Accessorize

Accessorize was first born in 1984 with the opening of our first store in the Piazza, Covent Garden, London. Our founder Peter Simon was inspired from a trip to Paris, where he discovered a small selection of stores selling fashion jewellery that customers could pick up, touch and try on while browsing. It was a new concept to London in the early eighties, and Accessorize soon changed the way we shopped for accessories.

Accessorize has since made its mark as a one-stop shop for vibrant and fashion-forward bags, jewellery, beachwear and more, with stores in over 50 markets across the world.

WHAT WE DO 

We are a lifestyle brand that enriches everyday life with natural beauty, positivity and endless discovery. We are passionate about connecting contemporary designs with a network of craftspeople, creating unique collections to be cherished.

HOW WE DO IT 

We have an eye for true beauty, whether that’s our intricate design details, colourful prints, fabrics or embellishments. We design in-house, source globally and ethically, and are dedicated to delivering keepsake quality.

WHY WE DO IT 

We love to make our customers’ day just that little bit more special and out of the ordinary.

THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE

We believe in the positive, empowering, life-changing power of trade rather than aid. And we want to do right by the people who make our beautiful things. As a founder member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), we’ve been at the forefront of driving sustainable improvements in working conditions and livelihoods wherever we do business. But that’s not all. Each year, the Monsoon Accessorize Trust (founded in 1994) supports life-changing projects in income-generation, healthcare and education for over 10,000 women and children throughout Asia.

WE WANT TO DO RIGHT BY THE PEOPLE
WHO MAKE OUR BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
 

We don’t run our own factories or directly employ the artisans who hand-craft and embellish our most exceptional pieces. But we do ask every single one of our suppliers to commit to the Monsoon Accessorize Code Of Conduct. It’s based on ETI standards, and aims to protect workers by setting out minimum requirements on working conditions, pay and employment rights. Before we begin working with a new supplier we carry out due diligence including meeting the supplier, factory visits, examining SMETA audits and speaking with other companies using the supplier. All suppliers are required to sign our terms and conditions that includes our comprehensive ethical sourcing requirements. All elements of our Code should be implemented at all factories and production sites throughout the supply chain.

This is just a starting point. To us, ethical trading is all about building long-standing, sustainable relationships. Although we’ve worked with many of our suppliers for over 20 years, we never ever turn a blind eye. To ensure we drive meaningful and enduring improvements in working conditions, our response to any issue is collaborative. Wherever we find a problem, we work together to put things right. And we monitor progress through regular visits to suppliers’ factories from our own audit teams plus external experts too. If a supplier doesn’t come up to scratch within a reasonable time frame, we can and will move our business elsewhere.

Our efforts don’t stop at the factory gates. They extend to the artisans and other skilled workers who help create some of our most special things – often in small local workshops or even their own homes. We require all our suppliers to ensure these craftspeople receive fair ‘piece rates’ for their wonderful work and have introduced a Worker Reference Handbook to support the artisans in India. And this is closely monitored by our ethical compliance team.

Working with small communities of craftspeople in faraway places is a complex process with lots of challenges. But it’s always been an important part of who we are and what we do. We’re proud to help generate incomes, sustain livelihoods and preserve age-old hand-craft techniques. 

STAYING TRUE TO OUR 
GREEN-FINGERED ROOTS

The first Monsoon collections featured gorgeous bohemian clothes made in Indian villages using hand-loomed cotton fabrics, organic vegetable dyes and artisanal block-printing techniques. And, although we’ve grown into a global brand, we’ve never lost our concern for the environment or commitment to ethical trading. So, as well as striving to do right by the people who make our beautiful things, we work hard to reduce the environmental impact of all that we do.

PACKING AND WASTE

Absolutely committed to best practices in recycling and minimising waste, there's harvesting and comprehensive recycling facilities at our Head Office in London. We’ve also dispensed with all unnecessary packaging from our products. Wherever possible, we use only FSC-certified paper and recyclable plastic. And, through our Clothes For Life campaign, we’re inspiring customers to ‘upcycle’ rather than discard their pre-worn Monsoon garments.