Our Impact
Instead of mass production, we focus on made-to-order pieces and limited collections designed by Yumiko Takeshima, created exclusively in our workshop. There we can ensure that the quality of our materials, and our team's quality of life, always comes first. Our focus has always been on the longevity of our dancewear, and while we try hard to keep our prices competitive, we don't ignore the human and environmental costs of clothing production.
Located in Southern Spain, our workshop is a small operation and a source of local pride. Having contributed to the economy of the region, we were recently awarded the Business Innovation Award from the Andalusian Provincial Government Delegation of Seville, and The Employee Training Award by the Seville Chamber of Commerce. Our factory is proudly run on 100% green energy, part of our continued efforts toward sustainable business practices.
People
We believe in a skilled workforce where everyone is treated with support and respect. As a global company, we have employees based in the USA, Europe and Japan. We don't cut costs by outsourcing any part of our production process to countries that don't protect workers' rights or the environment. All of our employees are paid fair wages, work appropriate hours and receive full healthcare and pension benefits. The craftsmen and women at our workshop are all under contracts that comply with European labor laws. In addition to healthcare and pension benefits, they receive holiday time off, paid leave time, and a percentage of the company profits.
Materials
All of our fabrics are individually selected from EU suppliers who comply with European Union standards, currently the highest in the world. We research our suppliers and avoid fabrics that use unsustainably-produced inks or dyes, even when costs are higher. Leftover garments and waste fabrics from our workshop are recycled or donated to dance schools around the world.
YUMIKO ships with 100% recycled or compostable materials. This includes cornstarch pouches, plant-derived tape and 100% recycled mailers. In 2018 we made the decision to stop printing annual catalogues as part of our global efforts to reduce waste. We created keepsake Style Books where only new style pages are sent out annually. With the same intention in mind, we created keepsake swatch boxes in 2019 to reduce paper and printing waste. Like all brands, we face contuinuing challenges. Currently we're looking at how the fabric industry is dealing with the waste and by-products created during the production of Nylon. We're also looking into the most efficient uses for our waste fabric snippets.
Community
YUMIKO is a proud member of and contributor to the dance community. We prioritize outreach and consistently seek out sponsorships, partnerships and collaborations with local organizations. Our intent is to find like-minded partners and contribute to important conversations about the arts and the industry surrounding it.
For the past 7 years we have enjoyed sponsoring Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s annual Experience Tour. The Experience Tour, unlike a traditional audition class, prioritizes giving potential students a glimpse of what training at CPYB would offer. The quality educators, their mindful support of their students’ physical and mental health, plus an emphasis on increasing diversity in all aspects of the dance industry make us proud to continue our support of this gem of a school.
Follow along @yumiko for more social and environmental impact updates.