots local for the last year. March is still a pretty snowy and cold in Toronto where we are based, so for Mystic Island we decided to get on a domestic flight to the west coast where the temps are mild and the environment is lush and green.

We arrived to Mayne Island where we would spend 3 days staying in a gorgeous eco-friendly cob home we found on AirBnB. The unique cob house is situated on an organic farm looking out over cows, sheep, and acres of fields and forest, and was constructed by the owners Shanti and Don themselves using straw and clay from the farm! The space is rustic, whimsical and truly captures the vision for Mystic Island. With a wood-fired stove in the living room, an outdoor shower, skylight windows through a green roof and and antique furniture, the cob house is something out of a fairy-tale book. With Eric behind the camera and me modelling, we shot 18 looks all over the small island - from the farm, to the forests, winding roads and the coastline (with seals and deer watching). Scroll down for a #BTS video + some snaps, and check out the full campaign shoot here. 




 

This years marks 8 years since the tragic Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh. On April 24th, 2013, 1,138 men and women lost their lives and thousands more were injured, making it one of the largest garment industry disasters in history.

As a result, Fashion Revolution was born - a not-for-profit global movement focused on the need for greater transparency in the fashion supply chain. Fashion Revolution hits close to home for us at TAMGA. Our co- founders Eric and Yana arrived to Dhaka shortly after the tragedy, and over 2.5 years of living in Bangladesh they saw first-hand the realities of fashion manufacturing and the awful impact it can have on people and the planet.

We started TAMGA because we believe in a brighter future. One where transparency, sustainability and ethical supply chains are the norm. And it all starts with a single question - 'Who Made My Clothes?'. 

Who Makes Your TAMGA Garments

In the early days of building our supply chain, we spent a lot of time seeking out partners and manufacturers who shared our values and vision for a better fashion industry. It took many months of cold-calling, flying all over South East Asia, showing up on the doorsteps of factories and fabric mills, but we got there eventually! Our supply chain is made up of incredible partners who manufacture ethically and responsibly and share every step of the process with us (which we get to share with you!). There's a lot more to a garment than just the sewing, so we make a point of breaking down the whole story - from the raw material of our sustainable fabrics, to the finished, packaged and tagged TAMGA garment that arrives at your door step. 

Every partner that we work with signs a code of coduct we've developed based on ILO conventions and our experience working on garment industry improvement projects in Bangladesh. Our team also visits our sewing factory, fabric mills and print mills in person, ensuring that the code of conduct is understood and honoured, and working with the makers on our designs. From wages, to health insurance and workplace safety, full transparency is a must for us and has helped us build great business relationships with our suppliers over time.

What You Can Do After Fashion Revolution Week

Luckily Fashion Revolution is a global movement that goes beyone one week in April! For 365 days a year we can all do our part in being informed consumers and demanding that brands to do better by their makers. Beyond asking #whomademyclothes, it's also important to ask brands 'Who harvested the fibres?', 'Who spun them into fabric?', 'Who dyed the fabric?' and so on. There are many steps in manufacturing a single garment (up to 100 people directly touch any piece of clothing you buy) and asking these tough questions will hopefully encourage brands to dig deeper into their supply chain. Check out this Ethical Fashion Shopper's Checklist if you're looking for some guidance!

Beyond supporting transparent and ethical brands year-round, it's also important to keep wearing, mending and loving the clothes you already own! After all, wearing the garment that is already in your closet is the most sustainable thing we can all do. 

Together, we as consumers and brands have all the power in improving the fashion industry (even if our contribution sometimes feels small)! Little choices can add up to make a big difference over time, so let's use our voices and dollars to vote for a brighter future. 

Our newest basics have landed and we've absolutely falled in love with the colourways! A gorgeous lilac shade and an ocean seafoam hue has us dreaming up of Spring. Our everyday basics are designed for maximum comfort at home (as many of us are these days) and to pair with your favourite Provence styles. We got together with our muse Meaghan to shoot the new styles at Mint Studios (in Toronto) where the vibe was effortless and laid-back chic. Scroll down to see the full photoshoot and check out all the new pieces here.

      

                        

The pandemic has been a major wake-up call for all of us, sparking a cultural shift towards sustainability and appreciation for our planet. After months of staying inside, you likely noticed more people than ever strolling leisurely around your neighbourhood and enjoying the outdoors.

When stores closed, businesses began to rely on e-commerce and we suddenly found ourselves with enough time to think about our purchases, supporting the companies that we value most. Global carbon emissions were down 17% after lockdowns in April (compared to the average in 2019), proving to the pessimists that change is possible when we adjust our collective behaviour.

