Next Level Apparel has announced a new partnership that will help it enhance its efforts to ensure the cotton fibres used in its products are fully traceable.
The US-based blank garment supplier has linked up exclusively with Oritain, which uses cutting-edge forensic science to verify the origin of all kinds of products and raw materials.
It allows Next Level Apparel to conduct scientific verification of its cotton products. By confirming fibre origin, it will help address the global cotton industry’s traceability challenges including minimising the risk of supply chain partners blending the product with lower-quality fibres.
Next Level Apparel CEO Randy Hales said: “From our local roots in southern California to our international consumer base, we are dedicated to creating an experience that advances our customers’ mission while ensuring the integrity of the premium-quality products we bring to market.
“We embrace the protection of our beautiful planet and are purposeful in finding the right options in every area of our operations. Partnering with Oritain reinforces this principle and highlights our commitment to sustainability and transparency in our supply chain.”
The partnership aims to ensure the integrity, quality and consistency of Next Level Apparel’s cotton textile products as the company expands in the UK market and throughout Europe, including the acquisition of German-based supplier Stedman.
Rupert Hodges, Oritain’s chief commercial officer, added: “Oritain uses cutting-edge forensic science to help truly committed brands continuously evolve in their value chain transparency journey. We are excited to partner with Next Level Apparel, helping them verify the origin of their cotton to guarantee that it is not only the highest quality but enables them to accurately monitor the sustainability impacts at the raw material level, and assisting us in our mission of avoiding unethical labour practices.”
