SLOWEAR GETS B CORP CERTIFICATION
Slowear is now officially certified as a B Corp company, one of the very first in the apparel industry to achieve this important goal.
B Corporations are companies that are committed to measuring and evaluating their environmental and social performance with the same attention traditionally given to economic results. They believe in business as a positive force that is committed to creating beneficial impacts on society and on the biosphere.
“With a name like ours,” says Slowear CEO Piero Braga, “which is also a de facto guarantee of value and durability, certification was an essential initial step in confirming the quality, responsibility, and fairness that we promise our customers each and every day.”
With this certification, Slowear joins the large global community of companies that have shifted their business model towards generating positive impacts on people and our planet. This certification comes at a time of significant corporate transformation following the appointment of a new CEO in May 2023.
“In a complex world facing numerous issues such as social and environmental responsibility, we decided to pursue the B Corp certification process, as it is one of the most stringent and therefore most credentialed certifications to date,” continues Braga. “In fact, I believe that a company that fails to equip itself with monitoring systems and address these issues is a company that is failing to keep up with our modern times.”
From the sustainable life cycle of bestselling products to employee financial security, the certification process encompasses guidelines on five key impact areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. It probes these key areas in depth, scientifically verifying the company’s generated impact in each of the five areas. This process required a four year commitment from the entire Slowear business community (flanked by Nativa, the regeneration partner that supported Slowear during its transition) and over eight months of auditing by the B Lab team, the certifying body that issues certification only to companies that excel in setting and attaining the highest standards for positive environmental and social impact.
The certification further emphasizes Slowear’s commitment to using traceable yarns and products from controlled, low-impact supply chains (for example, since 2022, wool has been selected only from farms that certify animal welfare); to maintaining a short supply chain in order to reduce emissions and support local businesses; to ensuring its employees have an adequate work-life balance and financial security; to having implemented policies that safeguard diversity and ensure inclusivity; and to verifying end-customer satisfaction.
“Especially in the fashion industry, becoming a Certified B Corp is proof that a company meets the highest standards of transparency for its supply chain as well as in the manufacturing and distribution of its products, acting in the best interests of all stakeholders: its employees, communities, customers, and the territory,” said Anna Puccio, Managing Director of B Lab Italy. “I congratulate Slowear on this monumental achievement and for their commitment to continuously improving their impact, joining a community of like-minded companies sharing the same values.”