In the corporate environment, we have seen an increased focus on sustainability in the media and in major companies, particularly in the fashion industry. Major brands such as H&M and Burberry have rushed to hop on the sustainability bandwagon, releasing their own conscious clothing lines. But perhaps what we need is not only a change in products themselves, but a fundamental shift in the way we produce and consume clothing.  This is where 'The Circular Fashion Model' comes in.

According to Common Objective, “A circular fashion industry is one in which waste and pollution are designed out, products and materials are kept in use for as long as possible, including through reusing and recycling, and where natural systems are regenerated.”

Essentially, circular fashion requires thinking about clothing as a permanent resource, rather than something you throw away after a season or two. The goal is to avoid waste altogether and ensure that your clothes enjoy a second, third and fourth life. Remember how excited you were to get your older sibling or cousin’s hand-me-downs as a child? The goal is to continue this mindset well into adulthood. Will you keep an item forever? Will you pass it on to your kids someday?

Like most large scale problems, transitioning to a circular fashion economy requires partnership and collaboration between producers and consumers. 

Within the fashion industry, circular fashion means:

2. Removing non-recyclable and polluting materials from the supply chain

The fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic meters (21 trillion gallons) of water annually, enough to fill 37 million Olympic swimming pools, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Along with finishing, dyeing is the most polluting and energy-intensive process involved in making our clothes.
During quarantine, you may have treated yourself to a trendy tie-dye sweat suit to match your favourite celeb. But have you ever thought about what will happen in a couple of months when bright flashy colours are no longer in style?

When producing these fabrics, the cheapest way for factories to get rid of unusable, chemical-laden wastewater is to dump it into nearby rivers and lakes.
As you can imagine, these toxic dyes end up killing aquatic plants and animals. Beyond the environmental damage, these chemicals can work their way into the food supply chain, one recent study found that textile dyes were present in vegetables and fruit grown in garment producing areas of Bangladesh, after crops were irrigated with chemical-laden water.

It's no secret that at TAMGA we love colour - but we refuse to include harmful dyes or chemicals in our designs. This is why we joined the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Roadmap to Zero program. The program is essentially a set of safety and environmental standards to follow in the textile industry. TAMGA’s woven fabric mill is proud to have received the ZDHC wastewater verification in 2020.



Our vivid colours come from low-impact dyes that use 70% less water than conventional synthetic dyes. Our bluesign® - approved colours are free of any harmful chemicals and react beautifully to our sustainable and ethically sourced fabrics.

3. Recapturing garments off-cuts for reuse 

Repurposing fabric scraps is a simple but effective way to reduce waste.

At TAMGA, we use fabric scraps (off-cuts) to create smaller products like scrunchies and jewelry bags. This way, you get a colorful hair tie and the fabric is spared from landfill (win-win!)

Moving forward, We are planning to use off-cuts to create waistbands, collars and accents on our garments. We are also developing partnerships in Indonesia to make use of even the smallest fabric scraps (think pillow and toy stuffing). Our goal is to get our cutting and sewing process to zero waste.

4. Ensuring use and reuse through repairs and collection programs

Companies like Patagonia and Blundstone offer lifetime repairs to ensure that products will last. Startups such as the Amsterdam based Renewal take discarded apparel and textiles and turn them into renewed products, upcycled materials or recycling feedstock.

While we’re not sure exactly what it will look like just yet, we have plans to incorporate circularity into our business model in the near future.

What can you do to align yourself with the Circular Fashion Model?

1. Shop for quality over quantity
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, buying less is the most sustainable way to shop! Investing in a few quality garments each year is much more sustainable (and stylish!) than succumbing to the never-ending cycle of fast fashion.

2. Take care of your clothes (longevity)
The best way to make a garment last is to treat it well. The good news is that when you invest in clothes that you love, treating them well is second nature. You’ll be more apt to follow the washing instructions to a T and mend your favourite items when they need some attention. Pro tip: find a skilled tailor/seamstress who will make your favourite items last forever!

3. Resell your clothes
If you have an item you’ve fallen out of love with, the most sustainable thing to do is pass it on to someone new. One great way to do this is through resale. According to a recent Thredup report, the secondhand apparel market is valued at about €28 billion today and is forecasted to reach €64 billion in the next five years! Luckily, sites like Depop, Kijiji, Poshmark, Thredup and Facebook Marketplace have made it incredibly easy to cash in on the booming resale market, parting with old clothes and making some money doing it!



4. Host a (virtual) clothing swap
Running out of things to talk about on your weekly Zoom calls with your friends? Why not go through your closets and swap! This is a super fun, easy and cost-free way to refresh your wardrobe. Have your friends select their favourite items and mail them out to each other for a fun-filled Friday night activity.

