taking responsibility


We take pride in our designs and we take pride in being a responsible company in the fashion industry. To us, Corporate Responsibility (CR) is about taking an open and active stand on how our designs are produced. Therefore, we have decided to work within the standards of the UN global compact - the world's largest voluntary corporate social responsibility initiative. We work closely with our trusted suppliers to become better together and uphold the strict standards for people and planet including human rights, labour and environment. If you want to learn more about our expectations towards our suppliers, please read Modström's Supplier Code of Conduct.



UN Global Compact


We support the UN Global Compact and the Compact's 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. By supporting the largest voluntary corporate social responsibility initiative in the world, the UN Global Compact, together with thousands of other companies, Modström can make a difference and ensure an even more responsible fashion industry, than we can on our own.
If you want to learn more about the Compact's 10 universally accepted principles and our ongoing communication, please read Modström's UN Global Compact Communication on Progress.



Our Suppliers


We strive to ensure that all of our garments are produced under proper conditions, and inform and guide our suppliers and subcontractors on our values and principles. We have great trust in our suppliers, and wish to build up long-lasting work relationships. Therefore, in case of non-compliance of our principles, we immediately take action and work alongside our suppliers to help them improve their work processes. If it is a matter of a serious violation of Modström's Supplier Code of Conduct, we do not hesitate to immediately terminate the cooperation.



DINNOEDHJAELP



A case very close to our hearts is the DINNoedhjaelp organisation founded by Anja Ringgren Lovén. The primary purpose with the organisation is to aid Africa's children and especially children accused of being witches. Modström has since 2014 sponsored a Child Development Officer and a Nurse to the DINNoedhjaelp orphanage in Nigeria. For every season we design a special charity style and donate the profit to DINNoedhjaelp.

LABOR



As stated in Modström's Supplier Code of Conduct, we have a clear stance, when it comes to the working conditions of the employees at our suppliers and subcontractors' factories. We do not tolerate any form of forced labor or child labor and all employees are entitled to a safe and healthy environment. We visit our factories around the world to make sure that the above principles are complied with. Also, we have deliberately chosen to place our production with suppliers, who also manufacture garments for some of the world's major fashion companies. These companies have greater resources, than we as a small Danish company do, and are therefore able to more regularly conduct audits at the factories, thus keeping a very strict supervision. This provides us with a further guarantee that our high standards are met.

PRODUCTION



When entering into a contract with a supplier, we stipulate that the supplier signs a declaration stating that the supplier under no circumstances will manufacture garments that bear risk to consumers' safety. In specific, no products can contain any harmful substances. Further, we require that no employees are exposed to substances that bear risk to the employees' health. We closely monitor the development of the legal regulation of substances, and if new requirements occur, we immediately inform our suppliers. Just as well, as we expect our suppliers to constantly follow the legal situation in their countries.


ANIMAL WELFARE



Modström's collections contain a few styles with fur collars. We mainly use raccoon dog fur from China for our outerwear collars. Animal welfare is important to us. Therefore we require that all of our suppliers and subcontractors treat animals with respect and that the breeding, keeping and production shall be done professionally and in the most humane way as stated in our Supplier Code of Conduct. We strictly forbid wild living animals to be captured. Further, we have chosen to place our fur production with suppliers, who also work for some of the biggest fashion companies in the world. These companies regularly conduct inspection at the factories, which together with our own inspection, gives us a guarantee that our high standards are being met. However, China has no legal requirements regarding animal welfare, so please read the facts below.



Raccoon dogs


Raccoon dogs in captivity are breed for fur. Fur breed mainly takes place in China and Finland. The size of the cages varies from 0.6 to 1 square meter. The height of the cages varies from 60 to 75 centimetres. At Modström we believe in the freedom of choice and think that fashion is a personal choice. Therefore we design our outerwear with both genuine fur and faux fur. It´s your choice


Faux Fur Advantages



• Faux fur is a fabric - that makes sewing relatively easy

• Faux fur does not encourage animals in factory farms like real fur

• Faux fur does not require cold storage to prevent deterioration and is impervious to moths

• Faux fur cheaper than real fur

• A 1979 study commissioned by the Fund for Animals argued that the energy consumption for the production of one coat made out of faux fur was 120 MBtu, compared to 433 MBtu for trapped animals and 7,965 MBtu for animals raised in fur farms


Disadvantages

• Faux fur is not as warm or insulating as real fur

• Faux fur is not a natural material, therefore the wearer's skin cannot breathe like it would in real fur or leather

• Faux fur is made from several materials including blends of acrylic and mod acrylic polymers derived from coal, air, water, petroleum and limestone. Unlike natural real fur, these materials can take a long time to break down (anywhere from 500 to 1,000 years)

• Faux fur are not able to keep snow from melting and re-freezing on the fiber filaments

Genuine Fur (Raccoon dog) Advantages



• Real fur is warm and isolating

• Real fur is a natural material, therefore the wearer's skin can breathe

• Real fur will not freeze when worn in snow or freezing weather due to the hollow fibers


Disadvantages

• The animals which fur are used in the fashion industry are breed in captivity

• The real fur used in Modströms collections are mainly from Chinese raccoon dogs, and China does not have any animal rights living up to European standards, however they do live up to the international law

• Real fur is more expensive than faux fur

• A 1979 study commissioned by the Fund for Animals argued that the energy consumption for the production of one coat made out of real fur was 7,965 MBtu compared to 120 MBtu for faux fur