bassike acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future traditional custodians and elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples.

responsibly made since 2006


we live our values, which centre on respect for our community, respect for local industry and respect for our planet. authentic clothes, honestly made.

responsible business


bassike was founded on three principles: considered design, responsible business and sustainable manufacturing. from the first collection in 2006, we designed with organic cotton and produced fabric and garments in australia. we could see local industry was in decline, so we set out to build a product and a business model that would continue to support manufacturing onshore.

in partnership with our trusted suppliers and makers, we work to make each step of every bassike garment’s journey as green as possible. we constantly ask questions big and small about how we can innovate, reinvent industry practice and further reduce our impact on our planet.

design


our philosophy centres on high-quality design and construction with a commitment to responsible, sustainable manufacturing. everything we make is created with intention, designed to be purposeful and produced with longevity in mind.

bassike garments are made to last from season to season and are honestly priced to factor in the quality of our luxury fabrications and local supply chain.

organic cotton jersey


the core of the brand is our signature organic cotton jersey, a unique, exclusive yarn perfected over time and knitted to our exact specifications. our cotton jersey can be machine washed and dried, making it easy to care for.

minimal by nature, the designs have subtle signature details such as twisted side seams, raw or asymmetric hems and contrast chain-stitching.

more than 95% of our cotton jersey garments are made with organic fabric. bassike organic cotton is global organic textile standard certified (GOTS) — no to pesticides and waste, yes to rain-fed crops and biodegradable end products. our cotton is up to 46% less emission-intensive than its conventional counterpart.

denim


like their wearers, each pair of bassike jeans is unique and will last beautifully if treated with love. this is because all bassike denim is of rare quality, handmade by third-generation artisans in kojima, japan, a district prized for its premium denim. partnering with local artisans allows us to harness hand-customisation techniques and specialist treatments to create the signature bassike washes.

as part of our commitment to embed sustainability in everything we do, bassike denim is a mix of organic and better cotton initiative (BCI) cotton. BCI is a certified sustainable program that helps farmers to minimise pesticide use, optimise water conservation and soil health and follow fair work principles.

we use only non-toxic natural indigo dye and process our denim in a state-of-the-art system that repurposes waste and recycles water. our denim wash house has iso 14001 environmental management certification and excess indigo is used as natural compost for local rose gardens and organic cotton farms.

from our iconic lo-slung slouch cut to the cult classic crop, our exclusive denim is available only in limited quantities from bassike.com and bassike stores.

leather


when we use leather, we do so thoughtfully, working with a reputable italian tannery. our leather garments and accessories are created to be an investment – classic pieces that will last season after season, contributing to the circular fashion economy.

environment


our collections are designed in australia, with more than 95% of our garments made in australia. these short supply chains mean a reduced carbon footprint and total transparency. our ready-to-wear collections use fabrics from artisanal makers in italy. we work with italian mills to source the most sustainable yarn at the time of development to deliver exclusive and innovative designs. our denim is created in a family-owned factory in japan that employs sustainable methods.

our major local manufacturing partners have transitioned to solar power and our linen mill is carbon neutral.

longevity, not landfill


in response to the fashion industry’s landfill problem, we have achieved zero waste with our jersey products. 97% of our jersey fabric is used to make garments and the remainder is donated to local mechanics to use as cloths or held for future production. we donate past season samples to an australian company that recycles garments into cleaning materials and have partnered with a local university to donate excess fashion fabrics for students to use. we are on track to reduce excess raw materials by 50% by 2025.

community


bassike was born in a beachside cottage at palm beach in sydney and our connection with nature continues to inspire us. we are consciously headquartered on the northern beaches, set between pristine national park and the pacific ocean. our team is passionate about preserving biodiversity and we reward this through our work culture.

passion and partnership


we know and regularly visit all our makers personally and are invested in their wellbeing and success. suppliers must adhere to the bassike code of conduct as a precondition of working with us. this goes beyond legal compliance to cover animal welfare, energy efficiency, ethical raw material sourcing, chemical and water use, waste, reuse and recycling.

balancing profit and purpose


bassike believes it is important to give back and supports local charities including the northern beaches women’s shelter, who work to protect women in crisis. our annual luncheon for nbws marking international women’s day has raised and contributed more than $223,000 since 2019. we also have a longstanding relationship with the mirabel foundation through our annual limited-edition mini t.shirt program, helping children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental substance abuse.

