Our story
MAHWÉY is a Dutch brand from Rotterdam. Heavily inspired by the city’s open lay-out, the distinctive architecture, rough edges and appreciation for practicality. That’s where MAHWÉY’s eclectic approach to its designs come from. Our items are where the sturdiness and practicality of workwear meets the sleek designs of high fashion.
MAHWÉY is an environmentally and socially conscious brand. This entire About us page explains who, why and how we are who we are.
Our name is pronounced as “MA-WAY” and came to life as the result of a phonetical experiment based on the Turkish word “mavi”, which means blue. Blue is the favorite color of the founder, but also a universal color that stands for peace and freedom.
MAHWÉY is made for customers with an appreciation for fashion who dare to be seen. It’s not for those who don’t like to be seen. That’s why our slogan is “I am getting MAHWÉY.”
Our mission and vision
MAHWÉY’s main objective is to create durable and eclectic fashion items that will last for years. That’s why slow fashion is our game. Slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion and focusses on quality (is it well made?), sustainability (was it made with natural and/or eco-friendly materials?), durability (does it last long?) and ethical practices (were there fair wages and safe working conditions for the people who made it?).
Our values
Compassion
Acting with consideration, care, and relational understanding to all of our stakeholders (customers, employees, suppliers, neighbors, society, government, partners, nature and the planet).
Honesty
Being transparent about our products and our supply chain. That includes the heritage of our (raw) materials, our manufacturing process(es), the labour conditions in our ateliers, the sustainability of our business and what we give back to our world.
Fairness
Making sure that what we offer is made ethically.
People, the social bottom line
MAHWÉY pledges to adhere to local laws and regulations, to show respect to our stakeholders, and treat them with kindness.
We believe in motivating our staff by creating a healthy and safe working environment – physically, socially and emotionally. Zero tolerance when it comes to misconduct such as harassment, theft, fraud, inappropriate staring or leering, inappropriate language, discrimination, (verbal) aggression, assault, (sexual) intimidation, belittling, bullying or threatening. An unsafe working climate is not acceptable and will be acted on accordingly.
Lastly, child labour is something we are strongly against. We will regularly visit our manufacturers to see that no children are involved in the production of our
products.
Planet, the environmental bottom line
MAHWÉY will do anything in its power to keep its carbon footprint as little as possible. We believe in eco-friendly anufacturing. By using organic cotton, biodegradable dyes, energy efficient machines, the recycling or upcycling of (surplus) fabrics, and preventing the use of unnecessary large cargo boxes, we’ll actively be watching our carbon footprint.
Out of transparency, our first collection is not made with organic cotton and biodegradable dyes due to financial limitations. Stick with us, give us some time and we’ll make this happen because this really is one of our desires, but we’d need a larger budget for Research & Development (R&D) to test the combination of biological cotton coloured with eco-friendly dyes to see if it would withstand the wear and tear of daily use. Herein we pledge to invest more in R&D in our future collections.
Profit, the economic bottom line
MAHWÉY will support (local) businesses, pay (local) taxes, and create (local) job opportunities, as those things come naturally with MAHWÉY’s business activity, but we’re doing all these things with our own values in mind.
DURABILITY
MAHWÉY has a corporate social responsibility and that comes with the following: in current times, where consumerism has become an integral part of our modern day living, MAHWÉY
feels obligated to make its customers aware of conscious shopping. If we want to create a better world, we have to start with ourselves.
If you’re buying fashion items, make sure they’re durable. Check how well items are made (the stitching and seams, the attachment of buttons, rivets
and zippers, and the overall construction). Check what materials are used (synthetic fabrics tear much easier than natural fibers such as wool, linnen,
silk and cotton, but also make you perspire easier). Try to find out about the brand’s ethical practices by checking their website, what do they stand for?
Buy items that will last you years, and when you get tired of them, you can either sell, donate, or turn them in at a textile bin near you.
We’re in this together, so let’s do this the right way!