About Us
Our Story
At Last Shot Apparel, we are dedicated to crafting high-quality garments that not only look great but also serve a greater purpose. Our designs are a reflection of our commitment to sustainability and ethical manufacturing. We take pride in using eco-friendly materials and ensuring that our production processes respect both the environment and the workers involved. With a vision to redefine the apparel industry, we focus on creating timeless pieces that resonate with conscious consumers who care about the planet.
Our Mission
Our mission at Last Shot Apparel is to lead the charge in the garment manufacturing sector by championing sustainable practices and ethical labor conditions. We believe in providing a viable alternative to fast fashion, reducing textile waste, and creating clothing that not only embodies style but also contributes positively to society. Every piece we produce is a step towards a more sustainable future, ensuring that fashion can be both beautiful and responsible.
At Last Shot Apparel, we exist for two main reasons: our care for the planet and our commitment to humanity. Did you know that over 92 million tons of textile waste ends up in landfills each year? That's the equivalent of a dump truck unloading clothing every second, much of which is made from synthetic fabrics that will never biodegrade. Additionally, the fashion industry often suffers from poor labour conditions. We are here to provide a sustainable alternative, prioritizing eco-friendly materials and ethical manufacturing practices that respect both people and the environment.
What makes us different?
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We pay a competitive wage
- Our facility is located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Our fabric comes from Canadian fabric brands
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We offer lifetime repair warranty (*see policies)
What No One Tells You About the Industry
The garment industry faces severe exploitation, including forced labor, low wages, long hours, and denied workers' rights. Workers, from cotton pickers to factory employees, often earn as little as $3.00 an hour and lack essential benefits. The fast fashion model drives companies to cut costs, leading to subcontracting with unverified suppliers and perpetuating these abuses. Child labor affects an estimated 170 million children in this sector, compounding human rights violations and environmental hazards. Urgent systemic change and accountability are needed in the industry.
IMPACTS OF TEXTILE WASTE
THE STATS
92 million tons of fabric waste is produced each year
That is the equivalent of a 1 tonne dump truck releasing a load in our landfills every second
"Many of our old clothes, donated to charities, end up in rotting textile mountains in West Africa. This is a story about how our waste is creating an environmental disaster" - ABC
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VIEW DOCUMENTARY HERE
The Clothing Industry: Safety and Human Rights Violations
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Fast Fashion refers to the clothing brands who outsource manufacturing of their garments with speed and cost at the forefront of their decisions. Often this means the health of humans and our planet is disregarded.
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In the mid 90s, the United States was producing 95% of their clothing. Today, they produce around 2% (Ndubisi & Nygaard, 2018). This shift came after the World Trade Organizations amended trade agreements, significantly reducing quotas on clothing (Taplin, 2014). Now, the three largest clothing manufacturers are China, India and Bangladesh.
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The industry boom that these countries faced required them to lower production cost and increase production time. We continue to see little industry regulations. Therefore, fair wages and workplace health and safety fall through the cracks.
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The Rana Plaza disaster of 2013 provides an example of human rights and workplace safety violations that come from poor regulation. Rana Plaza was an 8-story factory that collapsed, killing over 1000 workers. The plaza collapsed due to structural flaws. "While businesses in the building’s lower floors had immediately closed when structural cracks were discovered a day earlier, thousands of factory workers were forced — either directly by their superiors, or indirectly by the pressure to earn a day’s wage — to return on the day of the collapse, despite many of them raising concerns" (Holland, CNN Report, 2023).
The Environmental Affects of The Clothing Industry
The Environmental Affects Of The Clothing Industry
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Discarded fabric contributes to the 92 million tons of waste produced by the fashion industry each year
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According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the fashion industry is responsible for over 10% of the world's carbon emissions - more than the shipping and international flights combined
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The average American throws away 70 lbs to 80 lbs of clothing every year
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The fashion industry remains the second largest industrial polluter,
second only to oil
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It's estimated that humans are using natural resources 1.7 times faster than ecosystems can regenerate (in other words, consuming 1.7 Earths)
