Conscious design

At Ukiyo Boutique, my priority is to not over produce, to use resources responsibly, to only use natural fibres and to produce garments that will be loved.

I am a dedicated believer in the slow fashion movement. The reason I started making my own dresses and subsequently started the label was because I found it difficult to buy dresses made with high quality fabric that could be worn for years.

All Ukiyo designs are made in small batches or made to order to ensure that we’re not oversupplying. Fast fashion has created a huge problem of oversupply, over-utilised resources and exploitation of cheap labour, as well as fuelling consumer expectations of “never pay full price”. This phenomenon has sadly changed the way consumers value the fashion industry. We want to change this.

One way of doing this is by only sourcing high quality fabrics. My main love is European Linen, especially Lithuanian linen.

Linen is derived from the plant Flax, traditionally grown in Europe where the conditions are ideal. Thanks to damp ocean climate, flax’s low thermal density and rich soil, European linen cultivation produces strong plants that are up to 3 times longer than flax grown elsewhere. The flax plant is grown with much less water than other crops, does not require pesticides and the entire plant is used for flax seeds, flax oil and textiles. Linen really is one of the most sustainable textiles.

The flax linen is dyed in Lithuania and is Oeko Tex 100 Certified, meaning the fabric is completely free from chemicals that could be harmful to humans.

All of our designs are cut individually ensuring that we make the best use of our beautiful linens. There are only small leftover scraps which we donate to local kindergartens for art play. We think there are some magnificent pieces of artwork about using our beautiful European linen offcuts.

Sharing the love

At Ukiyo, we believe that everyone involved in the process of making our designs should be fairly compensated and paid a living wage. We have a solid understanding after receiving the fabric; however, prior to this, we don’t. We purchase the Lithuanian linen through an agent based in Lithuania. She deals directly with the mills, all of which are long-established, family-run businesses. We also purchase European linen through Merchant & Mills, a UK based fabric retailer & wholesaler. M&M have a long-established reputation for sourcing sustainable and ethically produced fabrics.

We have 3 seamstresses helping with the making process in Brisbane. These seamstresses all live locally, work from home and are paid on a per piece basis. The price per piece is determined by how long each piece takes to make on average and the seamstresses charge me their hourly rate, set by them.

If you have any recommendations, questions or comments on our brand’s transparency, please feel free to contact us via email or send us a DM on Instagram.

Thanks for reading!