Imagine if your undies were ethically made, environmentally friendly and came with a carbon offset. This was the idea for Hannah Parris and Elena Antoniou, founders of Mighty Good Undies, an ethical and sustainable underwear brand that supports communities and offsets carbon emissions from the production of each garment.
With a decade of experience in public relations working with many brands from luxury to fast fashion, Elena started to feel there was something devastatingly wrong with the whole system and wanted to do something about it. She was drawn to develop an ethical brand that not only produced good quality garments but empowered consumers to make better choices for the planet.
Hannah, an accomplished social science researcher specialising in environmental impact, was already working in the ethical textile space and had made strong connections with internationally recognised organic and Fairtrade suppliers and production mills. She had met with organic cotton farmers and makers, and through this was able to see a positive side of the fashion industry where the production of environmentally friendly garments could sustainably support its producers and suppliers. Together, the powerhouse duo set out to create an environmentally friendly brand that encompassed high ethical standards, and in April 2016 Hannah and Elena launched Mighty Good Undies.
With transparency at their core focus, Hannah and Elena choose to only work with trustworthy and certified farmers and manufactures to produce their garments. Their manufacture, Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills, has a partnership with cotton producers, Chetna Organics, and together the companies have Fairtrade and Organic cotton (GOTS) certifications for all Mighty Good garments. Their Fairtrade factory commits to Fairtrade benefits for all workers in addition to offering subsidised housing, educational fees for all children up to university level, free transportation to and from work, subsidised meals, medical care, interest free loans, annual bonuses and guaranteed yearly pay rises. “When you support a Fairtrade brand, it means quite simply someone was paid a living wage in a safe environment,” Elena explains.
Hannah and Elena strive to be as conscious as they can in every decision they make. One of their core philosophies is to not use plastic packaging, instead they use certified organic cotton draw sting bags. In addition to this, they have matched up each pair of Mighty Good Undies with an internationally certified carbon emissions offset. For every garment sold, Mighty Good company purchase 1 kilogram of carbon emissions. “This is just another small way of us trying to look at our business holistically and mitigate any damage we may cause through our business,” Hannah says.
Eager to expand their range and tackle other eco-issues, Elena and Hannah are in the process of developing a washing bag that mitigates microfibres in the washing machine, a problem that has increased with the excessive use of synthetic fabrics. What mighty good work!
With transparency at their core focus, Hannah and Elena choose to only work with trustworthy and certified farmers and manufactures to produce their garments. Their manufacture, Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills, has a partnership with cotton producers, Chetna Organics, and together the companies have Fairtrade and Organic cotton (GOTS) certifications for all Mighty Good garments. Their Fairtrade factory commits to Fairtrade benefits for all workers in addition to offering subsidised housing, educational fees for all children up to university level, free transportation to and from work, subsidised meals, medical care, interest free loans, annual bonuses and guaranteed yearly pay rises. “When you support a Fairtrade brand, it means quite simply someone was paid a living wage in a safe environment,” Elena explains.
Hannah and Elena strive to be as conscious as they can in every decision they make. One of their core philosophies is to not use plastic packaging, instead they use certified organic cotton draw sting bags. In addition to this, they have matched up each pair of Mighty Good Undies with an internationally certified carbon emissions offset. For every garment sold, Mighty Good company purchase 1 kilogram of carbon emissions. “This is just another small way of us trying to look at our business holistically and mitigate any damage we may cause through our business,” Hannah says.
Eager to expand their range and tackle other eco-issues, Elena and Hannah are in the process of developing a washing bag that mitigates microfibres in the washing machine, a problem that has increased with the excessive use of synthetic fabrics. What mighty good work!
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