Buttons are an important part of most garments and we want to make sure that the materials we use and production methods fit with our business ethos. We want to use sustainable natural materials, such as coconut shell, bamboo and peach stone. We do also use buffalo bone and buffalo horn, but try to keep the use of those materials to a minimum as it would be a shame for vegetarians if they appreciated our garments, but could not wear them due to a single button.
The above photo shows a worker shaping a horn button on a lathe and below shows workers carving intricate designs into each button. Electricity is vital for the operation of all the machinery, so a large generator is a neccessary evil to cover the many hours of scheduled powercuts.
This factory has been in business for over ten years and is probably one of the most organised factories I have seen here. It is with the same factory that we produce all of our paper tags and cards, other crafts available through this factory are various kinds of metalwork. Because of the professionalism of Surjaman (the manager) and the warm, friendly environment created by the staff (currently over 120 people are employed here!) we hope for a long and successful business relationship!!
