Establishing their name with a range of funky tees for men and women in 2009, Monkey & the BrownMan amp things up for Spring 2010 with the launch of their first women’s collection. The bright separates by designers Stacey (Monkey) and Chris (BrownMan) have a delightfully retro feel—the kind of threads that make you wanna grab a boom box and strap on a pair of roller skates…right down to the Polaroid lookbook. Young, playful and just tiny bit cheeky. The duo, based on Sydney’s northern beaches, want to maintain a design philosophy which can be supported indefinitely with regards to social and environmental impact.

Monkey & the BrownMan uses USDA-certified organic cotton for 45% of their men’s T-shirts. The remainder is either 100% cotton or a polyester blend. “After testing products from a number of suppliers, the longest-lasting garments were a poly-cotton mix,” Stacey tells HowBigIsYourEco. “It’s important to maintains a garment’s shape and quality…we discourage the current ‘disposable’ nature of fashion.” Men’s tees are made offshore “due to the significantly higher quality we could source” and in limited numbers.

The new women’s collection is made entirely in Australia. The label is accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia and uses that organisation’s preferred supplier for tags. Sixty per cent of the range is created using end-of-roll/ex-designer/surplus fabrics, utilising otherwise unwanted fabrics, the other 40% are Australian made fabrics. The range is made-to-order to “ensure we are not needlessly manufacturing product without commitment from a retailer or consumer,” Stacey says. “This enables us to avoid the wastage that comes from mass-production.”

The business operates out of a home office—no long commutes—and purchases 100% green energy. “Public transport and our bicycles are our most common mode of transport,” Stacey reveals. They also use (and sell) Green Hangers and only uses plastic packaging when specifically requested for warehouse storage and discourages retailers from using plastic for their products. Market sales are packed in post-consumer recycled paper bags.

As a member of 1% For The Planet, Monkey and the Brown Man donates 1% of gross profits to Reef Check Australia and the Humane Society International. “We believe fashion should be an investment, not a disposable item.” 

read the article here.