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In 2016, Megan O’Malley and Gab Murphy set out to walk through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Northern Laos to discover and share stories of ethical, sustainable and local clothing production.
When we started chatting to The Social Outfit team back in early 2017 - we knew that we were destined to create beautiful things together! The capsule collection is made up of 5 limited edition pieces and combines the streamlined cuts of Dorsu with the boldness of The Social Outfit.
Everyday Advocates is a new series highlighting collaborators whose ethical values are reflected in their businesses, hobbies, and everyday actions. Here, Sam Leigh from eco|mono discusses the joys and hardships of running an ethical fashion retailer.
Sustainability advocacy requires year-round action, but few people have the time or opportunity to start a blog, work for an ethical fashion brand, or organise a clothes swap. Luckily, there is one small action we can take to become “micro-influencers” among our friends and family.
A collection designed specifically for our Dorsu people with a focus on design and construction detail. All garments are intentionally crafted as versatile pieces that are more than just basics -- they are seasonless, reliable and affordable additions to balance out a considered, cared for, ethical wardrobe.
What began in 2002 as a small software startup where the founders were determined to wear t-shirts to work, is now the global, multi-billion-dollar company. When Kayla contacted Hanna, Dorsu’s co-founder, wanting to create more gender inclusivity in Atlassian’s swag offerings, Hanna jumped on the opportunity.
Women dominate most aspects of the fashion industry, from design school student bodies to entry-level jobs, making 70% of the entire fashion workforce. We’re even the primary customers, with women’s fashion growing to $621 billion in annual revenue, a staggering 54% more than menswear.
This chapter is all about our end product - the result of what our team gather together each day to achieve. the final stages of our product, and how they get to you from us.
The term ‘capsule wardrobe’ gets thrown around a lot these days and it seems it’s true meaning is getting a little lost among fashion trends and is being stretched to actually incorporate more shopping, rather than less.
At Dorsu, we want to break that cycle, provide an alternative for both workers and consumers and celebrate the talented people in our team that make this a possibility.
Traverse Journeys run group trips all over the world, founded on the principles of ecotourism and the concept of purposeful travel. Through each trip Traverse Journeys offers, travellers will be exposed to local culture and surroundings in an educational, supportive and respectful way.
The first piece in our From the Floor Series was all about our design process, and how we begin the journey of bringing our ideas to life. The next step, after we source our fabric, is moving items into production.
We collaborate as an entire team, combining design and production priorities.
Our design and sourcing processes are inter-linked. Sometimes we design and then source fabrics we wish to produce in, and other times we discover fabric we love and can create accordingly, quickly.
Meticulously designed for everyday wear, focusing on quality above all else.
You inspire us - our #DorsuCrew! We love talking to you and learning about what you do, what you need, and how clothing fits into your life. Every day, we meet fellow travellers from around the globe, visiting us during their holidays in Kampot. They buy Dorsu for our quality; withstanding weeks or months of adventures. When they return home, they have their go-to essentials for work, weekends, and holidays.
We make our own rules and don't abide by trends, mass consumption or over-production. By investing our time and talent into thoughtful design, we create pieces that will be mainstays in your closet.
Our patterns are made in-house by our Co-Founder and Head of Production & Design, Kunthear. With years of experience and training, she opts for the traditional method of measuring and cutting paper to transform concepts into complete, graded patterns.
Every 8 weeks, we release new collections consisting of 3-4 thoughtfully designed, intentional pieces to be worn with one another and across collections. We use limited edition fabrics, meaning each collection is small-batch, sitting perfectly alongside our year-round Core Collection.
The first step in the cutting process is washing the fabric, to test shrinkage and colour fastness. Our cutting team cut paper patterns from the originals, laying them on the material in a way that minimises wastage. Cutting up to 25 layers at a time, we bundle each piece according to size.
The cut and bundled pieces are then moved into the production room and delegated along the production line. It’s fast and straightforward, ensuring we create consistent end-products.
The sewn products are washed and individually measured against their specifications, checking they’re true-to-size.
The final step in production is ironing and the second check for shrinkage, warping, construction or fabric faults. The final garments are folded, packed and stored for sale. Some are moved directly into our studio store (located at the front of our production space), while others go to our flagship store in Kampot, or sent to Australia for international retail.
All production staff undergo extensive training and skills development to ensure safe, efficient and quality work by all team members. We train all new staff on our internal Human Resources policy, including occupational health & safety procedures, fire safety and evacuation, and child protection. We update and renew training annually, with ongoing instruction on equipment safety and maintenance, as well as the protocols to assess risk and responsibly address incidents in the workplace.
Fair and safe employment is the responsibility of all companies, and we prioritise the physical and emotional well-being of our employees above everything else.
We have two storefronts in Kampot, Cambodia - our Old Market Flagship Store and our Road 33 Production Studio Store. All team members take part in regular training on our new ranges, inclusive of design concept, fabric, fit and styling.
Our Kampot based retail team manage the in-country delivery program, speaking directly with customers to facilitate the order and delivery process.
We ship all online orders from our distribution space in Tasmania, Australia. Our online customer service team work against Australian EST, providing consistent and quality support to our international customers.
We welcome your feedback and are open to answering any questions you may have about sizing, construction, fabric, or our production practices.
We ship all bulk orders from our Road 33 Production Studio in Kampot, Cambodia. Most of the time, these are made-to-order. As a result of having a close-knit team, we can offer a seamless buying experience. Our sales staff speak to our Production Manager, face-to-face so that you can have the most accurate updates on the status of your order.
Our fabric is remnant cotton jersey sourced from independent suppliers in Phnom Penh.
Remnant fabric (also known as "deadstock" or "surplus") is unused and unwanted leftover rolls of cloth in its original condition.
As a result of Cambodia’s pervasive garment manufacturing industry and issues that occur along the fashion industry’s incredibly complex supply chain, vast amounts of fabric are deemed unusable by brands on a daily basis. This waste arises due to reasons such as incorrect or oversupply of cloth, last minute changes in production schedules and the ever-increasing need for brands to be immediately responsive and adaptive to fashion trends.
These fabric leftovers are sold on from brands and factories to a local fabric supply industry, who then sell on through the Cambodian supply chain. We scour the warehouses of our preferred suppliers and purchase rolls of fabric per kilogram. When sourcing for our collections, we buy up to 100 kilograms of a collection colour (like burgundy) and up to 300 kilograms of a core colour (like black and navy).
Due to the nature of sourcing factory remnants, we can't guarantee consistency in the fabric blends. Consequently, we burn-test every fabric we buy to ensure it has very little or no synthetic fibres.
We pre-wash a sample of every new fabric, testing for colour fastness and shrinkage.
We know that using factory remnants has limitations. We know we can’t trace the true origins of our material. But, we are doing what we can, within the context in which we work. Cambodia doesn't have cotton mills or weaving facilities so, we are limited by access. As a small brand, we experience financial barriers of meeting minimum order quantities of suppliers outside of Cambodia and then importing fabric into the country. We are acutely aware of our impact on the local economy, and we choose to place our money where it has the most significant impact.
All Dorsu team members are required to read, understand, sign and abide by our internal human resource policy that is inclusive of:
