Our take on 1083’s ethical and sustainable approach

Percentage of eco-friendly products in the whole collection

Information published by 1083 :

1083 uses an overwhelming majority of eco-friendly materials in its collections. These include organic cotton, which all the jeans are made of, linen, recycled polyester and recycled cotton. The glue used for some items is water-based.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ 1083 seems very committed to using eco-friendly materials. For example, all the jeans made by the brand are made largely from organic cotton or recycled materials.

🔴 The brand claims a jean travels a maximum of 1083km. However, the cotton doesn't come from France but from Tanzania. The 1083km are therefore counted from when the organic cotton arrives in France.

Approach to environmental labels

Information published by 1083 :

1083 mentions various labels, including the GOTS label, which certifies that the cotton used for all the brand's jeans and for most of its products is organic cotton containing no pesticides or insecticides.

The Global Recycle Standard, Imprim’vert and Oeko-Tex labels also certify various products of the brand, such as the yarn, the embroidery and the finishing.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ The presence of recognised labels is in line with 1083's approach and gives a clearer picture of each product's characteristics.

Other eco-friendly initiatives

Information published by 1083 :

1083 jeans are washed out by laser in Romans-sur-Isère (26), which means no water is needed. In addition, the electricity used is green and comes from the supplier Enercoop. 1083 jeans are also dyed in dye works equipped with treatment plants that meet European standards.

On the recycling side, 1083 offers the first recycled, recyclable jean with a deposit! The concept is simple: the price of the jean includes a deposit, refunded when the jean is sent back once its owner no longer wears it. The jean is then shredded to be turned into a jean again, endlessly. The same goes for the Veste Infinie 1083 x Hopaal. In the same spirit, the brand offers the 011 jean for kids, designed to be repaired at the knee by unstitching the damaged leg.

Deeply committed to promoting French craftsmanship, the brand created the École du jean in Romans-sur-Isère in 2018, to develop jeans-making skills in France. 1083 also launched the Linpossible project, which aims to bring a linen and hemp spinning mill back to France so linen clothes can be made entirely in France.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ 1083 seems to be working to limit the environmental impact of its production as a whole. Recycling clothes limits waste, when reuse is possible, while supporting the circular economy.

Support for environmental NGOs or charities

Information published by 1083 :

The brand doesn't mention any information on this subject.

R&D efforts and laboratory testing

Information published by 1083 :

The brand says it reinvests 100% of its profits in production tools, the team and R&D. 1083 is working on the Moncoton project, “aimed at bringing cotton production back to France by recycling old jeans”. The idea is simple: make recycled yarn made in France possible, to close the loop of the circular economy and short supply chains.

The brand says it has started R&D work to offer, as soon as possible, jeans made of recycled cotton from the brand's old jeans.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ 1083 seems keen to commit to the circular economy, reinvesting part of its profits in its teams and R&D.

Transparency about production sites

Information published by 1083 :

The brand is transparent about its production sites. For almost every item, information is given about where the raw materials come from, and also where the spinning, weaving, dyeing, finishing and of course manufacturing take place.

1083 products are made in France, by Valrupt Industrie (now Tissage de France) in the Vosges and Tissages de Charlieu in the Loire. In six years, this has created more than 150 jobs in France! Tissage de France is the only spinning mill in France that spins only GOTS-certified organic cotton, with a fully controlled supply chain.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ The brand therefore seems committed to Made in France and to transparency across every stage of production.

🔴 The brand could go further by sharing the names and exact locations of the factories it works with, as well as its suppliers at every tier.

Approach to labels and social audits

Information published by 1083 :

1083 products are certified with the Origine France Garantie label, which certifies products made in France. This label requires compliance with strict specifications built on two essential criteria: “the product acquires its essential characteristics in France (meaning the product takes its distinctive shape in France)” and “50% to 100% of the unit cost price of this product is generated in France”.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ The Origine France Garantie label is a recognised certifying label, which gives consumers clear and objective traceability.

Traceability of the whole supply chain

Information published by 1083 :

The brand is very transparent about the origin of its raw materials and the different production stages of its products. Except for some items (especially those from the brand's collaborations), you can find out the origin of the raw materials, as well as the cities and/or countries of the factories where the items are spun, woven, dyed, finished and made.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ The brand takes many initiatives to keep consumers as informed as possible.

🔴 The brand could go further by applying this transparency to all its products, without exception. It would also be interesting to know which types of suppliers the brand deals with directly (especially raw material suppliers, such as for cotton).

Support for NGOs or associations working to improve workers' social conditions

Information published by 1083 :

The brand gives no information on this subject.

Governance

Information published by 1083 :

1083 chose to grow by multiplying its production chains: instead of one large company handling every stage of production, from design to distribution, each manufacturing stage takes place in a different company in France, all of them linked to 1083. This organisation lets each production chain keep its independence. The main aim is to be able to cope with potential difficulties while keeping governance on a smaller scale. When a company grows as a single block, the difficulties it faces can shake the entire structure, which can have dramatic social consequences in the event of bankruptcy. It is precisely to avoid this that 1083 opted for an organisation that gives more freedom and independence to each of its production chains.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ 1083 opted for an organisation by production chain, giving more independence to each production team. It also helps secure jobs, since each chain has more room to manoeuvre when it needs to absorb shocks.

🔴 The organisation of the boards of directors cannot be consulted to date, so it is not possible to know to what extent each production chain has a say.

Capital

Information published by 1083 :

1083 is owned by 10 shareholders. The HURIEZ family: Thomas (47%), Baptiste (3%) and Grégoire (8%), the companies INCO INVESTISSEMENT (8.5%), TERRE ET FILS (3.5%), AVIVA IMPACT INVESTING FRANCE (8.5%), CARSA CAPITAL (8.5%), ARCHER ENTREPRISE (>1%), and the companies ETRE (6%) and GHAM (6%), run by Thomas HURIZ and Grégoire HURIEZ respectively.

1083 was initially funded through crowdfunding and a fundraising round. At the start of 2020, the brand also took out a crowdlending loan via the LITA platform. This raised €1.083 million, used to fund its working capital and develop various projects, including the production of recycled cotton.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ 1083 is transparent about its funding, even if this information could be made easier to find directly on its website.

Sales and marketing

Information published by 1083:

The brand doesn't hold sales. For Black Friday 2019, 1083 and Le Slip Français pledged to donate 10% of every sale made that day to the Moncoton project.

💬 Our opinion:

✅ The brand seems committed to responsible selling, without pushing people to buy more than they need.

Raising awareness and educating about overconsumption

Information published by 1083:

The brand is very committed to raising awareness about overconsumption. The 1083 blog is partly dedicated to it. You can also find out more by visiting the 1083 workshop.

Finally, the brand talks directly with consumers through surveys so it can create products that match demand.

💬 Our opinion:

✅ 1083 seems to raise its audience's awareness of the issues of overconsumption.

🔴 Overproduction issues aren't yet addressed by 1083: it would be interesting, for instance, to know the quantity of clothes produced, and to see some thinking about production growth.

This article was written by: Anna Demont, Beryl Tirali and Marie Nguyen.