Now, a team of over 50, more than ever, we understand  that slow is chic. Our collections are collectibles, made to be cherished for a lifetime and worn over and over again. They are unmistakable pieces to inspire lasting moments, while celebrating details in statement design and empowering those who choose to wear Nadine Merabi.

Our impact commitments aim to bring positive change to our communities, in order to secure our responsibility for a brighter future for people and the planet. We are committed to reducing and offsetting our carbon emissions and consciously working towards a greener future for generations to come. 

We know this is a continual commitment and that when it comes to moving in the right direction,  actions speak louder than words. It’s important to all at Nadine Merabi that we are transparent with our customers, which is why we want to show you where we are now and where we aim to be. 

”We all have a responsibility to live up to and that’s to look after our precious planet. Everyone needs to educate themselves on the positive impact they can make and how this can be turned into actions and new behavioural patterns. We’re at a pivotal time when action is needed more than ever. But, together, we can make a big difference to the future”

Georgie Williams, Head of Marketing for NADINE MERABI

1. Slow Fashion / Slow Is Chic

Current Commitments

When it comes to the fashion industry ethics, the numbers speak for themselves. As the second most polluting industry on the planet – overtaken only by oil production – fashion has a lot to answer for. The climate crisis and the poor working conditions fast fashion creates are just some of the prices we are paying for thanks to our thirst for what’s new, now and next.

Design

Slow fashion is a movement that we’ve always strongly stood by. Clothes are not designed to be worn once and then sit in a wardrobe, or even worse, a landfill for the rest of time. MERABIs are to be cherished and stand with you through your best memories, celebrations, and stories. All of our pieces are designed to be re-worn and kept forever, creating a circular economy. Whether you re-wear your MERABI or gift it to a loved one, MERABIs are designed to be worn again and again. 

Bespoke Fabric

We create unique pieces handmade with one-of-a-kind fabrics. Quality is a MERABI must. From Italy to South Korea, we search high and low to create high quality fabrics that are bespoke  for all of our styles. Our designs are crafted from intricate fabrics that Nadine and the design team have personally selected to form each garment with signature flair. We won’t stop until it’s a match made in fabric heaven. Nadine is often foraging through rolls of fabric and piles of sequins and this is probably when she’s the happiest. And yes, that is where the magic happens.

Limited Edition Collections

Each collection is made in a limited run, which  ensures that we do not over-order. We are currently experiencing extreme growth and whilst that is an exciting prospect, we are consciously aware of wasteful production and the knock-on effects this can have on the environment.

Many of our items have a waitlist, where our clients can sign up and register interest for the item launch. This gives us an indicative number of how many we need to order. Our business model is designed to make sure we will never overproduce as we will always order too little than too much. We would rather sell out than produce unnecessary waste.

Future Commitments

Rental Service

This year we are teaming up with HURR Collective, a rental service, on a mission to make fashion circular. The circular economy is restorative and regenerative, and aims to make buying no longer a default. Through reusable packaging, green dry cleaning and green shipping choices, HURR offers the chance to rent items for an event, weekend or longer. Closing the circle and reducing the chance of items being bought and worn once. We aim to have everything up and running with HURR by Q3 2022. 

2. Zero Waste, Carbon Footprint & Biodiversity

Current Commitments

We are working to reduce our carbon footprint and waste through responsible fabric sourcing, recyclable and regenerative materials, and improved manufacturing processes. Working with like-minded suppliers and manufacturers, we are striving towards a more sustainable future.

On-Demand Manufacturing

Through on-demand manufacturing of our slow fashion items, we are reducing our material production and therefore wasteful consumption.

Changing the narrative on Occasion-wear / Slow Fashion

We are committed to change consumer behaviour to re-wear items over and over again, we are in turn reducing our overconsumption and potential carbon footprint, and increasing our circular business model. We do this by creating high quality items that will easily stand the test of time. Items you’re proud to wear and can’t wait to wear again.

Development of more Sustainable Fabrics

There is no perfect material for us to use, as almost every material has a negative impact on greenhouse emissions and biodiversity. However, we are constantly developing new, more sustainable options. We are currently in the process of developing innovative, lower-impact alternatives and recyclable options. Recycled fibres not only repurpose waste but also have a lower biodiversity footprint than virgin fibres.

