Both as consumers and business owners, we can no longer continue to ignore the true cost of fashion. At MIGA Swimwear, we are committed to changing one of the most contaminating and unjust industries in the world.
This is how:
SUSTAINABLE SWIMWEAR
Raw Materials
Sustainable swimwear is what we are all about. We purchase directly from our fabric mill and exclusively use their Vita fabric which is made of 78% Recycled Nylon/ 22% Elastane, Standard 100 OEKO-TEX. This Italian fabric is made entirely of post-consumer polyamide yarns and regenerated waste material (think fishnets and carpets). We reuse most of our offcuts in the sample-making process of the next collection and reuse dead-stock in new collections in order to promote zero waste. We are currently working with our factories to ensure all remaining offcuts are recycled and we are always looking for new ways to incorporate renewable materials into our production. Additionally, our mailer is 100% recycled and the first-ever printed with algae ink.
Made in the US
All of our pieces are made in Los Angeles, California. We have a close, personal relationship with our manufacturing partners and we visit our factories yearly to check that the workers are working in safe and healthy conditions. Our factories comply with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Standards, including freedom of association, effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, elimination of forced, compulsory or child labour, and elimination of discrimination in respect of employment.
Many LA factories have lost clients over the years, some have even closed their doors, due to factories overseas and the pandemic. We are resolute in our decision to produce in the US since doing so creates jobs that directly impacts the local economy and, supports and retains high-skilled workers and manufacturing businesses in this county. Additionally, producing in the US diminishes our carbon footprint and thus, lowers pollution.
Plastics (And Microplastics)
We do not use hangtags and from collection to collection, we reuse poly-bags used during production in order to reduce the plastic use of our brand and ultimately, our customers.
Nylon-blends make swimwear comfortable, form-fitting and fast-drying. The down-side is that nylon is made from plastic and thus, non-biodegradable. Research has found that raw water (untreated water in the environment) contains on average 4.9 microplastics per litre, while potable water (water that has gone through a treatment process) contained only 0.00011 microplastics per litre. In order to avoid microplastics ending in our water and ultimately our food and bodies, we can reduce microfibre release through gentle hand-washing, our preferred way to take care of your MIGA pieces.
Animals
We do not use any kind of animal products in our supply-chain or conduct tests of any kinds on animals.
Longevity
We are committed to producing quality products made to last. Tests conducted by our fabric mill show that the fabric we use in all of our styles is twice as resistant to chlorine and suntan oils. Our guarantee is as follows: if after 2 years or 100 wears, whichever happens first, our styles don’t live up to their quality you can contact us and you will get a response from us. We will request documentation of what happened to the garment and you will receive a new style from us. Our hope is that in the future once our customers are done using their MIGA suit, they can send it back to us and we can work with our fabric mill to break down the fabric and regenerate the nylon again.
Campaigns
During our fashion shoots we aim to secure set locations and studios that place an emphasis upon renewable-energy, as well as keep our waste limited on location (meaning any trash that arrives with us, leaves with us). We also do local shoots with local teams in order to keep our carbon footprint low.
PEOPLE
Real inclusion and equality can only occur if we include in our internal team, campaigns and throughout our brand people of all abilities, Black, LGBTQ+ and all age groups.
We do not seek inclusion at the expense of excluding other groups. We refuse to “tick a box” and are committed to casting non-traditional features, as well as models of all walks of life.
We donate 5% of our stock to members of the disability, visible difference and chronic illness community. If you or someone you know cannot afford one of our pieces, contact us and we will do our best to provide you/them with one. Throughout the year we also partner with organizations that raise awareness about health conditions and donate a percentage of net sales to their cause, like Global Genes and Girls With Guts, as we believe that only through increased awareness, education, representation and engagement can we combat ableism and contest the stigma of looking differently.
From our founder: “Acknowledging my privilege as a white-passing Latina, I promise to put in the work. I promise to continue to dismantle the biases I grew up with and the prejudices I learned along the way. I promise to continue to learn and listen and make sure that those around me do better. I will continue to hold space for conversations about anti-Black racism in our community. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but together we can get closer to coexisting in a more tolerant and accepting world.”
COVID19
The pandemic brought unprecedented changes to the world. In May 2020, we decided to adjust our prices to reflect firstly the needs of our community and secondly the tough economic times ahead, by lowering our prices 30%, in some cases 40%. As COVID19 continues to be a threat, we are committed to making sure that everyone in our supply-chain as well as everyone that is part of our campaigns will follow all of the CDC requirements, including keeping 6 feet distance, always wearing masks and when possible, gloves, as well as constantly using sanitizers and temperature checks. Additionally, during shoots we will limit the number of attendees, as well as the contact with models.