PRODUCT

We champion quality and durability; no stock to landfill.

We never make products specifically for discount or sale promotions. If our stock doesn't sell as we expected, we do engage in sales or other responsible solutions to make sure all our products make it to a loving home (aka not landfill!).

We recognise that sustainability is intertwined with the privilege of choice. We take part in sales because they break those barriers to enable more people to shop TALA. Not to mention (we know you're thinking it) we're also a business, and we have to remain profitable to challenge business as usual for the fashion industry. You can learn more about this in our Black Friday post.

Our Factories.

When it comes to choosing where we make our next collection, we look at several different factors - materials, price, labour practices, and the environmental work of the factories. We recognise our responsibility to the people involved in the production of our garments, including those we both directly and indirectly employ. We have developed trusted relationships with key suppliers and now work with them regularly, which is our way of better supporting their workforce, through a predictable flow of orders.

Vietnam

Partnership Purpose: We wanted to find the perfect partner for SZN - our outerwear collection - and TALA Swim. We found an industry-leading outerwear manufacturer with supply chain transparency and the ability to create recycled garments that deliver style and functionality.

Our supply partners in Vietnam use factories powered by solar panels and provide support to workers and the local community via coaching schemes, learning and development programs, charitable donations, and provided support during COVID-19.

Responsible Sourcing Certifications: SA800 and ISO 9001 certified, and our swim factory received zero non-compliances in their latest audit (very impressive).

First worked with TALA: October 2021

Turkey

Partnership Purpose: Our suppliers in Turkey manufacture some of our sweats and activewear products, including our Sculpt Seamless Collection. They are in the process of utilising the latest technology to open a 'green' factory, a signal to our shared values; powered by solar panels. The factory we work with is at the forefront of innovation and research, having partnered with a leading UK university to research how materials can absorb microplastics. Our Sculpt Seamless is created in a tube, where fabric is utilised fully, therefore limiting wastage in the production process.

Responsible Sourcing Certifications: SEDEX-SMETA: Globally Recognised Standards for ethically responsible practices and fair working conditions.

First worked with TALA: 2020

China

Partnership Purpose: Our China supplier is based near Shanghai. Our supplier is audited by accredited third parties to ensure legislative compliance and globally recognised social and environmental standards are met. We have a particularly strong relationship with this factory. There are widespread biases when it comes to Chinese production, so we find it incredibly important to be transparent about our own experience.

The geographical location of where your factory is isn't a confirmation of everything being OK (ex: manufacturing in the UK doesn't mean acceptable working conditions and manufacturing in China doesn't mean poor working conditions). So instead, we use legitmate third-party accreditation and every supplier - regardless of geographical location - adheres to our Code of Conduct to ensure human rights are upheld to standards set by the UN agency, the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Every collection we create is only done so after the accreditations of the factories are confirmed, and we work hard to get to know our manufacturing partners and the impact they make for their workers and communities.

Responsible sourcing certifications: WRAP - Gold certificate, SEDEX-SMETA: Globally Recognised Standards for ethically responsible practices and fair working conditions.

First worked with TALA: 2021

China (for Accessories)

Partnership Purpose:

At TALA, we are proud to be working with a leading supplier for our accessories collection. They tick every box required under the TALA Supplier Code of Conduct which is informed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and aligned with industry best practices, such as the Ethical Trade Initiative Base Code.With over 25+years experience in manufacturing, they work with the top sustainable brands - and have built from these core values since the start. With a UK based design headquarters, and a quality team based in China, every factory is regularly audited to meet international standards.

Responsible Sourcing Certifications:

Globally Recognised Standards for ethically responsible practices and fair working conditions - SEDEX-SMETA.

Certified Organic: Global Recycle Standard.

First worked with TALA: 2023

Pakistan

Partnership Purpose: We knew we wanted to create the perfect TALA cargos, so we went on the look for a factory that wouldn't compromise on our values or commitments.

Our supply partner in Pakistan has an extensive array of responsible sourcing accreditations, going beyond industry standard. They are dedicated to training and supporting the development of staff, and are aligned in our mission to do better. Just one example of the social sustainability work they do is a charity partnership to fund a local school for hundreds of underprivileged children.

Responsible Sourcing Certifications:

Globally Recognised Standards for ethically responsible practices and fair working conditions (SEDEX-SMETA, BSCI + ISO9001).

Certified Organic: Organic Content Standard.

First worked with TALA: 2023

Portugal

Partnership Purpose:

Our factories in Portugal have been important partners since the start of our TALA journey. They produced several of our best-selling products including the Zinnia and Luna leggings. The companies that we have worked with in Portugal have been audited by SEDEX. The SEDEX audit is based on site visits, policy reviews and interviews with the teams. It focuses on health and safety, labour, environment, and business ethics.

Responsible sourcing certifications: SEDEX-SMETA: Globally Recognised Standards for ethically responsible practices and fair working conditions.

First worked with TALA: 2019

Our Fabrics

Made with recycled and naturally sourced materials.

The clothing industry's CO2 emissions are expected to rise to nearly 2.8 billion tonnes per year by 2030. These are equivalent to emissions produced by nearly 230 million passenger vehicles driven for a year, assuming average driving patterns (Global Fashion Agenda and Boston Consulting Group, 2017).

