Sumissura: an Ethical Fashion Brand

Do you know what being an ethical fashion brand really entails? At Sumissura, embodying ethical fashion is not just a statement; it’s woven into the very fabric of our business. With a steadfast commitment to fair labor practices, each tailor in our Shanghai workshop benefits from secure, beneficial employment complete with comprehensive healthcare and familial support. They don’t merely have jobs—they build careers within a framework that respects their skills and dignity. Our no-sweatshop policy isn't merely a standard; it's a declaration of our belief in the sustainability and viability of ethical fashion.

Do you know what being an Ethical Fashion Brand means?

Sumissura is an ethical fashion brand. And that means a lot of things. To start with, our tailors working in our factory in Shanghai have fair contracts and enjoy medical and other comprehensive benefits for themselves and their families. They don’t just have a job; they have careers. Our commitment to sweatshop-free labor practices is a long-term investment and a demonstration that ethical and sustainable business is viable.

Every customer is extremely important to us because you are supporting these sustainable practices. That's why we are always there for you to offer you the best quality made to measure clothing at an affordable price.

Do you know our story?

Our brother brand Hockerty was founded by three young entrepreneurs in their early 20s as they realized it was difficult to find affordable tailor-made clothing. Like majority of startups, they started from their own apartment with money they could only borrow from friends and family. In the past ten years, they have never forgotten their original vision, “the desire to offer comfortable, elegant and perfectly fitted clothing throughout the world.“

In 2013, a new fashion brand was established. A company that offers made-to-measure clothing for women - Sumissura. Sumissura has been pretty successful from the beginning. By offering a wide range of women's fashion pieces, such as dresses, suits, blouses, and coats, Sumissura gives women the opportunity to find their perfect fit by keeping the same brand promise: offering perfectly fitted clothing at an affordable price.

Why Shanghai?

When Hockerty was founded, we decided that Shanghai is an ideal place to produce custom-made garments. Not many people know this but the city has a long tailoring tradition. When the French and English were trading in the markets close to the banks of the Huangpu River, some of the first tailors noticed the peculiar Western clothing and decided to provide a quality and handcrafted service, creating one of the most valuable guilds in the area. This tradition has been maintained ever since. When founding Hockerty, we just connected this tradition with the rest of the world through our website, allowing each customer to design their own garments and have them delivered to their home, made to their own measurements.

When Sumissura was founded, it was an easy decision to pick Shanghai again as we already experienced the quality firsthand. Today, we plan to continue developing new products that could also be personalized and made to measure. Consequently, we will then look for an area in the world that has some similar tradition and quality, in order to offer our customers made to measure clothing at the best price, produced in a fair and sustainable way.

Why Almansa (Spain)?

When it comes to crafting bespoke shoes, the location of production is as crucial as the skill of the artisan. That's why we chose Almansa, a city renowned for its rich shoemaking heritage. Nestled in the heart of Spain, Almansa has been synonymous with high-quality footwear for centuries, making it the perfect setting for creating Sumissura's exquisite shoe line.

Here are a few reasons why Almansa stands out as an ideal production hub for our bespoke shoes:

Deep-Rooted Tradition: The town's history with shoemaking dates back to the early 18th century. This long-standing tradition has cultivated a unique skill set among local artisans, ensuring that every shoe is a testament to expert craftsmanship.
Quality Craftsmanship: The shoemakers of Almansa are celebrated for their meticulous attention to detail and commitment to quality. By leveraging these artisanal skills, we ensure that each pair of shoes offers superior comfort, durability, and style.
Ethical Production: Aligning with our core values, the workshops in Almansa adhere to ethical labor practices. This not only supports the local economy but also guarantees that the shoes are produced under fair and humane conditions.
Cultural Synergy: The choice of Almansa is a nod to our dedication to preserving and promoting traditional craftsmanship. By marrying this rich heritage with our modern designs, we create footwear that is both timeless and contemporary.

Choosing Almansa as our production site for bespoke shoes was a deliberate decision that reflects our commitment to quality, tradition, and ethical manufacturing. Here, every stitch embodies the soul of Sumissura—crafted with care, designed to perfection, and worn with pride.

Why do we consider ourselves a sustainable brand?

