“Producing everything in Canada costs more financially, but producing overseas costs more ethically – and that is a cost we are not willing to pay.”
SUE CADMAN
PRESIDENT + CEO
Proudly made in Canada
Since Miik’s inception, being made in Canada has been a guiding principle for our founder Donna. She knew from the get-go that being locally made was a commitment we would uphold. From thread to hanger, every step of our production process from milling and dyeing our fabrics, to cutting and sewing the finished garments takes place within 50 km of our Toronto headquarters.
Custom milling is the process of making our own fabric – turning fibres from sustainable resources into yarn, and yarn into fabric. In Canada, custom milling has become increasingly challenging and expensive, and many clothing companies have moved their manufacturing overseas to cut costs. However, we believe that the advantages of keeping our production close to home are well worth it.
By manufacturing locally, we're able to ensure the highest quality standards, support our community, and reduce our environmental impact.
Reducing our environmental impact
STEPS TO A SMALLER CARBON FOOTPRINT
We're passionate about reducing the carbon footprint of our clothing, and we know that every little bit counts. That's why it has been a priority since Miik began to limit the distance our products travel during production.
Unlike many other fashion brands, we don't ship fabrics, notions, samples, and garments from country to country for each stage of production. Instead, everything happens right here in the Greater Toronto Area. We also make it easy to offset carbon emissions from shipping – at checkout, customers have the option to balance the carbon footprint of their parcel. Even contributing just $1 offsets 142 lbs of carbon emissions.
So when you shop with us, you can feel good knowing that you're making a sustainable and eco-friendly choice.
Proudly made in Canada
Since Miik’s inception, being made in Canada has been a guiding principle for our founder Donna. She knew from the get-go that being locally made was a commitment we would uphold. From thread to hanger, every step of our production process from milling and dyeing our fabrics, to cutting and sewing the finished garments takes place within 50 km of our Toronto headquarters.
“Producing everything in Canada costs more financially, but producing overseas costs more ethically – and that is a cost we are not willing to pay.”
SUE CADMAN
PRESIDENT + CEO
Custom milling is the process of making our own fabric – turning fibres from sustainable resources into yarn, and yarn into fabric. In Canada, custom milling has become increasingly challenging and expensive, and many clothing companies have moved their manufacturing overseas to cut costs. However, we believe that the advantages of keeping our production close to home are well worth it.
By manufacturing locally, we're able to ensure the highest quality standards, support our community, and reduce our environmental impact.
Reducing our environmental impact
A SMALLER CARBON FOOTPRINT
We're passionate about reducing the carbon footprint of our clothing, and we know that every little bit counts. That's why it has been a priority since Miik began to limit the distance our products travel during production.
Unlike many other fashion brands, we don't ship fabrics, notions, samples, and garments from country to country for each stage of production. Instead, everything happens right here in the Greater Toronto Area. We also make it easy to offset carbon emissions from shipping – at checkout, customers have the option to balance the carbon footprint of their parcel. Even contributing just $1 offsets 142 lbs of carbon emissions.
So when you shop with us, you can feel good knowing that you're making a sustainable and eco-friendly choice.
“I’ve always been passionate about the environment and reducing my own impact — so it made sense when I started Miik, to build eco-friendly practices right into every step.”
DONNA SMITH
FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR
“I’ve always been passionate about the environment and reducing my own impact — so it made sense when I started Miik, to build eco-friendly practices right into every step.”
DONNA SMITH
FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Choosing local
SUPPORTING CANADIAN BUSINESSES
By choosing Miik, you're not only getting high-quality, locally-made clothing, but you're also supporting the employment of talented tradespeople in an industry that's struggling to survive in Canada. We're proud to partner with multiple local manufacturers and contractors and in turn supporting our local economy.
Did you know clothing production in Canada fell from 40% in 2004, to 15% in 2011, and under 5% by 2015? Our team is committed to keeping the Canadian garment industry alive, and we believe that there's no shortage of talent and expertise right here at home.
Producing locally ensures quality
DIRECT OVERSIGHT OF PRODUCTION
At Miik, we have high standards for the quality and durability of our clothing. This is another advantage of keeping production close to home in the Greater Toronto Area.
We regularly visit the mills to see our fabric being knit and the dye houses to assess colours. We do frequent fittings at our sample studio to make alterations and ensure the perfect fit. We also visit all our sewing contractors to do quality control on final garments, and of course, we have our very own headquarters and distribution centre to oversee inventory and fulfillment.
Our involvement at every stage ensures that we deliver the highest quality products. Unlike many clothing companies that operate overseas, we're able to visit our contractors and do regular quality control checks. This is one of the many benefits of producing in Ontario, and we love that it allows us to have full control over our supply chain.
