Tootsa to temporarily halt production for SS20

Sustainable and unisex childrenswear brand Tootsa has announced that it is “pressing pause” on new collections for 2020 and will be temporarily halting production for spring/summer 2020.

The move the brand states comes amidst the uncertainty of Brexit, which it states it will use as a “catalyst for sustainable growth” by using the time to improve the brand’s sustainability, while also protecting the company from what it calls the “the inevitable financial fall-out Brexit will have on small fashion businesses”.

Tootsa founder and designer Kate Pietrasik, told FashionUnited over e-mail: “Brexit has created great economic insecurity and as a small company Tootsa does not have the deep pockets of ‘big business’ to make multiple contingency plans. Furthermore, stockpiling is not an ethical option.

“Strategically cutting supply costs gives us time to assess the impact of Brexit will have on importing, manufacturing in Europe and peoples buying power. But it also gives us a great opportunity to focus on growing the brand ethically. We will use the time positively and wisely to improve our ethical supply chain and use of circular resources.”

The brand’s strategy is that by taking a break from producing new collections it will help them deal with any short-term difficulties Brexit poses to small fashion businesses, whilst allowing them the time focusing on it’s goal to build a “better, thriving and socially responsible business leading the way in sustainable fashion”.

British childrenswear brand Tootsa to use Brexit as a "catalyst for sustainable growth”

Tootsa, which launched eight years ago focusing on a ‘slow fashion model’ of #buylesschoosewell by producing quality pieces designed to be handed down from child to child, whatever the gender, has added that it will continue to trade and maintain the UK and International customer loyalty by re-launching stock from former seasons.

This it notes will reduce costs, but will also allow it to highlight its core sustainable values and dedication to reducing waste by offering customers the chance to shop past collections, alongside its push to promote its reduce, re-use and repair schemes and it’s charitable recycling service. Tootsa encourages its customers to mend pre-loved clothing instead of throwing clothes away, and all customers are eligible for the free-repair scheme, which provides trims and patches to keep Tootsa clothes lasting longer.

“Re-launching stock from past collections makes sense for the brand. Whilst many fashion retailers would rather dispose of old or “dead” stock to landfill than openly admit to customers it is selling past collections,” added Kate Pietrasik. “We have also felt that offering new collections every few weeks is ethically wrong, socially irresponsible and simply led by greed. Throwing away beautifully crafted and wearable clothing is not something we want to do.”

Tootsa offers collections designed exclusively for children, they don’t have separate sections for boys and girls, just bright and cheerful clothing, with pieces featuring positive messages. This is highlighted by the brand’s autumn/winter 2019 ‘Endangered Creatures’ collection that has been designed to inspire children to campaign for and protect the creatures that are being threatened with extinction, with designs including slogan T-shirts with ‘Vote for Me’ and ‘Revolution’.

Images: courtesy of Tootsa