Why We Will Never Do Fast Fashion
Small batches, fair wages, natural dyes. Our commitment to making less — and making it mean more.
In an industry that produces 100 billion garments a year — most destined for landfill within twelve months — choosing slowness is a radical act. At Marymia, we have made that choice from day one, and we will never go back.
The Numbers
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions — more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. It is the second-largest consumer of the world's water supply. And an estimated 85% of all textiles end up in landfill each year.
These numbers are staggering, but they are also abstract. Let us make them concrete: the average fast-fashion garment is worn seven times before being discarded. Seven. A Marymia dress, by contrast, is designed to be worn for decades — and many of our customers tell us their pieces become more beautiful with age, as the Adire cloth softens and the indigo develops a unique patina.
How We Do It Differently
Small batches: We produce between 20 and 50 units of each piece. When they sell out, they are gone. This is not artificial scarcity — it is respect for materials, labour, and the environment. We would rather make 30 perfect garments than 3,000 mediocre ones.
Natural dyes: Our indigo comes from plants, not petrochemicals. Yes, it takes longer. Yes, it costs more. But natural indigo biodegrades completely, whereas synthetic dyes leach toxic chemicals into waterways for decades.
Zero-waste cutting: Our master cutters can lay out a pattern with almost no fabric waste. Offcuts are collected and repurposed into accessories, packaging material, or donated to local tailoring schools in Lagos.
No air freight: Finished garments travel from Lagos to London by sea, reducing our carbon footprint by over 90% compared to air shipping. Yes, it takes longer. We plan our production calendar to accommodate this.
The Real Cost
Our pieces cost more than fast fashion. We are transparent about why:
A Marymia dress at £285 reflects: ethically sourced natural fabric, three to fourteen days of skilled hand-dyeing, expert cutting and construction by fairly paid artisans, sea freight from Lagos, quality inspection in London, and a garment designed to last twenty years or more.
A fast-fashion "dupe" at £25 reflects: synthetic fabric produced with toxic chemicals, machine production in a factory where workers earn below living wage, air freight from a mega-factory, minimal quality control, and a garment designed to last seven wears.
The real question is not "why does Marymia cost so much?" It is "why does fast fashion cost so little?" And the answer, almost always, is that someone else — a worker, a community, the planet — is paying the difference.
Our Promise
We will never chase trends. We will never sacrifice quality for speed. We will never underpay the women who make our clothes. And we will never produce more than the world actually needs.
This is our promise. Every garment, every season, without exception.