"Using a piece of clothing nine months longer can reduce its associated CO2 emissions by 27%, its water use by 33%, and its waste by 22%."

Carbon Neutral Shipments

Being an online, eCommerce brand, a large part of our carbon footprint comprises shipping our items to and from our HQ tour clients. Whilst we try to reduce our shipments as much as possible (discussed in more detail below), something we’re pleased to offer when checking out on our website, is the option to make your shipment carbon neutral. We work with EcoCart to give everyone an eco-friendly shipping option when checking out. The contribution of every eco-friendly shipping option selected funds a verified project and in turn makes each shipment carbon neutral. 

Sampling in-house

To reduce the number of shipments we send back and forth to our suppliers, we produce each and every sample in-house. This way we can ensure that our factories know the item perfectly before going into production.

Recycling at MERABI HQ

We work with BIFFA waste to recycle all of the waste that we produce. In 2021 we produced approximately 20 tonnes of waste. 99.5% of this was recycled and only 0.5% went to landfill.

Digital

We are a digital brand. The majority of our work is online, reducing our paper consumption. We aim to print as little as possible and use recycled paper when we need to. 

FUTURE COMMITMENTS

Zero Waste

We will continue to pursue zero waste across each collection. The average overproduction globally is estimated at around 20% and whilst manufacturers recycle roughly 75% of their waste, the remaining 25% primarily ends up in landfills or is incinerated.By sticking to on-demand manufacturing we are reducing any overproduction that we make.

Supplier Certification

Many suppliers in developing countries lack the resources to monitor and track the chemicals they use. We aim, through education and targeted investment, to work with our suppliers to achieve certification standards across all of our suppliers. At the very minimum, all of our suppliers will comply with Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals, Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (ZDHC MRSL), and Wastewater Guidelines, which regulate the use of hazardous chemicals and wastewater discharge. By 2025, we aim to move from wet processing to waterless dyeing, which uses supercritical carbon dioxide.

Sustainable Materials

We are investing and working closely with our factories with the development of recyclable and regenerative materials is a main focus for us. We have recently made a handful of expert-hires in our product team who will be solely researching  this. Whilst this is very much in the early stages of development, we are beyond excited at the prospect of a biodegradable sequin that will have a much lower impact on the planet.

3. Looking after our suppliers

Current Commitments

We have an important role in empowering workers and improving livelihoods to contribute to the socio-economic development of the countries where we produce our items. The incredible relationships that we have are testament to our shared resilience and enthusiasm, especially considering the highs and lows during the unprecedented challenges of the last few years.we will always stand side by side.

Fair pricing

We ensure that the prices we pay to our suppliers through timely payments enable the correct wages for all workers within their factories.

Never missing a payment

All of our payments are made on time to ensure we do not affect our suppliers cash flow - as this could affect wages being paid on time. To this date, we have never not paid a supplier. 

As we grow, they grow

We invest in training development for our factories to ensure that as we grow and develop new processes they are able to too.

Regular contact

We speak with our suppliers on a daily basis. Keeping close contact with them is so important to us to build and grow our relationships.

Future Commitments

Regular In-person Meets

Looking after our suppliers will never change. In usual circumstances, our product team would visit our factories on a regular basis, yet as travel has been very restricted we have depended upon daily check-ins and regular video calls.  We are looking forward to visiting in person again in the near future.

Coaching

We want to support our suppliers on a deeper level. By providing regular coaching sessions for them, we aim for them to develop and better their skills providing a positive impact on their self-confidence, wellness and work performance

Their communities

As our suppliers grow, this will be providing more job opportunities within their local communities.

4. Our TeaM MERABI COMMUNITY

CURRENT COMMITMENTS

We all have a social responsibility within our communities. We bring our employees together to make a positive impact through volunteer work, events, and collaborations that make a difference. With over 50 employees that are quickly increasing in number, we have the power to make a positive impact.

Volunteering

We encourage everyone in our team to spend one paid day a month taking part in a volunteering activity. This can vary from a local clean up event to a charity event or supporting local community activities. 

