Sustainability at Mou

Sustainability is
woven into the fabric
of our brand - its our dna


At mou we only use luxurious
natural materials from ethical and sustainable sources.


We believe being conscious means thinking carefully about the impact of our products on our planet, its resources, and its people.


We strive for sustainable practices and the use of natural, bio-degradable materials to minimise our impact on the environment as well as conserving energy where possible and making products that stand the test of time.


Shelley Titchborne, MOU’s founder, grew
up in New Zealand and was raised to be deeply aware of the importance of nature
conservation.


MOU was created to offer luxurious
footwear and accessories in premium eco-friendly natural fibres, far ahead of its time when the brand was established 20 years ago.  



Unfortunately, too many materials in today’s market are marketed as sustainable when they are quite the opposite, synthetic fibres
have an extremely energy-intensive production process, are made from
non-renewable fossil resources, they shed microplastic every time you wash them, and they can take 200 years to decompose.

 

MOU uses only premium skins and leathers that are naturally beautiful, long-lasting and in plentiful supply due to being by-products of the meat and dairy industries. MOU’s leathers are created using chrome and metal-free tanning methods. All the leathers are completely free from salt, chromium, acids, phosphorus, and aldehyde, these leathers are easily biodegraded and can be degraded up to 92% within 6
months under controlled conditions.

Every year, we visit our factories and personally oversee the standards of work. At MOU we think some of the beauty of a product comes from the spirit with which it is made, so people should be happy in their work.

All our packaging is made from paper and card demonstrating our commitment to forest conservation - everything is recyclable and is part of a circular
economy.

We believe in:

• Countering fast, cheap fashion

and damaging patterns of fashion

consumption

• Defending fair wages, working

conditions and workers’ rights, and

supporting sustainable livelihoods

• Addressing toxic pesticide and

chemical use

• Using and/or developing ecofriendly fabrics and packaging

• Minimising water use

• Recycling and addressing energy

efficiency and waste

• Developing or promoting

sustainability standards for fashion

• Tackling plastic packaging and

circularity initiatives to extend

product life and waste reduction

• Safeguarding the environment,

addressing carbon emissions,

renewable energy usage, water

consumptions and discharge

of chemicals

• Compliance with human rights

and labour laws, diversity and

closing the gender pay gap