DEM Collective

 

by Marianne Nouwens

(Don’t Eat Macaroni)

Spotted these jeans at Prêt à Porter in Paris. It is one model, fits all. The color of the jeans is an amazing blue, like the old-fashioned jeans from the Coca Cola commercials. DEM, Don’t Eat Macaroni, stands for the combination of ecology, ethics, quality and good design with reasonable retail prices. So don’t eat macaroni and follow the crowd, be aware of what you eat….

 

 

DEM Collective was founded in 2004 by Annika Axelsson and Karin Stenmar, much in reaction to the standard formula for clothing production. The idea was to show that it’s possible to combine ecology, ethics and quality with good design. Now, four years on, Dem Collective has shown that it’s more than possible to run a profitable clothing company without taking unfair advantage of people or the environment.

 

 

 

What is the meaning of DEM?

Don’t Eat Macaroni

The company name comes from the idea that the textile industry is much like the fast-food industry; cheap products are put on the market creating an unhealthy demand, social problems and a negative effect on the environment. The leading product for the fast-food industry in the US is called “Macaroni and Cheese”.

Annika and Karin took the name Don’t Eat Macaroni after a visit to Jamaica, where they enjoyed an ancient food tradition that’s called Ital food. Ital food is food that’s locally produced and free from exposure to harmful chemicals, it is ecological and natural.

But during the trip they realized that the fast-food had managed to diminish even the most deep-rooted tradition. Big American companies with their cheap products lead to more and more people following a faster, untenable lifestyle. The power that advertising has over individuals is huge; companies all over the world make a habit of just thinking of big profits without being socially and ecologically responsible.

Dem now presents the new jeans collection One in a thousand. Ecologically dyed and hand woven denim. Each pair is unique and marked with a number. 1/1000 in stores in Europe. This is not a standard pair of jeans. This cotton is organic, harvested only once a year. The color is natural, dyed with pure indigo. The fabric is woven by hands free to join any union. No pesticides or chemicals. No dried lakes or poisoned drinking water. No genetically manipulated cotton. No exploited workers in sweatshops. This should be a standard pair of jeans!

 

Transparency - a way to create trust and understanding

Generally, the process behind the journey a garment makes from the cotton field to your hand is kept out of sight. At Dem Collective, they believe in transparency - along the entire chain. It’s important to understand how the garment you wear affects the people who make it and the environment from where the raw materials are sourced. The cotton comes from Agrocel Industries Ltd of northern India (www.agrocel-cotton.com). The cotton is 100% organic and the working conditions at the plantations are of high standards.

Conventional cotton farming consumes vast quantities of the earth’s resources. A great deal of water is used, which can cause drops in groundwater near the plantation. Large amounts of toxic chemicals are normally used on the plantations and in the garment factories. Cotton farmers and factory workers are often badly paid for long days and face inhumane working conditions.

 

At Dem Collective, they consider this a loss. If a garment is cheap because people and the environment have been taken unfair advantage of, we’ve all lost. This is why transparency is so important. So that everyone can see the effects of production methods, and how they can be influenced by consumers.

DEM believes: “In our eyes, we all profit from working conditions that are acceptable to everyone and a production system that is 100% organic, so this is how we do things”. A believe that EcoChic agrees on a 100%!

Employment at Dem Collective provides a work environment that offers a sense of security, equality, and opportunities for vocational and personal development. All employees are paid wages on which they can support a family. This means enough money for three meals a day, healthcare, children’s school fees and other essentials. Naturally, all employees have the freedom of association. Dem Collective’s Articles of Association, which were drawn up in consultation with the employees, state that all employees are entitled to training and education.  Employment should improve self-confidence!

DEM Collective http://www.demcollective.com/

« back to previous page

Comments are closed.