As an internationally operating fashion and lifestyle company in the premium segment, the HOLY FASHION GROUP attaches great importance to the highest product quality. Taking responsibility for people, animals, the environment and society forms the basis of all entrepreneurial activities.

#SUSTAINABILITY

The success of HOLY FASHION GROUP with the brands JOOP!, windsor. and STRELLSON is based on responsible and value-oriented sourcing and purchasing practices as well as a careful use of resources.

In global and complex value chains with numerous international partners, respect for human rights as well as labor, social and environmental standards is a significant and central challenge that HOLY FASHION GROUP meets with particular care and proactivity.

In the Declaration on Respect for Human Rights Environmental Protection and the Ethical Code of Conduct published in 2022, we define our values and expectations with regard to social and environmental responsibility, thus providing an official and transparent framework for our business practices since then. Our business partners undertake to recognize and implement these and in turn to bring them to the attention of their suppliers and apply them accordingly.

The foundation of these documents are internationally recognized frameworks and standards such as the ILO Core Labor Standards, the UNGPs, the OECD Guidelines, the UN Human Rights Charter, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and chemical management in accordance with the ZDHC.

With particular attention to the materials used, manufacturing processes and compliance with social requirements, HOLY FASHION GROUP has set the following sustainability goals:

SUSTAINABILITY GOALS

#Social

Continuous expansion of communication of HOLY FASHION GROUP requirements to all suppliers
Regular social audits for all Tier 1 production sites in both risk and non-risk countries, as well as expansion into further upstream supply chain (Tier 2)
Establishment of an effective grievance mechanism
Expansion of training opportunities for suppliers
Engagement in multi-stakeholder initiatives

#Product

Strengthen responsible sourcing and procurement practices
Introduce a supplier score card that includes social and environmental sustainability criteria in addition to business performance criteria
Increase transparency in upstream supply chains
Increase the use of more sustainable and certified materials
Development of circular products
Maintain and expand product certifications
Implement a Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (mRSL) to improve chemical management in supply chains with reference to Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC)

#Environment

Increasing the use of more sustainable packaging materials
Reduction of packaging materials
CO2 balance with subsequent action plan for reduction and compensation, as well as definition of scientifically based targets

SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES SWITZERLAND 2030

In addition, HOLY FASHION GROUP has joined the Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030 program and is committed to taking action to achieve the following goals:

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Promotion of fair wages and humane working conditions for all.
Promotion of innovative business models toward a circular economy.
Transparency to ensure that sustainable purchasing decisions can be made.

More information on STS2030 can be found here: https://www.sts2030.ch/?lang=en

SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS

HOLY FASHION GROUP relies on long-term partnerships and works closely with existing suppliers and producers. A business relationship lasting at least five years exists for half of all ready made garment clothing manufacturers. On-site visits to the production countries take place regularly to review quality standards, explain new requirements and discuss current challenges. Our goal is to work together to develop solutions for more sustainable and socially responsible production.

For the selection of new suppliers, defined minimum requirements apply with regard to occupational safety and environmental protection measures as well as chemical management. These include, as a minimum, acceptance of the HOLY FASHION GROUP Policy on Respect of Human Rights and Environmental Protection, the Ethical Code of Conduct and the Restricted Substances List (RSL), as well as submission of a valid social compliance audit report (amfori BSCI). Additional certifications for recognized textile standards are encouraged by HOLY FASHION GROUP.

In the event of the need to terminate a business relationship, this will be preceded by a careful review. Only in serious cases will the business relationship be terminated immediately, i.e. no new orders will be placed, but existing orders will be executed. Otherwise, an attempt is made to find solutions together with the supplier and to assist in improving the situation.

For sustainable and transparent supplier management, we rely on the online platform Retraced, which was specially developed for the textile industry. Here we can identify our risks along the global supply chains, map supplier networks and trace products back to their material origin. The platform is accessible to all our suppliers and thus enables efficient data management. We can query important compliance data and share documents via so-called assessments. This ensures that our requirements are known to every partner along our supply chains.

The key to successful collaboration is open dialog and a willingness to cooperate. HOLY FASHION GROUP supports its partners in strengthening labor and environmental protection measures, e.g. through collaboration with the "Global Textiles & Clothing Program GTEX", which is funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The aim of the program is to increase the competitiveness of medium-sized enterprises in the textile and clothing sector in order to generate more employment and income along the value chains. In June 2023, two Egyptian suppliers of HOLY FASHION GROUP started the multi-week program for the first time. Together with local experts, measures are developed and implemented to improve social and environmental standards in the factories. In the future, the training concept will be extended to other suppliers and procurement countries. Further information on GTEX can be found here: https://intracen.org/our-work/projects/gtexmenatex-global-textiles-and-clothing-programme.

TRANSPARENT RISK MANAGEMENT

We consider a transparent approach to sustainability-related risk issues to be an essential part of our corporate practice. As part of a comprehensive risk analysis, we therefore regularly determine the human rights and environmental risks along our supply chains. The analysis methodology is based on the sector risks defined by the OECD for the apparel and footwear industry. When identifying and assessing risks, we rely not only on internal sources such as audit reports, but also on external expertise such as reports from non-governmental organizations, data from the World Bank and scientific publications.

After thorough investigation and taking into account our many years of experience in apparel manufacturing, it became apparent that with regard to human rights risks, the given governance situation of the manufacturing country is decisive. Potentially negative impacts on human and labor rights arise at the level of ready-made clothing, in particular due to inadequate occupational health and safety, high overtime, as well as a lack of living wages.

In terms of ecological risks, the manufacturing process in particular plays a major role. The most serious problems relate to greenhouse gas emissions, the use of hazardous chemicals, and high water consumption. Furthermore, endangering animal welfare was also identified as a potential risk.

The identified risks form the necessary basis for us to take effective and targeted measures to avoid, mitigate or, where appropriate, redress negative impacts. This includes our grievance mechanism, which enables all our stakeholders to anonymously voice critical questions, concerns and complaints.

We focus on the prioritized risks and develop remedial measures. Moreover, we work directly on site with involved stakeholders and the factories on improvements. In addition to prioritized risks, we vigorously pursue incoming grievances.

Our products are sourced in the following production countries and regions: procurement countries

The declaration on Respect of Human Rights and Environmental Protection is the commitment by the HOLY FASHION GROUP to publicly state expectations for its own operations and for suppliers regarding respect for human rights, protection of the environment and integrity.

The Ethical Code of Conduct defines our requirements for sustainable, ecologically and socially responsible cooperation with our suppliers.

We provide the opportunity to raise concerns or complaints about negative impacts on human rights, the environment or integrity that are related to the HOLY FASHION GROUP.