Supporting Mental  and Physical Health

The team's development and training is so important to us. We care for each and every member of our team personally and professionally and there is nothing we love more than to see each person flourish in their role. We offer weekly meditation classes to help clear the mind, as well as weekly fitness classes to improve physical and mental health.  Sometimes the greatest impact in our life can be from our home. We have trained and upskilled our management team to ensure we offer the right support and guidance needed. Our team is constantly working to understand how we can support and offer benefits for our team. 

Apprentices

We offer apprenticeship training in every department throughout the business to provide opportunities within our local community in Manchester, England.

future commitments

Wider employee benefits 

We are consistently looking into different ways that we can offer more to our employees. This is something that we review annually, to ensure we are always offering as much as we can.

5. Packaging & Labels

cURRENT COMMITMENTS

Labels

All labels inside our garments are made from recycled polyester. Our swing tickets and tissue paper are made from FSC Paper, which is a certification to ensure the labels come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. The FSC Principles and Criteria provide a foundation for all forest management standards globally. 

Packaging

Our items are shipped out in a personalised MERABI box. Whilst this box is not made from 100% recyclable materials, it is designed to be kept and reused.

future commitments

Labels

We are developing ways to have paperless labels through the use of QR codes.

Packaging

We are currently developing a 100% recyclable box to receive your MERABI in. We aim to give clients the option to select our standard packaging, which is our white MERABI box with a magnetic strip, or a 100% recyclable box that is also sourced from FSC approved forests. We aim to offer this to our clients by the end of 2022. To prevent sequins from rubbing against each other in transit and causing damage to the fabrics, we currently use a plastic dust sheet to protect the fabric and prevent damage. However, we aim to also find an alternative to this by the end of 2022, to reduce our plastic consumption.

6. shipping

current commitments

Couriers

The couriers that we currently ship with are FedEx, DPD and Royal Mail.

We have chosen these couriers because they are all working towards a greener future and all have a clear plan for reducing their impact on the environment over the next few years. 

Reducing shipments

By reducing the number of shipments we send out, we can make a huge difference on the carbon emissions that we put out into the world. We understand that online shopping is difficult to get the right size the first time round, and that many people do want to order two sizes and return one. However, we just ask for you to think about the unnecessary impact this can have on the world. Our dedicated Client Concierge team is committed to helping each and every client select the right size the first time round to  reduce our shipments and returns.  

future commitments

Rebound Returns

We are in the process of teaming up with Rebound Returns. Rebound Returns aim to help us to achieve smarter, more sustainable returns. Rebound Returns is taking action to reduce climate change, increase circularity, reduce waste and do more social good. Currently, each return is shipped individually from our client to our head office here in Manchester. By teaming up with Rebound Returns we will be able to collect and send multiple shipments in one go, massively reducing the number of individual shipments we send, and consequently reducing our Carbon Footprint. We aim to be fully integrated with Rebound returns by Q3 2022. 

7. our partners

current commitments

Selection process

All of our partners' sustainability pledge’s are in line with our own and this is a key factor when deciding who we work with. We want to make sure that we are aligned, have the same vision and are ultimately working towards the same goal. 

Shopify

We work very closely with Shopify to host our website, and we use ShopPay to process the majority of the transactions through our stores. All orders that are processed using ShopPay are automatically offset for Carbon through Shopify’s Sustainability Fund. Shopify invests $5M annually in the most promising solutions to fight climate change. Their goal is to help prove, scale, and commercialise climate technology for massive impact in the long term. Commerce and entrepreneurship can only thrive in the long term if our planet thrives too and Shopify’s Sustainability Fund invests to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to help just that.

British Fashion Council

In 2022, we joined the British Fashion Council. The BFC is working to strengthen British fashion in the global economy as a leader in responsible, creative businesses. It does this through championing diversity, building and inviting the industry to actively participate in a network to accelerate a successful circular fashion economy.

future commitments

We will continue to work with like minded partners and organisations. Through thorough research we will ensure that each and every partner we team up with is inline with our commitments and can positively impact them further.

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The Impact Commitments outlined on this page are updated quarterly to keep you up to date with our progression across each area. Internally, we have created The Impact Committee, to constantly develop, set and sustain our Impact Commitments. The committee is made up of 5 people; 

Nadine Merabi

Blue Wilson

Georgie Williams

Holly Wilson 

Lee Stanford