BUSINESS + FASHION The Travelling Kimono

Our tag line is Consciously Sourced . Ethically Made . Zero Waste

We live and breathe our ethos. It is our mission to lead the way in the fashion industry with this ethos and we believe it is important to not compromise on these values as the changes we make today can positively create change in the future.

We consider these ethos is everything that we do. This flows down through our employment of our women, our sourcing of deadstock fabrics right down to how we package our garments and post them.

Your business experience

The TTK journey started in 2013 when Janelle needed a creative outlet. She began sketching out designs of garments to fulfil this need and as the process unfolded she realised this was something she wanted to pursue. Having a desire to empower women combined with a then, basic understanding of the impact the garment industry has on people and the planet, she wanted to create something that not only reflected quality, comfort and style but something lasting that would make a difference in the lives of the women who make it.

COVID x Business 

Covid has affected our business like many other small businesses. Currently in Australia with all the rolling lockdowns it has been quite difficult  when you are not sure when things are going to open up and then again for how long. As a tourism town we have felt the absence of tourists being locked out of QLD. Our team in Vietnam is currently in a really strict lockdown at the moment as well and so we have had to pause production for the past 3months and not sure when we can commence again. So there is a lot of uncertainty. 

Sustainability practises within TTK 

Sustainability and the environment has always been at the forefront of every decision that we have made through every element of our business, from business cards, manufacturing, packaging and selling we  strive to choose the option which has the most minimal impact on the environment.

Sustainability and our environmental impact is ever changing and is something that we will continue to learn about and forever improve. We believe sustainability is the way of the future and it is our responsibility to make the right choices today that positively impact the planet for tomorrow and into the future.  

Throughout our whole production process we use ZERO plastics and have a ZERO waste policy which sees us using all fabric offcuts to make smaller items such as scrunchies, head scarfs, christmas stockings, eye masks and more. If we have larger quantities left we donate it to orphanages.

​​Our main aim is to source recycled deadstock fabrics while still seeking the most natural, organic fabrics we can in order to minimise our environmental impact. (deadstock fabric is fabrics that are left over from larger companies and will normally end up in landfill) 

We are always looking to minimise our impact and this includes offsetting our carbon footprint through a carbon neutral organisation 

Noosa!!!

We have a really strong local community that supports us here in Noosa from starting at markets 9 years ago and then to our boutique and online presence. consisting of people who love the brand and what we stand for, other like minded creatives and individuals and just some really beautiful people who we have met through the boutique or through networking or our creative workshops. 

Noosa is a tourism town though so we do get a lot of trade from tourists which has also been amazing as some of our best customers find our boutique on holidays and then continue to shop with us online 

Overseas ethical sourcing ?

Our production facilities are currently set up in our main seamstresses’ homes. This allows our women to work at their own pace while still being home to look after their families. 

We provide everything they need to work comfortably and safely.

The workload is split between houses and if there is an overflow of work it is often sent to other women in the community needing work, who then complete and send back to our seamstresses.

All our garments are made by hand so it is a slower process compared to bigger manufacturers but we love this about our brand, our seamstresses are  so important to us and providing ethical and sustainable work for them is one of our core values, they have become like our family. 

Your experience with making an EBOOK 

We have an ebook on how to start an ethical fashion label that I have put all my knowledge that I had learnt over the last 9 years into, with lots of tips and tricks that I wish I had known when I was first starting out. I just wanted to give people a realistic idea of the time and effort that goes into starting an ethical fashion label. 

Getting noticed/standing out on the market 

I think that you need to stay true to yourself, your style and your brand, as its easy to get swept up in ever changing trends and can lose your brand in it. People love transparency and knowing the people behind the brand. We show a lot of ourselves and our team especially through social media.