Arlette Schmitz is a Belgian slow fashion label…
….that came about in 2018 when former journalist Sophie De Laere decided to switch careers and become a fashion designer. She studied fashion designat SASK Sint-Niklaas and specialised in pattern making.The name of the label was coined after both Sophie’s mothers. The surname of her birthmother who died a very young woman and the first name of her adoptive mother.
Towards sustainability
Our collections are conceived and manufactured locally in Belgium. For the greater part in our own atelier. This local approach results in less carbon emission and no exploitation of workers in low income countries. One of the biggest problems in fashion today is massive overproduction. Our own volumes are kept low to avoid dead stock. Our collections are not discarded after one season and remain available for an indefinite period of time. Fabrics are sourced from European mills. Most of our suppliers hold environmental certificates. Occasionally we use dead stock. We are currently investigating the use of recycled materials. We do not exclude off hand any kind of material in our collection as it is a well known fact that natural as wel as synthetic materials both pose advantages and problems regarding sustainability. Arlette Schmitz aims to make beautiful clothes that you may enjoy for many years. Our customers are encouraged to lovingly mend any wear and tear that may occur. In accordance with the Japanese philosophy of WABI SABI we see beauty in imperfection:
Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, nothing is perfect.
Or as Vivienne Westwood would have it:
Buy less, choose well, make it last
Vivienne Westwood
Code of conduct
We make sure no one is exploited during the production of our collections. Inclusivity matters to us. Although our focus lies on the female form, we welcome all persons binary and non binary, straight and queer into the Arlette Schmitz world. A well made sustainable garment comes at a cost showing respect for all fashion industry workers
