At Sahara
Our Ethics, Values & Purpose
Article By Sahara .
Oct 27, 2020
At the heart of Sahara is an adventurous spirit and desire to leave the world better than we found it. Our journey has led us to foster meaningful relationships with cultures and communities around the world, take our ethical responsibility seriously, both environmentally and socially, and we proudly support British manufacturing with our ‘Made in England’ collections. We choose our materials not just for their touch & aesthetic but for their longevity. We aim to source natural fibres and showcase local artisans in timeless designs we are sure can last.
The Sahara Story began more than 40 years ago when founder Suzy Coppersmith-Heaven set out to travel the world in search of inspiration.
Since 1970
Founded in the 1970s by Suzy Coppersmith-Heaven, Sahara has been creating clothing for independent, free-spirited women for over 40 years. Sahara has continued as a family-run business, with Suzy still leading the Design Team as Creative Director, working alongside her daughter Tiffany and her husband Vic.
Giving Back
At Sahara, we are committed to giving back, be that to the workers who help create our unique designs, to the communities around our boutiques or charities close to our founder’s and employees’ hearts. Along with working alongside worldwide organisations such as the Gaia Foundation and Africa Trust regularly, we make annual donations to charities local to our boutiques and take our social responsibility seriously.
Think Local
As proud supporters of British manufacturing, 'Made in England' is important at Sahara to ensure the survival and growth of British Made, over 50 per cent of Sahara's collections are made on home soil, with over 90 per cent manufactured in the EU. Sahara only works with Fairtrade partners and makes an effort to use closed-loop factories with low emissions and efficiency being a priority. All Sahara collections are ordered in limited quantities with little to no wastage.
Naturally Better
We are more aware than ever of the importance of looking after our environment, and the ways in which modern fashion can negatively affect it. The story of our garments begins with the crops they're made from. Sahara strives to produce clothing made from natural fabrics as much as possible from organic cotton to linen and many other natural fibres; making our clothing sustainable and long-lasting. We also believe that choosing the correct fabrics at the design stage ensures that our collections perform their very best.
Many of our signature linen designs, with their modern sensibility and free use of colour, originate from the humble flax plant. Through our partnership with 'I Love Linen' (The European Confederation of Flax & Hemp), we know linen is sustainably produced from zero-waste flax crops, making it the perfect material to wear, and weather, well. Using natural fabrics allows for superior comfort, natural temperature control and breathability.
Learn more about the production in European linen in collaboration with 'I Love Linen': Watch the video here.
To Last A Lifetime
From the fabric foundations to the construction and attention to detail of our clothing, we take extra care to ensure that every Sahara piece is designed to be loved and last a lifetime. We work with skilled teams for the best quality manufacturing with consistent quality checks throughout. We believe that fit and comfort is of the utmost importance when designing flattering, comfortable clothing that you want to wear again and again.
