Apr 24, 2020

Porto calling!

Porto calling!

This week is the 'Fashion Revolution Week'. Every year, the organisation of the Fashion Revolution Week wants you to ask yourself #whomademyclothes. This to create awareness of the bad circumstances in which a lot of people in the fashion industry have to work day by day.

Because we at Mieke Dierckx support this organisation and care a lot about the well-being of our craftsmen, we find it necessary to give you a closer look to our atelier in Portugal, where all the handbags are made.

Right before the breakthrough of the COVID-19 virus, we planned our trip to Porto. In this city lies the heart of the production process of our handbags.

Since the quality of our handbags is our nr. 1 priority, we find it necessary to visit our fabricant on a regular basis, to check the production process and varify the quality of the used leather and the other materials. By doing this, we were able to build a very close relationship with the talented craftsmen working in the atelier. They work with the biggest precision and care.

We, as a brand, learn a lot from these visits. We developed for example the possibility of making our keychains out of left-over pieces of leather which was used to make our handbags. In this way we limit the waste to a minimum. We’re constantly trying to find solutions to make the whole process more sustainable, since it’s such an important topic these days.

The packaging is another thing we improved since our visit to the factory. Before, our handbags were wrapped in plastic before they were send back to Belgium. We grabbed the chance to discuss a more sustainable option with the owners of the factory, and decided to ban all the plastic involved in the production and packaging process. From now on, our bags are wrapped in paper and cardboard. We also plan to move the production of our beloved dustbags to Porto. In this way, the finished bags can immediately be put in the dustbag, and we reduce the amount of transports that have to be made.

It was so nice to see all those passionate and talented people again. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to present you all the different Mieke Dierckx-models in all those different colours, finished with the biggest eye for detail. It’s so important to surround yourself with the right people. They’re ready day and night to give me the advice and help I need. So thankful for that.