Relax Rose Whale Blue Jeans

The Brand Story

MUD was founded in 2013 by Bert van Son. After 30 years experience in the fashion industry, he was aware of how dirty and unfair it can be. He had witnessed the extremely demanding lives of factory workers and the great demands of fashion on nature. 

He wanted to do things differently. So he started with a pair of jeans. 

MUD are an innovative company using new processes and materials to make their jeans. To produce one pair of MUD Jeans they use 1,500 litres of water, compared to an industry standard of 7,000 litres per jeans. They’re a carbon neutral company. Through a mix of factors such as renewable energy in their factories and recycled cotton they’re already using 61% CO2 than industry standard, but they go a step further and offset any carbon they do produce. They’ve also saved 12,000 pairs of jeans from landfill over the last 3 years through recycling. MUD's goal is to make a pair of jeans from 100% post-consumer recycled denim.

You can read their full sustainability report here.

Recycled Denim & Organic Cotton

Organic cotton is better for the soil, the farmers and their families due to the damage that can be caused by chemicals used in conventional cotton production. This organic cotton is certified by ECOCERT.

Post-consumer denim is recycled at RECOVER a third generation family business that has been operating since 1947. They take the metals out of old jeans then shred the jeans until they resemble a blueish version of virgin cotton. All the water, energy and manual labour needed to grow virgin cotton is avoided and replaced by a minimal amount of energy needed to shred the fabric.

After this the yarn is spun and sent to the fabric mill Teijdos Royo, just outside Valencia, where it is woven and dyed. Many employees have their roots embedded in the company because their parents and grandparents worked in the factory before them. MUD report that at Royo they see the team as the main company asset, so the factory is basically one big family.

The Cut & Sew Factory

The factory is located in Touza, a rural area of Tunisia. It has 550 employees, which is quite small for a garment manufacturer, Yousstex International radiates a family vibe when entering. Smiling faces and a relaxed atmosphere is what welcomes visitors.

With 400 women working at the factory, Yousstex International is a place for female empowerment. This is reflected in Yousstex’s union representatives, which are 50% women. Our colleagues at Yousstex International get three weeks paid leave and the owner Mr. Habib is a licensed pharmacist so all employees enjoy complimentary medicine if needed. Also, transportation to and from the factory is arranged for all employees for free.  

Where MUD can improve?

MUD want to provide fair and equal pay so we can enrich the livelihood of everyone working across their supply chain. Therefore, they aim to pay every worker in their supply chain a fair living wage, above the minimum wage.

In 2016, they were audited by the Fair Wear Foundation as part of their Young Designer Program. There were points for improvement, which have been solved through a Corrective Action Plan. Through a new audit, they will find out more about the wage situation at Yousstex International and compare the findings to their last audit and set action points.