Our Sustainability — Dayhawks & Co.
CONSCIOUS
Our Sustainability — Dayhawks & Co.

Fashion
with a
Conscience.

From leather jackets to linen dresses, denim coats to knitwear — everything we make at Dayhawks carries a responsibility. Responsibility to the people who wear it, the people who make it, and the planet that supplies it.

100% By-product leather hides
Zero Polybag packaging
LWG Certified tanneries
"We design for identity, elegance, and power — and we refuse to build that on an unsustainable foundation."
— Dayhawks & Co.

Dayhawks is a fashion house and a leather manufacturer. That dual identity gives us a rare advantage: we control the process from raw material sourcing all the way to the finished garment on your back. That means we also carry full responsibility for what happens in between.

Our collections span womenswear and menswear — suits, coats, dresses, jackets, knitwear, denim, shirts, and accessories. Each category brings its own sustainability challenges, and we take each one seriously on its own terms. There is no single answer that covers everything. So we have built a framework specific to every part of what we do.

This page is not a manifesto of perfection. It is an honest, category-by-category account of where we stand, what we are committed to, and where we still have work to do. We believe the fashion industry's first obligation is honesty — so that is where we start.

Leather Manufacturing

Our Leather.
Responsibly Made.

Dayhawks manufactures premium leather outerwear, jackets, and accessories. Every hide we use is a by-product of the food industry — sourced, tanned, and crafted under verified standards.

🐄 01 — Sourcing

By-Product Hides Only

All leather comes from bovine, ovine, and caprine hides that are by-products of the food industry. No animal is bred or slaughtered for its skin alone. We source exclusively from certified food-processing facilities with traceable regional origin documentation.

🧪 02 — Tanning

Responsible Tanning Chemistry

Our preferred method is vegetable tanning using natural bark extracts — bark, chestnut, mimosa. Where chrome tanning is required for performance leathers, we exclusively partner with LWG Gold-rated tanneries using closed-loop chrome recovery achieving 98%+ reuse, fully ZDHC MRSL compliant.

💧 03 — Water

Water Stewardship

Leather tanning is water-intensive. Our tannery partners operate drum-cycle reduction, grey water recycling, and full effluent treatment plants. We target and achieve up to 60% water reduction versus the unaudited industry average across our supply chain.

✂️ 04 — Cutting

CAD-Optimised Zero-Waste Cutting

Every hide is digitally mapped via CAD optimisation before a single cut is made. This maximises yield and minimises offcuts. Offcuts above 10cm² are retained for belts, gloves, and accessory trimmings. Smaller shavings go to composting or biomass energy partners.

🔨 05 — Construction

Built to Last 30+ Years

All Dayhawks leather pieces use full-grain or top-grain leather, solid brass hardware, waxed linen or bonded nylon stitching rated for 50+ years, and hand-stitched linings. Durability is our primary sustainability statement — a jacket worn for 30 years generates a fraction of the footprint of synthetic alternatives replaced every two.

🔄 06 — Afterlife

Repair, Re-Dye, Restore

Every Dayhawks leather piece qualifies for our lifetime repair programme. We re-stitch, re-dye, replace linings, and restore hardware. Leather that is too worn to wear can be returned for responsible recycling or repurposing into offcut accessories — keeping material in use and out of landfill.

Fashion Collections

Apparel.
Category by Category.

Our sustainability approach varies by category because the challenges are genuinely different. Here is how we handle each part of our range — from suits to denim, knitwear to accessories.

👔
Suits & Tailoring
Men & Women — Western & Office Cuts
🧥
Coats & Jackets
Outerwear & Seasonal Pieces
👖
Denim & Knitwear
Casual & Everyday
🧤
Accessories
Gloves, Belts, Scarves & More

Our tailored suits — from feminine western cuts to structured office silhouettes — are constructed using premium interlinings, shape-retaining canvases, and precision-stitched seams built for years of wear. We design suits to be enduring wardrobe investments, not seasonal throwaway pieces.

Fabrics are selected from mills with verified environmental credentials. Where wool is used, we source from RWS-certified (Responsible Wool Standard) supply chains. Our suit linings use OEKO-TEX® certified materials — free from harmful substances — and are fully replaceable as part of our repair service.

  • Fabrics from mills with environmental certification or audited supply chains
  • RWS-certified wool sourcing where applicable
  • OEKO-TEX® certified linings — safe against skin, replaceable on repair
  • Precision tailoring for longevity — suits designed for decades, not seasons
  • Pattern-cutting optimised to minimise fabric waste per unit
  • No disposable garment bags — each suit arrives in reusable cotton canvas

Our coats and non-leather jackets — including cotton/lyocell blends, wool coats, and denim outerwear — are designed for seasonal durability and cross-wardrobe versatility. Classic cuts and neutral palettes mean pieces integrate into wardrobes for multiple years, reducing the frequency of replacement.

Insulation where required uses recycled polyester fill. Outer shell fabrics are selected for dye fastness and colourfastness ratings of 4–5 (ISO standard), minimising dye runoff in the wash cycle. Hardware is solid metal — no decorative zinc alloy or coated buttons that degrade and chip.

