How We’re Fighting ‘Fabric Fraud’

We’d all love to believe that all companies always do the right thing. Ultimately, we know this is not true and that in the quest to make more money, (the only thing that drives many big companies!), various companies around the world cut all sorts of corners, or do questionable things to save money and maximise profits. 

Maybe it’s not paying workers fairly, forcing workers to work in unreasonable conditions, compromising environmental standards, or an increasingly common problem - committing ‘Fabric Fraud’.

This is where a company, or a part of their supply chain, knowingly or otherwise sells a garment that is not made out of what it says it is. As you can imagine, this is particularly problematic when you’re buying a premium fabric like merino, and the average customer has no way to know for sure if you’re getting what you’re paying for.

Could that 100% merino t-shirt you’ve bought be an inferior blend? How would you know? How would the company that’s sold it to you even know? Most of the time, they can’t and don’t.

Many brands who buy ‘off the shelf fabrics’, or use questionable supply chains, simply can’t know for sure. Once they order from a supplier, it becomes about trust (and hope!) that the fabric or garments they’re delivered are what they say they are.

At io, we do a few things to fight fabric fraud. 

1. Australian made fabrics.

To start with, we make our own fabrics, the majority of which are made locally here in Australia. We use premium Australian merino, and by using a local Australian company that offers ethical and sustainable manufacturing with a long history of quality, we not only minimise our footprint, we can be sure our exact specifications are being met and delivered, exactly as we’ve asked for. 

2. Trusted partners. 

From time to time we do use partners outside of Australia who are able to produce to our technical requirements. Even then, we only use a handful of carefully selected partners, most who have been part of our extended team for many years - including one of our own offshore facilities owned by our parent company. Not only do all of these suppliers have all the necessary accreditations that are regularly audited by independent parties, our long term relationships help us have faith in the authenticity of our fabrics.

3. World first Fibre Trace technology. 

Over and above this, for absolute certainty, we have now introduced FibreTrace technology, where we’re able to track our merino wool from fibre to fabric to garment, using luminescent pigments that are invisible to the eye, but can be scanned with special equipment, to ensure our fabrics are secure and exactly what we say they are.

It’s all part of our commitment to you, to make sure you’re getting the best possible garments, made from the best possible merino.

Unfortunately, Fibre Fraud has become so common, governments around the world are now starting to introduce legislation to get on top of the problem. Rather than wait for any rules or regulations, we’re already doing that so you can be confident you’re getting what you paid for - nothing but the best, finest, Australian merino wool in our garments. 

It’s yet another reason why if you want outdoor clothing to help you enjoy your time outside even more, and to be comfortable with your clothing choices as much as you are in them, you should go with io.