We believe that the concept of sustainability is at the heart of our business. Thanks to producing tailor-made clothing, we are proud to do things in a way that does not harm the environment and supports the social structure of the areas of our production. Following are a few examples:

By making each garment individually for every single customer, we avoid one of the biggest problems of traditional fashion brands: we don't generate stocks. Since we do not have to calculate production, each garment we sew will be a garment that the customer will really wear. At the end of any season, we don't have to get rid of mountains of garments, neither selling them by weight nor dumping them.
We are controlling our production centers. We have the information about how, where and by whom every one of our garments was produced. We will say it clearly: we are doing this to be able to control all the processes in our fabrics and the quality of our products. That also implies being able to guarantee the working conditions that are appropriate for a ethical fashion brand.
We have been producing tailor-made suits and shirts since 2008, and as of today, when this article is reviewed (April 2020), we are still working with most of the suppliers we started with. We have long-term relationships with our suppliers. It has not been a bed of roses. It hasn't always gone smoothly. But we believe in the power of trust and of doing things right. That's why we and our partners have grown together and added value to each other. We believe that the end doesn't justify the means with suppliers. For us, the quality of the product and the well-being of the workers are more important than the business margins.
Returns: Obviously we are not perfect, and we make mistakes. That is why sometimes a ready-made garment does not fit right the first time. Our policy makes it very clear: that garment must be adjusted. We cover the costs. This means that the customer takes the garment to her local tailor to adjust it to fit her perfectly. By doing so, we achieve several things: 1. The garment will fit perfectly. 2. We support local tailoring businesses. 3. We save unnecessary CO2 from transporting packages. It is true that sometimes a garment cannot be fixed. In that case, we produce the garment again and the one the customer returns is donated to a local NGO. This happens in 3% of the orders we receive.

Challenging Fast Fashion: Choose Quality and Individuality

In an era dominated by fast fashion, we're bombarded with fleeting trends and disposable garments. But at what cost? Fast fashion not only wreaks havoc on the environment but also dilutes personal style, pushing one-size-fits-all trends that rarely fit anyone perfectly.

At Sumissura, we take a stand against this unsustainable cycle. Here's why opting for bespoke fashion makes a profound difference:

Environmental Impact: Fast fashion's relentless production consumes vast resources and creates staggering waste. We choose sustainability, crafting only what’s needed to reduce our ecological footprint.
Superior Quality: We reject the compromise on quality that fast fashion represents. Our garments are meticulously crafted with premium materials, designed to last and look timeless.
True Individuality: Instead of conforming to mass-produced trends, Sumissura celebrates your unique style. Each piece we create is tailored to your exact measurements and style preferences, ensuring it’s as individual as you are.
Ethical Standards: We believe in fair labor practices and respect for our artisans, contrasting sharply with the often questionable ethics of fast fashion production.
No Overproduction: Unlike fast fashion, which often leads to overstock and unsold inventory, Sumissura’s made-to-order model means we only create what you actually want. This approach eliminates excess production, aligning perfectly with our commitment to sustainability and reducing waste.

By choosing Sumissura, you're not just selecting a garment; you're making a statement against the fast fashion industry and embracing a wardrobe that truly reflects who you are. Let's dress to express, not to conform.

Next steps

We are far from being a perfect company when it comes to ethical and sustainable fashion-making. That is why we continue to work hard every day. As an example, we've made a lot of progress on the logistics side in the past months. Optimizing the way we send our orders, the frequency and grouping of shipments, size or the format of the package. And there is still a lot of progress to be made. Every day new initiatives and new materials emerge that allow us to continue optimization in this regard.

On the other hand, we see a big chance for improvement in fabric sourcing. Our supply of ecological and organic fabrics is still small. We have not yet found suppliers who can guarantee both the ecological source and good prices for organic fabrics. However, we are also noticing very interesting initiatives and options emerging every day. For example, fabrics with very low water consumption in their dyeing process (we are talking about a fraction of traditional water consumption) or changes in the origin of the yarn. Just to illustrate two of them: fibers for fabrics produced from recycled plastic or others made from bamboo fibers and other recycled wood. It takes a long time to be able to certify the veracity of a supplier's manufacturing processes and it is our duty to continue working in this direction in order to offer a wider range of 100% ecological fabrics.

Thank you

In the end, I would like to thank our customers for the commitment they have made to our business model. It is, after all, the driving force that allows us to keep working and improving in this aspect. We promise to continue improving in the future and hope that our way of doing things will be the rule, not the exception. The change begins with all of us - brands and consumers demanding fair behaviour both towards our employees and nature.

Alberto Gil

co-founder of Sumissura