Manchester-based womenswear label SHIBUI has now decided to widen its shareholder base having launched its first collection post seed round funding.
The SHIBUI team has attracted a total investment of £ 250,000 from former senior executives at The Hut Group, as well as seasoned e-commerce and fashion investors from the North West and London.
Speaking of the business’ eco credentials, Co-founder Jaimin Lakhani, says “With Manchester being renowned for fast fashion, we want SHIBUI to help shift towards a greener economy. It’s common knowledge that the next generations view sustainability as a key purchase driver, particularly in such an environmentally damaging industry as fashion.”
“We’ve launched SHIBUI with the vision of the brand becoming a global leader in the industry, pioneering style-led clothing which has been created using the most sustainable materials and practices.
The brand has taken a unique approach to manufacturing its products by founding three of its own dedicated micro-factories across Pakistan and Indonesia to support the local economies; investing in infrastructure and providing jobs for local unemployed men and women to earn a living for their families.
Working closely with its factory partners, SHIBUI is committed to working with the highest quality, most sustainable materials available, selecting the likes of organic cotton, recycled polyester and choosing to only use eco-friendly dyes to achieve the bold colour range.
Each garment is also fitted with a swing tag made from 100 per cent plantable seed paper.
The sustainability metrics of each garment can also be found on each product’s page on the SHIBUI website, including the amount of CO2 emissions avoided and plastic bottles diverted from landfill, to inform shoppers about their positive impact.
The brand has curated a mix of essential pieces including: sports bras, leggings, jersey sets and tracksuits – even extending to more style-led garments such as tennis dresses.
