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OUTLAND DENIM
Outland Denim is a designer jeans label working to combat the problem of human trafficking , through the sales of exceptionally high quality jeans .
The must-have , on-trend boutique denim label for both men and women invests heavily in a transparent and supersustainable supply chain and , most importantly , in the future of women who fall victim to human trafficking and sex slavery .
Outland donates $ 50 from every pair of jeans sold , to frontline agencies that fight against human trafficking and exploitation . It also provides sustainable employment and training to the very women rescued by employing them in its sewing room in Cambodia . There , these women are taught the art of jean making in a safe , secure environment that pays them a fair wage , allowing them to break the cycle of poverty that made them vulnerable to such exploitation in the first place .
This boutique jeans company launched in September 2016 , but there were five years of blood sweat and tears in the lead up , to get to the point of launching . Founder and CEO James Bartle explains : saying , ‘ The more my wife , Erica , and I learned about the sex slave trade , the greater urgency we felt to do something about it . We travelled to Cambodia a few years ago and saw that poverty , a lack of opportunity and social stigma left women so vulnerable . We wanted to come up with an action plan based around this , and we were both interested in fashion – particularly the wardrobe staple of jeans . In a way we were fortunate that we were so naïve back then , about just how difficult it was to make a pair of jeans – especially a pair that is ethically sourced and extremely well-tailored !’
‘ Slowly started to support women who had been rescued by frontline antitrafficking agencies , providing them with training in sewing , and a safe place to work and rebuild their lives , but we soon realised that if we really wanted to scale the business to employ more women and make a bigger difference , we were going to need investors .’
‘ We received some funding from a couple of Queensland cattle farmers , who believed in our cause , and we have since grown to train and employ 29 skilled seamstresses , all operating out of a safe and comfortable sewing room in Cambodia .’
Outland continues to work with frontline anti-trafficking agencies on the ground in Cambodia , including the not-for-profit organisation , Destiny Rescue . With its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities , Outland Denim is able to give rescued young women quality of life , skills , purpose , and dignity .
‘ It ’ s been heartwarming to see how well the Outland brand has been received in Australia . W ’ ve invested a lot into making the jeans a genuinely desirable product – these aren ’ t sympathy purchases , they are really high-end fashion pieces that are getting a lot traction because people genuinely want the look that we ’ re creating . But it ’ s a win-win for everyone because they also want to make a difference with their purchasing dollar .’
‘ Our goal is to expand our sewing workforce , launch successfully into the northern hemisphere markets , including the US and UK , and to see people really embracing our brand and wearing our jeans with pride . Obviously , we are also committed to continuing to contribute significant funds to frontline efforts against human trafficking .’
( JANUARY 2017 ) OH ! MAGAZINE 7