our current path


we still have progress to make as an industry if we are to meet the target of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

to this end, bassike is proud to be certified as a carbon neutral organisation by climate active – the government backed carbon neutral standard – in July 2021.

bassike has implemented initiatives that include offsetting transport emissions by planting trees with the nonprofit greenfleet; introducing compostable packaging; reusing plastics; switching the stores, warehouse and head office to efficient lighting and renewable energy through greenpower; using reclaimed materials in retail spaces; launching a centralised recycling program for our stores; ensuring all paper is fsc certified; and developing new sustainable fabrics.

with a focus on responsible business, we are committed to accelerating and amplifying positive change. bassike was recently recognised for its efforts by the 2020 australian fashion laureate, nominated in the category of sustainability innovation.

carbon neutral organisation


we have been formally certified as a carbon neutral organisation by climate active, the most rigorous and credible australian standard. this certification covers our operational emissions including: utilities for our head office and eight retail stores; global freight between customers, partners and suppliers; staff travel and commute; paper and office equipment; consumer and supplier packaging; third party services such as cleaning and printing; and waste and recycling. 

we first set out to understand and measure our carbon footprint as an organisation, followed by managing and minimising our emissions intensity by improving our operations and working back with our partners to implement positive change.

with this in mind, we have chosen to support four projects that align with our organisational footprint, not only backing projects in our home county of australia where we produce over 95% of our collections, but also programs that support other areas involved in our global supply chain:

• orana park natural capital: orana park is a 4,580ha farm north-west of bendigo, victoria owned by the tiverton agriculture impact fund. this verified carbon unit project serves as an exemplar practice of integrated regenerative farming, threatened species recovery and biodiversity solutions. ongoing work at orana park sees the restoration of vegetation as well as the establishment of a predator-proof sanctuary that will incubate australian threatened species and re-establish critically endangered wildlife

• aboriginal carbon foundation: the aboriginal carbon foundation aims to build wealth for traditional owners through the social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits of carbon farming projects. using traditional savanna burning methods, the projects prevent destructive australian bushfires by reducing the fuel load in a controlled manner and therefore reducing greenhouse gas emissions. by conducting this traditional burning in the early dry season when fires are cooler there is also more carbon stored in the soil and plants, keeping the land healthy

• mytrah energy wind power project: as well as providing a source of clean energy, this wind power project by mytrah energey improves the overall wellbeing of local communities in india. mytrah’s work in the community contributes to a number of the united nations sustainable development goals including; employment, clean water and sanitation, improved agricultural techniques, and educational and skills based training opportunities for everyone – including women and youth

• gujarat india wind power project: this renewable energy project has been supported in partnership with not-for-profit organisation greenfleet. the main purpose of the project is to generate renewable electricity using wind power and feed the generated output to the local grid in gujarat, contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. in addition to the generation of green energy, the project also exists to enhance the commercialisation of wind power in the region and alleviates poverty by providing employment opportunities and benefits. the improved quality and access to electricity in the region provides further opportunity for social and economic development

sustainable ethical manufacturing index (semi)


we created our sustainable ethical manufacturing index (semi) to audit our collections for sustainable and responsible best practice at every stage of production. this product ‘health check’ informs our designs and ensures all of our partners align with our values. anything that doesn’t meet our strict standards is substituted with a more sustainable option. this includes replacing all non-organic and non-certified fabrications used throughout our mainline and jersey collections where an organic or more responsible alternative is available.

our commitment


we are working with specialist consultants and the government-backed climate active program to achieve our goal of becoming a carbon neutral operation across our head office and retail stores by 2025, as well as being certified carbon neutral for our jersey program, which represents approximately 60% of our business.

we have set the below goals to achieve by 2025:

• become a certified carbon neutral organisation under the climate active program across our head office and retail stores - completed, july 2021

 

• achieve carbon neutral certification for our jersey program, which represents approximately 60% of our business

 

• continuous improvement across all bassike products to use the most sustainable and responsible option available, including replacing all non-organic and non-certified fabrications and;

 

• reduce excess raw materials by 50%.

these are ambitious goals requiring humility and unwavering focus. we are committed to keep making the right choices in order to live up to and build on our status as a pioneer in responsible fashion production.