  • Recycled polyester insulation where outerwear fill is required
  • High dye fastness ratings (ISO 4-5) — minimal wash runoff
  • Solid metal hardware — no zinc alloy coatings that chip and contaminate
  • Classic silhouettes designed for multi-year wearability across trend cycles
  • Fabric testing against pilling (Martindale 40,000+ cycles) for durability
  • Cotton/Lyocell blends selected for lower environmental water impact

Denim is one of fashion's most resource-intensive materials. We acknowledge that and work to address it at every stage. Our denim is sourced from mills operating water-reduction programmes, and wherever possible we use stone-washed finishes achieved through enzymatic washing rather than traditional pumice stone, which generates abrasive waste and excess water use.

Our knitwear — fine-knit V-necks, casual jumpers, and layering pieces — is made from natural and low-impact fibre blends. We test all knitwear for pilling and wash stability to ensure pieces that maintain their appearance and stay in rotation for years.

  • Denim from mills with active water reduction and treatment programmes
  • Enzymatic washing over pumice stone — lower water waste, cleaner effluent
  • Natural and low-impact fibre blends in all knitwear
  • Pilling tested to ISO 12945 — only pieces with 4+ star durability ratings shipped
  • Natural indigo and low-impact synthetic dyes where possible
  • Denim shorts, skirts, and jeans cut from single-width rolls to reduce remnant waste

Accessories at Dayhawks — belts, gloves, scarves, and small leather goods — are either manufactured from leather offcuts from our main production runs, or from natural fibres. Using offcuts for accessories is one of our most effective zero-waste strategies: material that would otherwise be discarded becomes a finished product.

Scarves and fabric accessories are woven from natural fibres (wool, cotton, linen) with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification. Gloves use leather sourced from the same audited, traceable supply chain as our main leather range.

  • Leather belts and accessories manufactured from production offcuts where possible
  • Gloves: same LWG-certified leather supply chain as main leather range
  • Fabric scarves: natural fibres with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification
  • Hardware on belts and accessories: solid brass or stainless steel — no plated zinc
  • Accessories packaged in recycled kraft sleeves — no individual plastic bags
Materials We Work With

Our Fabrics.
Our Standards.

Every material we use is selected against criteria of longevity, environmental performance, and supply chain traceability. Here is where each key material stands.

Full-Grain Leather
Used In: Jackets · Coats · Belts · Gloves

By-product sourced, LWG-certified tanneries, vegetable or controlled chrome tanning. Biodegradable, repairable, 30+ year lifespan. Our strongest sustainability story.

Wool & Blends
Used In: Coats · Suits · Knitwear

RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) certified supply chains. Natural fibre with strong biodegradability, thermoregulatory properties, and long wear life that reduces replacement frequency.

Organic Cotton
Used In: Shirts · T-shirts · Tops · Dresses

Sourced from GOTS-certified (Global Organic Textile Standard) suppliers. No toxic pesticides, reduced water use versus conventional cotton. Key material for our women's and teen ranges.

Denim
Used In: Shorts · Jackets · Dresses

Sourced from water-responsible mills. Enzymatic washing finishes. Natural and low-impact indigo dyes. Tested for wash-fastness and pilling resistance to ensure maximum product lifespan.

Lyocell (Tencel™)
Used In: Blended Jackets · Dresses · Tops

Produced in a closed-loop solvent process, recovering 99%+ of chemicals for reuse. Biodegradable, soft against skin, lower environmental impact than viscose. Used in our cotton/lyocell blended outerwear.

Linen & Natural Fibres
Used In: Summer Dresses · Scarves · Accessories

Linen is one of the most naturally sustainable fibres — grown without irrigation or pesticides in most European climates, fully biodegradable, and extraordinarily durable with age. Used in our lighter seasonal pieces.

How We Ship

Packaging.
No Waste. No Compromise.

The last thing we want is for a responsibly made garment to arrive in irresponsible packaging. Every element of our dispatch has been redesigned from scratch.

📦

Recycled Kraft Boxes

All outer packaging uses 100% recycled kraft board from FSC-certified sources. Boxes are fully recyclable at standard household kerbside collection. No laminated or foil-printed boxes — these contaminate recycling streams.

🚫

Zero Polybags

We have eliminated single-use plastic polybags entirely across all product categories — apparel, leather, and accessories. No exceptions. This change was completed across our full range in 2024.

🧺

Cotton Muslin Garment Bags

Every leather piece and premium garment arrives in an unbleached cotton muslin storage bag. This replaces the polybag entirely and becomes a long-term storage solution for the customer — designed to be kept and reused for decades.

🏷️

Leather-Scrap Care Tags

Product care labels and tags are stamped on leather offcuts from our production runs. No virgin paper hang tags with plastic fasteners. Even our smallest packaging component closes the loop on material waste.

Third-Party Standards

Certifications &
Compliance

We hold ourselves to internationally recognised third-party standards across leather, textiles, chemicals, and packaging — verified by annual independent audits.

🏅
LWG
Leather Working Group

Gold-rated tannery partners audited annually for water, energy, waste, and chemical management. The leather industry's highest environmental standard.

