New Zealand Clothing manufacturing is unfortunately a dying industry. This is an issue that needs to be resolved.
New Zealand owned clothing producers are demising. Asian competitors are becoming the only choice for many labels. They offer a company the convenience of a cheap, fast and effective service. Recently garment manufacturing in New Zealand has become even more difficult as the government has removed many essential importing regulations between New Zealand and China. The label that has become increasingly familiar "Made in China" is often a result of sweatshops in China which undertake extreme methods including child labor to produce garments at fast rates and cheaply. This video showcases such environments;
New Zealand owned clothing producers are demising. Asian competitors are becoming the only choice for many labels. They offer a company the convenience of a cheap, fast and effective service. Recently garment manufacturing in New Zealand has become even more difficult as the government has removed many essential importing regulations between New Zealand and China. The label that has become increasingly familiar "Made in China" is often a result of sweatshops in China which undertake extreme methods including child labor to produce garments at fast rates and cheaply. This video showcases such environments;
Understandably, it is a belief, that our larger clothing businesses need the facilities of Asian Clothing manufacturing as our current New Zealand services will not suffice with large orders in the regards to resources. A pattern which is apparent, is that the only demographic which currently supports the New Zealand clothing manufacturing industry are niche markets. Markets which are independently owned, boutique retail stores. Companies such as MW clothing provide services for these particular markets.
MW for example, only have 30-60 staff sewing machines, which make it rather difficult to take on large projects. According to Mike Stevenson and Fay Jones from MW clothing, a lack of sewers, which skills cater for the quality required at MW, are found to be few and far between. This is because many expert sewers in New Zealand are at retirement age, such employees were taught sewing to a high level when the clothing manufacturing business in New Zealand was exceptionally profitable and booming and when importing and exporting was much more difficult.
The benefits of supporting Clothing manufacturing in New Zealand, is because we are simply backing a locally owned, locally quality controlled industry. It would be a wise investment as New Zealand is already rich with the resources required, fabrics such as- wool and merino. One must support this dying industry and the effort to find a solution to this issue.
Oh my goodness! This is the worst day ever. I am up way too late, and I am way too engrossed in this topic of clothing haha, that I pressed on one of the 10 links you posted, INSTEAD OF opening in another tab - and I lost this whole GIGANTIC piece of feedback that I've been writing. Not impressed. Clearly, this is not ideal. Hahaha. I'll start again when I'm over the loss of that last post, sheesh. Haha.
ReplyDeleteMiss Kelly!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for me to forget about the past and be happy with anything that I write in this new post because the old one was everything I wanted to say haha, now I just feel like a big phoney writing what I think I can remember writing.. Collect yourself, Davy, collect yourself... Haha. Begin again.
Basically, I am so so thrilled with your topic - can I just how much of a fan I am of clothing? And how much cooler this topic is because you're including New Zealand! Clothing Manufacturing in New Zealand, I was captured from the get go. Your introduction post here is really cool, and super informative. "Because many expert sewers in New Zealand are at a retirement age" - whoa, I didn't even think about that, but it's so true ay. We need to sit underneath the teaching of these great, legend grammas/grampas and learn the skills of the masters, so that we can pass it on and have an overflow of sewing pros that rule the roost. I was also stoked to hear about that company MW. I had never heard about them before, and I happen to be in Nelson on holiday at the moment, so I might see if I happen to bump into the MW store on my journey round this place. I know of a few NZ designer brands: Lizzie Turner http://riddlemethis.co.nz and Katie Maree Cole http://www.katiemareecole.com and they're really cool - such lovely items of clothing! Have you heard of em? I ASSUME their clothing is made here... Unless they're just Kiwis, but get their stuff made overseas?! .. I should do my homework on this sort of thing really haha..
I'm stoked with how informative you have been in this post, and it's also really cool with the Contribution to GDP diagram down the bottom too. I reckon, and you have probably already thought about this, but you should chuck some more pictures up! Clothes pictures too, please, that would rule. Even pictures about things you spoken about, like MW or something. Also, I don't know if it will affect our marks or anything, but you should sus out a cool clothing/or New Zealand related theme for your blog background! That would rule. I'm not the greatest with blog feedback - I just pick out my favorite things/ and other random bits and waffle like there's no tomorrow! Haha. I hope that there were some helpful bits of info in here though haha. I really am looking forward to seeing the your blog in its finale days! I will even go as far as to follow this blog! Haha. If I can figure it out...