Multi-functional, made to last, and oh so flattering….

We consider the full lifecycle of items when we are conceptualising new products, which is why our products always contain recycled content or naturally sourced materials. That means utilising recycled nylon (Hello Skinluxe 76% recycled!) or creating the perfect wardrobe staple or Tencel Modal Fabric, sourced from the pulp of beech trees in responsibly managed forests (we're looking at you 365).

Whilst we'd love to use all natural fibres, we believe first and foremost in creating great quality activewear that lasts, and it has to perform or you'll go back to less responsible alternatives. We love Modal in our 365 collection, but that wouldn’t make sense in a performance legging - so we turn to recycled fibres.

We use recycled materials because, to us, it makes no sense that materials would go to landfill or to our oceans when we could incorporate them into your favourite leggings. Utilising existing materials means they have already been through the initial production process, and therefore reduces the environmental impact of creating products made entirely from virgin materials.

Some quick definitions:

Post-consumer recycled materials: a product or fibre which would be disposed of as solid waste, having reached the end of the product life cycle. E.g. plastic bottles, collected as part of a recycling program, melted down and made into new clothing fibres, often used to create Recycled post-consumer polyester. We use post-consumer recycled materials in our Sculpt Seamless collection.

Pre-consumer recycled material: a fibre or by-products generated after manufacture of a product is completed but before the product reaches the end-use consumer. At TALA, this often means using factory offcuts, which would otherwise end up as waste or in landfill, to create new products. We use Pre-consumer recycled materials in our DayFlex, SkinLuxe and FormTech collections (among others!).

Each fabric behaves differently when recycled so exact impact statistics are an industry challenge for traceability and data gathering.

Recycled Polyester

We use polyester in collections like FormTech because it is flexible, sweat-wicking, strong, and durable.

By working with the recycled alternative to polyester, we can sidestep the oil extraction required to make conventional, virgin polyester. Recycled polyester often comes from post-consumer plastic waste such as using plastic bottles, packaging, or other textile pre-consumer waste as its raw material. This is then spun into yarn, to create a durable fabric, used in items that don't need to be washed regularly, like our SZN Outerwear.

We know that polyester takes hundreds of years to decompose and can lead to microfibres escaping into the environment.

By working with recycled polyester we can create a product that lasts, at a more accessible price point to introduce more recycled alternatives to the market.

Certified Recycled: Global Recycled Standard.

Recycled nylon

We use Recycled nylon in collections like SkinLuxe and Dayflex because of its elasticity, and strength as well as its sweat-wicking properties. Recycled nylon doesn't lose its shape as quickly as other fibres, which is why it's an excellent choice for our activewear collections; ready for the perfect stretch. We know recycled materials are not the ultimate solution, and recycled nylon is still plastic-based (synthetic), which means it does release microplastics during the wash phase.

Certified Recycled: Global Recycled Standard.

Tencel Modal

The softness of TENCEL™ Modal fibres lasts longer and can withstand repeated wash and dry cycles compared to cotton, according to Tencel. It’s x2 the softness of cotton - what is not to love?

Certified material: TENCEL™ Modal fibres are certified with the internationally recognised EU Ecolabel, an environmental quality label only awarded to products and services which have a significantly lower environmental impact throughout their entire lifecycle.

Organic Cotton

Conventionally grown cotton is a water and chemical-intensive process. It's no surprise that conventional cotton no longer fits the bill (or the t-shirt). Growing it is chemical-intensive, impacting local biodiversity, and therefore the community of those in conventional cotton growing areas.

By working with certified organic cotton, such as for our sweats, we can create a product that we know has 0 harmful chemicals in the cotton growing process, and is softer and longer lasting than the conventional alternative. This also means cotton is naturally biodegradable in the right compost conditions. It can decompose and revert right back to nature.

Certified Organic: GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)

Viscose by LENZING™ ECOVERO™

Biobased: LENZING™ Modal fibres are mainly manufactured from beech wood — a natural and renewable raw material - sourced from sustainably grown forests in Austria and neighbouring countries, as certified by USDA Certified Biobased Product.

Viscose is a semi-synthetic fibre that's made from trees, and is the third most commonly used textile in the world! More than 150 million trees are logged each year to turn into cellulosic fabric which is why we only use the sustainably sourced wood pulp used for our Airlayer Top.

Certified: EU Ecolabel, an environmental quality label only awarded to products and services which have a significantly lower environmental impact throughout their entire lifecycle.

We use virgin materials too.

In our products we use blends of recycled or naturally sourced materials, this includes using lycra and elastane. This is due to the nature of our business - we make activewear that requires lightweight and stretchable materials. Considering this, we are proud to have strong connections with supplier partners at the forefront of innovations; we are always on the lookout for new materials to push industry barriers.

Still got questions? Check out our FAQs below

PURPOSE. PEOPLE. PRODUCT.

At TALA, we prioritise consistent progress over perfection. We know sustainability is a journey, and will always be transparent and honest with our TALA community. In order to make a difference to the planet, we strongly believe that we don't need one person doing sustainability perfectly, we need many many people doing it imperfectly, and thus we must provide solutions to do so. We are excited to share our progress with you. Like anyone, we’re not always going to get it right, but we're fed up with the industry not even trying to do better.