People

Strategy for Aritzia

CURRENTLY:

Aritzia has made important initial steps in legislating ethical labour practices throughout its supply chains:

• Created a Vendor Code of Conduct which is communicated to and signed by their supply chain partners, and is implemented by the Aritzia Corporate Responsibility department2 .

• This Vendor Code of Conduct was developed using established international frameworks, such as the International Bill of Human Rights, the ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the ETI Base Code2 .

• Evaluating is carried out by local independant specialists Elevate and Impactt. Inspections are announced or unannounced and involve compulsory interviews with workers2 .

OPPORTUNITIES:

However, there is still room for improvement. Aritzia needs to consider the bigger picture, and create a strategy for long lasting community impowerment, overseas, as well as locally by:

• Collaborating with multiple brands manufacturing at the same facilities to align on Code of Conduct expectations, so these can be enforced without ambiguity

• Partnering with local organizations that advocate for long lasting community empowerment

• Engaging with the notion of ‘localism’ to support local communities and have better oversight of manufacturing facilities

PEOPLE

Strategy for Aritzia

STANDARDIZING CODES OF CONDUCT

• Aritzia’s Vendor Code of Conduct, although established using international frameworks, is difficult to enoforce as Aritzia does not own its manufacturing facilities. The factories Aritzia partners with work with a range of brands with varying codes of conduct, making it complex for the facility to decide which code to go by, and when and how to enforce it. • By creating cooperatives with the brands producing at the same facilities, Aritzia could standardize one code of conduct that eliminates ambiguity in the application and validation process. This would hold all the relevant stakeholders accountable to the same standard.

EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIES

• Aritzia’s goals for its Community is to provide support for women that need it the most, and this should encompass the women throughout the supply chain. Creating local initiatives in overseas communities that are home to Aritzia’s manufacturing facilities would be an important step towards elevating the workers’ quality of life. • Codes of conduct are usually loosley enforced, with rare oversight, however, promoting long term community change, and becoming a part of the social fabric would vastly help support those at the bottom of Aritzia’s supply chains.

LOCALISM

• Engaging with localism permits a business to earnestly engage with sustainability. Localism not only addresses environmental concerns, it forces companies to relationship-build with local manufacturers, know the people working in their factories, respect familiar labour laws and empower local communities and economies through job creation20 . • By developping solid relationships with local manufacturers, Aritzia would gain greater agility in responding to changing trends as well as purchase and sell-through patterns.

PEOPLE

Industry Trends

STANDARDIZING CODES OF CONDUCT Business case: FOREST CERTIFICATION IN CANADA • Canadian forestry industry is one of the largest of its kind in the world and houses almost 40% of the world’s certified forests. Certifications provide assurance of legal and sustainable forest practices. Currently there are three forest certifi cation systems used in Canada: Canadian Stan dards Association, the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. However, all there certifications meet riggorous standards that are universal and are collectively rely on the same third party for inspections21 .

EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIES Business case: MAYAMIKO • Mayamiko produces clothing and accessories that are made ethically by women in Malawi. All of their prints are sourced by a local cooperative of women traders. As a leading advocate for better labor rights, it has created the Mayamiko Trust, a charity which works in the community to train and empower disadvantaged women. The Mayamiko Lab, was designed to provide skills training, education, nutrition, sanitation and promote fairer trade practices22 .

LOCALISM Business case: REFORMATION • Almost 70% of Reformation’s manufacturing and production facilities are located in California, USA23. By engaging in local production, Reformation gives fair imployment, wages and benefits to women and people of minoroties, and is powerful advocate for Latin American immigrants, whom they support on their way to becoming American citizens24 .

More than just a pretty dress