Monkee Genes

Monkee Genes create superior denim and apparel, carefully sourced and made with conscience. In 2006 Monkee Genes was born, launching a small denim collection built to offer something fresh to an already saturated and disposable denim market. The team set out to dispel the myth that sustainable fashion was dull and expensive. Since then the brand has grown into a ethical fashion brand offering innovative fits as well as an original apparel collection produced sustainably and ethically. Now we offer a growing range of organic jeans and ethical fashion to cater for all tastes. There is the staple skinny jeans and slim fit jeans collections, the men's chino, boyfriend jeans, loose fits and our signature wide fit jeans for men and women. "Monkee Genes was created to bring out true rhythm from your natural sensitivity. We achieve this by using carefully sourced fabrics made by people who care because they are being cared for! The Monkee Genes design, when all the ingredients are added in, evolves into a piece of clothing which you can't wait to put back on. Looking after your body and soul; this is the natural evolution of jeanswear, this is Monkee Genes!" Phil Wildbore, Owner and designer of Monkee Genes With fashion comes responsibility... Disillusioned with the throwaway attitudes of the high street, we create eco jeans styles built to last - and, hopefully, staple pieces you can’t wait to put back on. As a part of our ethical fashion manifesto and mantra, we work hard to protect the people who make our clothes. We work with factories who provide safe working conditions and a decent living wage. ‘No slave labour, no child labour, no blood, no sweat, no tears.’ All factories are regularly visited by Monkee Genes and we are very proud and happy with our working relationships with these great facilities. Join the movement calling for a fairer, safer and cleaner fashion industry. The 24th April 2018 will mark five years since the worst disaster in the history of the fashion industry. The collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building in Bangladesh killed more than 1,100 people and injured thousands. People across the world watched in shock as the media reports flooded in, revealing the increasing death toll and the harrowing survival stories of those horrifically injured in the collapse. People were waking up to the dangerous working conditions within the garment industry, but did the exposure provoke any change within the industry? The Rana Plaza Arrangement reached the target $30million in 2015 for a trust fund to those injured in the disaster. Contributions came primarily from the 29 global brands that had recent or current orders with at least one of the five garments factories in the Rana Plaza building. It was created to benefit the families affected by the events that day as many of the survivors were left unable to work ever again. These families needed the poor amount of money they earnt to shelter and feed their families. This arrangement was a lifeline, but despite a long campaign and reaching their target, not all brands that were associated with the affected factories actually paid up. In July 2016, 38 people were formally charged with murder in connection with the collapse of the Rana Plaza building. It was important that people were held accountable for the disaster, not only allowing for closure to the victims and their families but to also act as a deterrent and example for those trying to defraud the legislation set to protect the safety and welfare of workers. The victims have been compensated, the criminals have been convicted, but has the industry learnt from Rana Plaza? Not really. Whilst the consumers are still consuming, the demand for Fast Fashion isn’t losing pace. Illegal garment factories still exist and small scale disasters are undermined by media outlets. This is why Monkee Genes wants to help make a difference. We take the time to visit every factory we use to ensure the safety and welfare of garment workers. Everyone involved in making our jeans and new apparel range is paid a decent living wage. Our clothes are made with care because we care about the people that make them. We want to spare a thought for the men and women at the end of the supply chain, working hard to make your clothes. You can make a difference. ‘No Slave Labour, No Child Labour, No Blood, No Sweat, No Tears.’ “Organic is not an inspiration, it’s a choice of life. Nature is a pure balance, which we all need to protect. Profit above respect is man at his ignorant best.” Philip Wildbore, Founder and Designer of Monkee Genes The perfect pair of blue jeans is the single most important item in your wardrobe so it’s important we get it right. What is Organic Cotton? Cotton is fibre extracted from the humble cotton plant. This is a natural fibre which is very soft to touch, absorbent and breathable. Cotton is one of the most used fibres in the fashion industry due to its consumer friendly reputation. At Monkee Genes we don’t want to mess with nature, we want to work with it. Organic cotton is nearly identical to conventional cotton in the way it looks and feels, it’s how it is grown where we find the major differences. Most notably, organic cotton is free from the toxic pesticides and fertilisers that are normally used to protect and grow the plant. Instead, organic fertilizers and pesticides are used. This kind of farming has numerous benefits for the land, local community and consumer. Growing organically improves the quality of the soil and the wildlife needed to keep the land fertile. It also protects local water systems that can be contaminated by the harmful chemicals used in conventional cotton farming, as well as the farmers and pickers who are affected by the toxicity of the artificial pesticides. #DidYouKnow over 1 million people are hospitalised every year because of direct contact with harmful pesticides used in conventional cotton farming? A recent conclusion made by the WHO announced the harmful effect on the bee population from these toxic pesticides and artificial fertilisers, something they had previously denied. Bees are important as they pollinate our crops, but around the world many types of bees are in decline, if not extinct. Unfortunately, bees don’t know a good flower to a toxic one. Bees aren’t the only ones in danger; the ability of the worm to reproduce is also irreversibly damaged by the pesticides. Worms are crucial in maintaining the top soil, a catalyst for strong and healthy growth of the crop. Beehave