🌱
ZDHC
Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals

All chemicals across leather tanning and textile dyeing verified against ZDHC MRSL at gateway-verified level. No hazardous substances discharged into waterways.

🌿
OEKO-TEX®
Standard 100 — Textile Safety

Applied to all fabric linings, knitwear, and accessory textiles. Certifies that every component of a garment is free from harmful substances — tested for 100+ substances.

🐑
RWS
Responsible Wool Standard

Wool used in our suits, coats, and knitwear is sourced from RWS-certified farms practising responsible land management and animal welfare standards.

🔬
REACH
EU Chemical Regulation

All finished products comply with EU REACH. AZO dyes, formaldehyde, and heavy metals tested to EN ISO standards across our full apparel and leather range.

🌱
GOTS
Global Organic Textile Standard

Cotton used in our shirts, tops, and dresses sourced from GOTS-certified suppliers — verified organic agriculture, no toxic pesticides, fair labour throughout.

🪵
FSC
Forest Stewardship Council

All paper packaging, tissue wraps, and printed inserts sourced from FSC-certified or recycled sources. Zero virgin pulp from high-conservation-value forests.

⚖️
SMETA
Sedex Ethical Trade Audit

All manufacturing facilities audited against SMETA standards covering labour rights, health & safety, environment, and business ethics. Audits conducted annually.

People & Community

Sustainability Is
Also About People.

Environmental responsibility without social responsibility is incomplete. We hold ourselves to the same standard of care for the people who make our clothes as for the materials they use.

⚖️

Living Wage Commitment

We pay at or above the living wage benchmark in every country we manufacture. Wages are benchmarked annually against the Fair Wage Network's country-level data. No piece-rate systems that incentivise speed over quality, safety, or wellbeing.

🏭

Safe & Audited Facilities

Every manufacturing facility — both apparel and leather — is audited annually under SMETA standards. Tannery workers handling chemicals receive full PPE provision, chemical safety training, and scheduled occupational health assessments. Fire safety and building integrity checks are mandatory.

🎓

Artisan Skills Investment

Dayhawks actively funds traditional craftsmanship training — hand-stitching, edge painting, pattern cutting, and leather saddle-stitch techniques. We partner with artisan workshops to run apprenticeship programmes, preserving skills at risk of being lost to industrial automation.

👗

Women in Manufacturing

The majority of our garment manufacturing workforce is women. We prioritise partners that provide management pathways, maternity rights, and safe working environments for female workers. Gender equity in the supply chain is a supplier selection criterion, not an afterthought.

🌍

Transparent Supply Chain

We publish the names and locations of our tier-1 manufacturing partners — tanneries, garment facilities, and finishing workshops. Annual third-party audit scores are made available on our Manufacturing & Global Export page. Hidden supply chains enable exploitation; transparency prevents it.

🤲

No Forced or Child Labour

Dayhawks has zero tolerance for forced labour, bonded labour, or child labour at any tier of our supply chain. This is a non-negotiable condition of all supplier contracts and is verified through both SMETA audits and direct facility visits conducted by our sourcing team.

Our Published Targets

Commitments,
Not Promises.

Every target below has a date attached and a person responsible internally. We publish them here so you can hold us to account.

✓ Completed — 2023

100% LWG-Certified Tannery Partners

Transitioned all leather supply to Leather Working Group Silver+ audited tanneries. Full tannery disclosure published on Manufacturing page.

✓ Completed — 2024

Zero Polybag Packaging Across All Categories

Eliminated all single-use plastic polybags from leather, apparel, and accessories dispatch. Replaced with cotton muslin and recycled kraft across the full range.

↻ In Progress — 2025

Leather Offcut Zero-to-Landfill

Currently at 84% diversion via accessory reuse, composting, and biomass energy. Target 100% diversion by Q4 2025.

Target — 2025

GOTS Cotton Across All Shirt & Top Lines

Transitioning all cotton used in shirts, tops, and dresses to GOTS-certified organic supply chains. Currently sourcing audit underway for full-range transition.

Target — 2026

Full Tier-2 Supply Chain Disclosure

Publishing names, locations, and audit scores for all tier-2 suppliers — chemical manufacturers, hardware, thread producers, and fabric mills — across leather and apparel.

Target — 2027

Third-Party Verified Carbon Footprint

Full scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon footprint calculation across all product categories, verified by independent environmental consultant and made publicly available.

Target — 2028

50% Vegetable-Tanned Leather Range

Transitioning at least half the leather range to vegetable and aldehyde-free tanning methods, beginning with heritage and lifestyle jacket lines in 2026.

Our Promise

Style.
Craft.
Conscience.

At Dayhawks, we believe the most powerful statement a fashion brand can make is not on the runway — it is in the choices made in the supply chain, the tannery, and the factory floor. This page is not marketing. Every claim here is backed by a supplier contract, a certification number, or a third-party audit result. If we fall short of a target, we will say so publicly and publish a revised plan. That is the standard we hold ourselves to — and the one you deserve.

— The Dayhawks & Co. Team