5. Educate yourself on the impact of fashion on the planet & share!
Sustainability in fashion is a hot topic right now, and what better time than quarantine to learn? Here are some resources to get you started:

Read:
“Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes” By Dana Thomas
“To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World?” by Lucy Siegle

Follow:
Some amazing slow fashion bloggers and influencers to follow:
- @mygreencloset is a slow fashion and green beauty advocate that will inspire you to live more consciously
- @candicemtay is the queen of minimalist slow fashion
- @ecowarriorprincess has some excellent educational content on sustainability
- @sustainablychic will inspire you to build the sustainable wardrobe of your dreams
- @ethicallykate is a sustainable lifestyle blogger, TEDx speaker, and writer is as brilliant as she is stylish!
- @Fash_rev is an account dedicated to the Fashion revolution Global movement calling for greater transparency in the fashion industry, famous for #WhoMadeMyClothes?



Watch:
- The True Cost is a must-see documentary for your next movie night. This exposé on the fast fashion industry shows all that really goes into a €5 T-shirt.
- River Blue is an award winning film following international river conservationist, Mark Angelo, around the world to infiltrate one of the world’s most pollutive industries: fashion. This groundbreaking documentary examines the destruction of our rivers, its effect on humanity, and the solutions that inspire hope for a sustainable future.

The holidays are upon us and we're getting festive (at home) with our favourite Christmas tunes on repeat! From holiday classics, to high-rotation radio hits, this playlist will have you fa-la-la-la'ing (quarantine or not) as your're decorating your trees or wrapping those thoughtful gifts. From our families to yours, merry christmas and we hope you enjoy our Holiday inspired TAMGA playlist. 

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra
Let it Snow! - Frank Sinatra, B. Swanson Quartet
Last Christmas- Wham!
Christmas (Baby Come Home) - Michael Buble
All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
Christmas Vacation - Kathryn Jones
Winter Wonderland - Ella Fitzgerald
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like christmas - Michael Buble
Baby It's Cold Outside - Seth MacFarlane, Sara Bareilles
Jingle Bells - Frank Sinatra
A Holly Jolly Christmas - Lady A

Listen on Spotify

Do you ever feel guilty about the amount of plastic in your waste bin at the end of the week? Are you frustrated when you order a book on Amazon and it comes in a plastic-filled box big enough to fit a television? While many of us try our best to live sustainably, there is inevitably some waste created from our busy lives.

Unfortunately, most packaging is created for single-use and is typically thrown away rather than reused or recycled. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, packaging materials make up almost half of all garbage or 2.5 pounds per person per day. 

The Challenge: Creating a Sustainable Alternative

When we set out to design sustainable packaging, these were our goals:

Image Credit: Zero Waste Alliance

2. Recycled Tags & Thank You Cards

Our commitment to eco-packaging does not stop at garment bags. TAMGA’s tags and thank you cards go a step beyond recyclable, they actually promote women’s empowerment! Saraswati is an incredible social enterprise that employs local women to produce hand-made paper from 100% post-consumer paper collected from around Bali. Used paper is collected from hotels, schools and businesses on the island, it is then shredded and turned into paste, and lastly, pressed by hand and dried outdoor by Bali's sunshine. Saraswati makes the paper hang tags on every TAMGA garment.



The Next Chapter: Compostable Mailers

Currently, TAMGA sources our mailers from an New Zealand based eco-packaging company called Better Packaging Co. Their compostable mailers are made from a combination of corn starch, PLA (a bio-based, biodegradable material made from renewable plant materials), and PBAT. While PBAT is partially petroleum-based, it actually enables the rest of the (plant) materials to compost. Read more here.

These mailers are certified by the leading authorities worldwide, ensuring that the product breaks down within 90 days in commercial compost and 180 days in domestic compost conditions. After degradation, they leave no harmful residues behind.

Our next goal? Reusable mailers. Single-use mailers shouldn’t be necessary in a world where we’re getting visits from the post-person daily. If you're reading this and know of a company providing a reusable mailer service, please let us know!

The Next Chapter: The Future of TAMGA's Packaging

TAMGA’S ultimate goal is full re-usability. In 2021 we will be providing options for re-selling used TAMGA garments. We will be focusing on making our tape and labels more eco-friendly.

By 2025, we plan to reclaim and recycle garments into new fibres and other products when they’re finished their useful life. This goal has a longer timeline because the technology behind cellulosic fabric recycling is still being developed (with some very hopeful signs!)

While we’re proud of our journey towards eco-friendly packaging, our current solution is by no means perfect. We always have our ears to the ground for new innovations and technologies that could lead to less waste. There is no “one size fits all” solution for sustainable packaging, but with tools like the zero-waste hierarchy and constant innovation in the industry, we’re excited to see where we can take TAMGA in the future!