Daub + Design was started out of a love for pattern & textile design and grew into a passion for perfecting your wardrobe. From the beginning, the fundamentals of our business have been kindness and respect, both for the people who wear our clothes and for the people who help bring the vision of our garments to life. That's why every DAUB garment is made ethically and made in Canada. Fair wages, local production and small-batch production run through DAUB's DNA, and is the basis for our company ethos.
OUR MANTRA
Our goal at DAUB is to help women take confidence in their bodies exactly as they are. Our garments are made to be a versatile tool to help the dynamically beautiful women who wear them stay comfortable and connected to their bodies whether they’re on the job, working out or lounging at home. We believe that our garments can’t fully achieve this goal unless they are made with the same principles of ethics that enable healthy relationships.
Our seamstresses are a group of fantastically skilled women whose work ethic and dedication to the job has been instrumental in creating the long-lasting nature of our pieces. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, the seamstresses that we work with are longtime friends of DAUB and we are beyond grateful for their craftsmanship. Our relationship with our garment workers is a two-way street, and since they are based in Vancouver, B.C., we have had the privilege of creating a personal connection with the wonderful women who make our clothes. The guidance and support that they have been providing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have been a huge source of help to all of us at DAUB, and our seamstresses were actually the ones who suggested making the face masks that so many of you have enjoyed wearing. This helped carry us through a tough spot and provided a product that was in high demand for the safety of Canadians and our American friends.
SUSTAINABILITY
Another iteration of our values is our commitment to learning about sustainability. We know that fashion can be a dirty industry, and being a part of this industry, we have a responsibility to reduce our environmental impacts wherever we can. The most sustainable clothing choice that you can make is wearing what you already own and that’s why our garments are designed to last you for years with the proper care. When you cherish a locally-made garment, you’re supporting your local economy while eliminating the need for new garments to be created.
When we first started, our Creative Director, Lexi Soukoreff, was hand-dyeing each and every garment. DAUB was born out of this love but the choice of materials came down to an environmentally-aware dye process. Each dye bath is carefully planned so we only use the right amount of dye. Little to no dye is left in each bath and we will continue using the same water from bath to bath for as long as possible. We chose nylon as our fabric because it allows the fabric to soak up the dye without bonding to the water’s molecules as many cotton & natural fibre dyes do. It also uses much less water consumption for rinsing after the dye process. No harmful toxins or chemicals are used for fixatives either.
(BATCH) SIZE MATTERS
Because we don’t believe that garments and fabrics are made to be wasted, we only produce DAUB pieces in small batches. You may notice this in a couple of different ways - our range of products is often limited and sizes sell out quickly because they are only available in limited stock. We do our best to adjust our production runs to suit your needs. Pre-sales and your feedback help us determine demand for styles, sizes and colour ways.
DAUB is made for your minimalist wardrobe, and from that perspective, we keep our production minimalistic as well. Unfortunately, some limitations come with this method of production. As much as we would like to, we are often unable to purchase recycled materials because we order our fabrics in such low amounts. To try and offset our inability to purchase recycled fabrics, we use certified STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX fabrics where we can (think the Ainsley Tee, the Mika Crop and the Freedom Jogger). We’re working on discussion with fabric manufacturers in Canada to try to start producing here too once we have the numbers!
At the end of the day, we’re in the business of empowering others and this is at the core of our business and our clothing. We are so grateful for the people who have continued to push our business forward and the investment that they have made in our relationships. We are proud to continue to evolve with principles of sustainability and ethics in business.