Fair and safe working conditions
COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL PRACTICES
We believe that every person involved in creating our clothing deserves to work in a safe, fair, and respectful environment. Unfortunately, garment workers in countries like India, Bangladesh, and Cambodia often face dangerous and exploitative conditions while producing cheap clothing for fast fashion brands.
According to Fashion Revolution, garments are the second highest at-risk product category for modern slavery. That's why we're committed to manufacturing our clothes in Canada, where our factories are held to strict labour laws, including fair wages.
Our team visits the factories in person to ensure that the working conditions are up to our standards. They visit our contractors several times a week. Our founder Donna and CEO Sue also check-in to ensure the ethical and sustainable standards are being upheld. And since everything is close, it’s easy for us to do so. (Did you know Sue and Donna are literally next door neighbours? They carpool less than 50km to get to any of our contractors.)
Choosing local
SUPPORTING CANADIAN BUSINESSES
By choosing Miik, you're not only getting high-quality, locally-made clothing, but you're also supporting the employment of talented tradespeople in an industry that's struggling to survive in Canada. We're proud to partner with multiple local manufacturers and contractors and in turn supporting our local economy.
Did you know clothing production in Canada fell from 40% in 2004, to 15% in 2011, and under 5% by 2015? Our team is committed to keeping the Canadian garment industry alive, and we believe that there's no shortage of talent and expertise right here at home.
Producing locally ensures quality
DIRECT OVERSIGHT OF PRODUCTION
At Miik, we have high standards for the quality and durability of our clothing. This is another advantage of keeping production close to home in the Greater Toronto Area.
We regularly visit the mills to see our fabric being knit and the dye houses to assess colours. We do frequent fittings at our sample studio to make alterations and ensure the perfect fit. We also visit all our sewing contractors to do quality control on final garments, and of course, we have our very own headquarters and distribution centre to oversee inventory and fulfillment.
Our involvement at every stage ensures that we deliver the highest quality products. Unlike many clothing companies that operate overseas, we're able to visit our contractors and do regular quality control checks. This is one of the many benefits of producing in Ontario, and we love that it allows us to have full control over our supply chain.
Fair and safe working conditions
COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL PRACTICES
We believe that every person involved in creating our clothing deserves to work in a safe, fair, and respectful environment. Unfortunately, garment workers in countries like India, Bangladesh, and Cambodia often face dangerous and exploitative conditions while producing cheap clothing for fast fashion brands.
According to Fashion Revolution, garments are the second highest at-risk product category for modern slavery. That's why we're committed to manufacturing our clothes in Canada, where our factories are held to strict labour laws, including fair wages.
Our team visits the factories in person to ensure that the working conditions are up to our standards. They visit our contractors several times a week. Our founder Donna and CEO Sue also check-in to ensure the ethical and sustainable standards are being upheld. And since everything is close, it’s easy for us to do so. (Did you know Sue and Donna are literally next door neighbours? They carpool less than 50km to get to any of our contractors.)
“I want to know that the people making our clothing are being treated with respect and being paid Ontarian living wages. And I won’t just leave this to assumption — I see it up close.”
SUE CADMAN
PRESIDENT + CEO
What we CAN'T do in Canada
PRINTS
We use a Canadian supplier to purchase our printed fabrics; however, our Canadian supplier stocks their resources from various locations. We ensure they are all OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified and sustainably made, but unfortunately, the fabric itself cannot be made in Canada. Once it's in our hands, however, all our Canadian contractors make those patterned fabrics into the finished styles you know and love.
FIBRE SOURCING
The source of some fibres (which are then used to mill yarn and make our fabric in Canada) have to come from overseas:
Rayon from bamboo and Beech tree fibres come from China: No matter how much we wish for it, Canada's colder climate simply isn't suitable for large-scale farming of these trees, which prefer warmer, tropical conditions.
“I want to know that the people making our clothing are being treated with respect and being paid Ontarian living wages. And I won’t just leave this to assumption — I see it up close.”
SUE CADMAN
PRESIDENT + CEO
What we CAN'T do in Canada
PRINTS
There’s very little that we don’t do in Canada – but we want to be transparent – the reason we don’t do these steps here is because of the dwindling textile industry in Canada.
We use a Canadian supplier to purchase our printed fabrics; however, our Canadian supplier stocks their resources from various locations. We ensure they are all OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified and sustainably made, but unfortunately, the fabric itself cannot be made in Canada. Once it's in our hands, however, all our Canadian contractors make those patterned fabrics into the finished styles you know and love.
FIBRE SOURCING
The source of some fibres (which are then used to mill yarn and make our fabric in Canada) have to come from overseas:
Rayon from bamboo and Beech tree fibres come from China: No matter how much we wish for it, Canada's colder climate simply isn't suitable for large-scale farming of these trees, which prefer warmer, tropical conditions.