OUTLAND DENIM

IMAGES AND WORDS BY CARIN GARLAND

Outland Denim is not a company that started with money in the bank. Theirs is no rags to-riches tale. They started from the ground up. With the help of local community fundraisers, sausage sizzles, money borrowed from family and friends, and generous donations, this local and sustainable fashion label has grown legs...

As the 2008 movie Taken ended and the credits rolled, James Bartle left the cinema outraged and sickened to his core. Whilst the majority of people viewed the film with a feeling of horror and sorrow, before carrying on with their daily lives, the movie stuck with James, as did the devastating statistics. Over 50 million people globally, every single year, are exploited by human traffickers in the name of profit. It is a 150-BILLION-dollar industry.

It would seem that James and journalist wife Erica were fated to rescue and offer rehabilitation and education to Cambodian women exploited by traffickers, whilst simultaneously turning the fashion industry on its head. Three years had passed since watching Taken

It was 2011 and James, a then pro-motor-cross racer, was performing at an event as a freestyle motocross rider and serendipitously crossed paths with an NGO (non- governmental organisation) representative who was also in attendance. After exchanging life-stories and sharing details, James would soon travel to South East Asia with the NGO, witnessing women being sold to sex traffickers first-hand. After seeing girls as young as 12 (and sadly it is so often much younger) forced to work in brothels, he knew there was no going back. This man, and later his team, became committed to the pursuit of freedom for others.

After discovering that it is mostly impoverished girls and women that are most vulnerable to modern day slavery in all its ugly forms, Erica and James, with a growing knowledge of apparel and hundreds of hours of research behind them, launched the ethical fashion label, Outland Denim, in 2016.

Creating a staple, non-throw-away garment like denim jeans has enabled them to employ women in Cambodia who have been rescued from trafficking. Employ them, train them as seamstresses, provide them with a sustainable living wage, empower them, and, as a result, keep them safe.

Over two years seamstresses are taught every element of the jean making process. From cutting, finishing and sewing, they have the ability to support themselves and their families and progress their careers with Outland Denim. Founding this label has not been without its learning curves. Denim is one of the most difficult garments to produce and also one of the most environmentally damaging. Made from cotton, it requires huge amounts of water to grow, is sprayed with hazardous pesticides and uses highly toxic dyes. They refused to be another label adding to the degradation of the planet.

In 2019 they opened a stand-alone wash house in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, using state-of-the-art water and energy saving technologies. Today, every single garment Outland Denim manufacture is made with organic cotton,100% traceable denim, zero harmful chemicals (Outland Denim use plant-based dyes), 100% vegan materials and by aligning themselves with suppliers that share the same values and ethics, source the most sustainable raw materials. This socially minded denim label became the first Australian denim company to be certified as a B-Corporation: the highest level of sustainable practices. They have been awarded countless times and through their actions and transparency are forcing other labels around the world to follow suit.

However, in order to continue keep growing as a business and bettering the lives of women, we as consumers must take responsibility.

We have the power to change fast fashion. We can help brands like Outland eradicate human slavery. Supply chains must be questioned. Where did my clothes come from? Whose hands made my clothes? Was it a suffering eight-year old literally slaving away, or was it someone on a living wage choosing the life they live and learning a trade?

Six years down the track, Outland denim has continued to grow, learn and diversify. What started out as a brand that made denim jeans in only one colour wash, has expanded into skirts, blouses, jackets, and shirts and have aligned themselves with numerous fashion powerhouses. In the name of diversifying, Outland HQ have also opened up their doors, if you will, with a new Airbnb, The Barn 1877. Located on Tamborine Mountain, on spectacular grounds, you can stay in their perfectly rustic barn and sink into a weekend of seclusion with a loved one or write that book you’ve been meaning to for years.

If you want to be a part of the fashion revolution that works to abolish human slavery, shop the links below.

WEBSITE outlanddenim.com

FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM @outlanddenim

AIRBNB @thebarn1877