OUTERKNOWN PROMOTES TRANSPARENCY WITH PUBLIC RELEASE OF GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN

Pro surfer Kelly Slater’s menswear brand, Outerknown, now a year old, has publicly released its global supply chain, with full transparency, on the brand’s website – a rarity within the industry.

While other large, corporate brands have listed their supply chains in the past – Outerknown is the first to do so through story telling on their website, going into each of their factories and exposing them to consumers in an attempt to increase awareness and educate both the consumer and industry on the importance of sustainable product development.

Outerknown has released specific details on its site telling the story of the history and relationship of each of the following suppliers: Bergman Rivera (Serflex S.A.C) –Lima, Peru; Chenfeng (Jintan) Apparel – Jiangsu Province, China; Hong Ho Mexico – Valladolid Mexico; Smart Shirts (Lanka) Limited – Siri Lanka; South Island Garments – Penang, Malasia; and World Textile Sourcing (Corceli S.A.C.) – Chorrillos, Lima.

“It takes a certain amount of comfort in yourself and your partners to be able publish your supplier list,” said Shelly Gottschamer, chief supply chain and sustainability officer of Outerknown. “We hope that by taking this important step that others will choose to follow as very few brands of our size are transparent about their suppliers. We have a sourcing policy in place to insure that our suppliers will achieve all of our metrics; quality, delivery, social and environmental responsibility. What other customers a supplier produces for tells us a lot, if their customers are brands that have invested in responsible sourcing, then most likely there is good alignment.”

To see more about Outerknown’s supply chain, please visit www.outerknown.com/suppliers.