Business Ethics

Our strive for excellence considers every part of the journey. 

Velviere continues to focus on being both Socially and Environmentally Friendly, taking the utmost consideration when selecting suppliers. 

As of 2020, all our materials are supplied by a single supplier, and great care was taken when selecting the right partner for Velviere. 

The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) prescribed the 10 official principles of fair trade (https://wfto.com/fair-trade/10-principles-fair-trade). Our supplier seeks to adhere to all 10 principles and the following is the summary of the current status:

Principle 1. Creating Opportunities for Economically Disadvantaged Producers.

Our materials are sourced from an online platform collating the best fabrics in Asia. These are suppliers with small businesses, predominantly located in South Korea's primary fabric market. One of the aims of our supplier is to help these small businesses prosper further, and to provide international revenue streams.

Principle 2. Transparency and Accountability

Our supplier is 100% transparent in its management and commercial relations within the organization. It is accountable to all its stakeholders and respects the sensitivity and confidentiality of commercial information supplied. Our supplier finds appropriate, participatory ways to involve employees, members and producers in its decision-making processes. Our supplier is doing its best to improve transparency of our fabric supply chain and working hard to provide relevant information to all its trading partners. 

Principle 3. Fair Trading Practices

Our supplier trades with concern for the social, economic and environmental well-being of marginalised small producers (fabric suppliers) and does not maximise profit at their expense. It is responsible and professional in meeting its commitments in a timely manner. Suppliers respect contracts and deliver products on time and to the desired quality and specifications. Our suppliers maintain long term relationships based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the promotion and growth of Fair Trade. It maintains effective communication with its trading partners (small fabric suppliers). Parties involved in a trading relationship seek to increase the volume of the trade between them and the value and diversity of their product offer as a means of growing Fair Trade for the producers in order to increase their incomes. 

Principle 4. Fair Payment

Our supplier adheres to all the minimum wage of Korea's labor law, which has increased 16 % in 2018, the largest jump since 2000. The change in working hours was a key campaign promise of President Moon Jae-in who was elected in 2017 on a populist platform if improving the lives of ordinary South Koreans by guaranteeing their "right to rest" South Korea cuts overworked employees' hours from July 2018. South Koreans are allowed 40 hours of regular work and 12 hours of overtime after parliament passed the revised bill in February 20181. Again, our supplier is making sure that employees do not work over 52 hours a week adhering to this law. As it is a fabric platform, it is a great challenge to thoroughly examine and investigate all of their suppliers' factory working conditions. However, with South Korea enforcing the minimum wage and maximum working hours policy, there has been visible changes in the small business industry in Korea.

Principle 5. Ensuring no Child Labour and Forced Labour

Our supplier adheres to the UN Convention on the Rights of Child, and national / local law on the employment of children. They ensure that there is no forced labour in its workforce and / or members or homeworkers. Fabric products that are made in South Korea either directly or through intermediaries ensure that no forced labour is used in production and the producer complies with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national / local law on the employment of children. Forced labor and child labor are prohibited in South Korea.

Principle 6. Commitment to Non-Discrimination, Gender Equity and Women’s Economic Empowerment, and Freedom of Association

Our supplier does not discriminate in hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership, political affiliation, HIV/AIDS status or age. They have a clear policy and plan to promote gender equality that ensures that women as well as men have the ability to gain access to the resources that they need to be productive and also the ability to influence the wider policy, regulatory, and institutional environment that shapes their livelihoods and lives. Organisational constitutions and by-laws allow for and enable women to become active members of the organisation in their own right (where it is a membership based organisation), and to take up leadership positions in the governance structure regardless of women’s status in relation to ownership of assets such as land and property. Where women are employed within the organisation, even where it is an informal employment situation, they receive equal pay for equal work. Our supplier recognises women’s full employment rights and is committed to ensuring that women receive their full statutory employment benefits. They take into account the special health and safety needs of pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers. The organisation ensures that representatives of employees are not subject to discrimination in the workplace.

Principle 7. Ensuring Good Working Conditions

Our supplier provides a safe and healthy working environment for employees and / or members. It complies, at a minimum, with national and local laws and ILO conventions on health and safety. Working hours and conditions for employees and / or members (and any homeworkers) comply with conditions established by national and local laws and ILO conventions. They are aware of the health and safety conditions in the producer groups they buy from. They seek, on an ongoing basis, to raise awareness of health and safety issues and improve health and safety practices in producer groups.

Principle 8. Providing Capacity Building

Our supplier seeks to increase positive developmental impacts for small, marginalised producers (small fabric suppliers in the Korean Dongdaemun fabric market) through Fair Trade.

They develops the skills and capabilities of its own employees or members. Our supplier works directly with small producers develop specific activities to help these producers improve their management skills, production capabilities and access to markets - local / regional / international / Fair Trade and mainstream as appropriate.

Principle 9. Promoting Fair Trade

Our supplier raises awareness of the aim of Fair Trade and of the need for greater justice in world trade through Fair Trade. It advocates for the objectives and activities of Fair Trade according to the scope of the organisation. They are currently making progress to provide its customers with information about itself, the products it markets, and the producer organisations or members that make or harvest the products. 

Principle 10. Respect for the Environment

Our supplier continues to make progress towards carrying fabric products from sustainably managed sources. They do not work with suppliers that produce leather/fur, opting for leather/fur alternatives only. They seek to minimise the impact of their waste stream on the environment. Finally, they prioritize buying products made from raw materials that originate from sustainably managed sources, and have the least overall impact on the environment.