Clothing, like food, is an essential everyday concern. What we wear is of crucial importance, not only because it keeps us decent and comfortable, but also because it is a medium for expressing identity. As has been well documented, the global production mechanisms that fulfill our need for clothing are destructive and abusive. Overly intensive industrial agricultural practices, fossil fuel based synthetic fibre production and slave-like factory environments have sadly become unavoidable constituents of our clothing economy. Consumers no longer know where their clothing was made, and by whom. We, however, refuse to accept this state of affairs. We don't believe that current practices are immutable. Starting from a set of basic principles, we have decided to make clothes differently.

Know the raw materials

The fabrics and trimmings (buttons, zips etc...) we use must be chosen with the utmost care to minimize environmental impact. This entails avoiding oil based synthetic fibres and ensuring all natural fibres are cultivated in a responsible manner.

Know the maker

We must ensure that no abusive labour practices are employed in the process of transforming the raw materials into the finished garment. This applies to any human work involved in the entire production process: from harvesting the raw material, to spinning and weaving the fabric, to stitching the garment together.

Understand the production process

In order to ensure a final garment of the highest quality, we must understand each step in the process. We must know how to grow the fibres, how to spin and weave, how to design pattern pieces and finally how to stitch these together into finished garments. Without this knowledge, we cannot ensure we are using the best possible techniques for producing the best garments with the smallest environmental impact.

Clothing over fashion

Clothing is a visual medium for expressing identity. This means that we care deeply about how our clothing looks and how it makes our customers look. However, we also believe some styles will always look good, no matter what the current fashion. We aim to make clothing that will last, both physically and stylistically.

In order to comply with our foundational principles, First Principals strives to operate as a vertically integrated clothing company. This means that our ultimate objective is to have complete control of the production chain, from the seed to the skirt. Our ideal company would grow natural fibres, harvest them, process them into yarn, weave (or knit) the yarn into fabric, and finally stitch the fabric into finished garments. This end goal is very similar in spirit to restaurants that source all their produce from a restaurant garden and local producers. We are aware that achieving this objective alone is a monumental task. For this reason, we are working with a number of collaborators and establishing a community of like-minded makers. By pulling together, and each providing expertise at different stages of the production chain, we are hopeful that we can produce clothing in a radically transparent and responsible manner.