BeauTex Designs is an Australian owned company cleaning up supply chains, and director Brooke Jones, has made it her mission to facilitate a better way of manufacturing socially, environmentally, and ethically. In 2018, what started as a small collection of bleach and hair resistant clothing for hairdressers has now grown into a ground-breaking waste to workwear solution that tackles both plastic and textile waste on a global scale.

Their latest project has been a collaboration with Australian professional haircare brand, De Lorenzo, to create promotional t-shirts from the innovative BeauTex recycled fabric made from recycled plastic bottles and fishing nets.

De Lorenzo and BeauTex couldn’t be more aligned. Vegan certified and environmentally sustainable Australian owned brand themselves, the partnership between them advocates sustainability through every step of the process even down to the recycled cardboard swing tags on each garment.

“The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter to our planet, not to mention the social exploitation that goes on in the industry,” Brooke said. “Many large corporations are turning a blind eye to keep costs low, so it’s exciting to be working with De Lorenzo on a project that is going to have such a positive impact on our planet and the industry.”

Fabrics are cut and sewn here in Australia then screen-printed with a Brisbane business, making the process consciously designed from start to finish in order to support micro-businesses and factories who share the vision and commitment to a better way of manufacturing. 

“As we grow, they grow, and it’s been one of the most rewarding things for me to be able to connect large companies like De Lorenzo with these smaller businesses that may never have had the opportunity to work together otherwise,” Brooke said.

The shirts are made from RPET recycled plastic water bottles and discarded fishing nets extracted from the ocean. Then dyed from OEKO-TEX that eliminates toxic runoff into our oceans that would harm sealife and people.

De Lorenzo and BeauTex teamed up with Mantua Sewing Studio, a local social enterprise that provides work and training to women from refugee and migrant backgrounds, so that they can earn an income and support their families.

“It has been great to align with a company like BeauTex that truly shares our values,  they have been  able to source and supply us with a sustainable fabric for our shirts, but it is even so much better that there is absolutely no waste involved which really closes the sustainable loop whilst also assisting Australian families in need of work,” said Bridget Bajada De Lorenzo Marketing Manager.

This project with De Lorenzo is the first of many with discussions already underway to create more social enterprise t-shirts sewn by Mantua, using the BeauTex fabric, for national brands in an array of industries.