FASHION & ACCESSORIES
UPPER DISTRICT
Upper District is a Canadian-based sustainable luxury fashion and accessories brand. They represent those who have earned luxury. The ones who aspire for more and refuse to accept less. Who go against the odds to achieve their goals.
SUSTAINABILITY PURPOSE
They strive to hold sustainability at the heart of their core business principles, and actively take a role in tracking their environmental impact through all steps in their supply chain by analysing their key impacts and dependencies. They seek to effect real, positive change.
Established
2017
Headquarters
Alberta, Canada
Employees
4
Categories
Eyewear & luxury fashion
Website
Distribution
Canada and USA
A WORD FROM THE FOUNDER
The decisions we make early on define our environmental impact and the relationship between sustainability and the Upper District brand. It is our commitment to develop best practices from the onset to ensure that our impact is minimal throughout the growth and evolution of our brand. With Upper District’s involvement with Positive Luxury, we are proud to put forth definitive targets and plans of action, to ensure our part in minimizing environmental loss
KARLY GRAMLICH
FOUNDER AND CEO
BUTTERFLY MARK TESTIMONIAL
From the onset, Upper District has focused on authenticity and being fully transparent with our consumers. For that reason, we sought out Positive Luxury and the ESG+ assessment to assure our audience that our sustainability claims were not only genuine, but also vetted through a world-renown organization.
Case study
SUSTAINABLE SOURCING
Upper District are committed to tackling virgin plastic use and are working to minimise plastic waste through blockchain innovation, resale initiatives and a recycling programme. Their internal plastic guidelines help drive the reduction of virgin and non-recyclable plastic in their packaging, products, offices, facilities, and retail spaces. Their guidelines include options such as pursuing alternatives to single-use virgin plastic packaging, reducing plastic water bottles and cutlery in their spaces, and reducing virgin and non-recyclable plastic used in their visual merchandising. Upper District also seek to reduce virgin petroleum content in their plastic packaging while working to phase out plastic all together by 2030.
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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Upper District has outlined and highlighted their continued drive to integrating community involvement into their daily practices and processes. The brand heavily focuses on social investment through donations and grants to local non-profit organisations, including Elks of Canada and the Chauvin Community Centre where they seek to support local causes bettering the health and well-being of others. Upper District also look to create a positive culture through providing female empowerment practices such as speaking arrangements, mentorship and Q&A hours to their local community. It is through positive role models and support that the brand help foster the next generation of female leaders.
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SDGs
Upper District supports the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and reflects the key objectives throughout their organisation by ensuring equal renumeration for women and men, as well as a strong focus on diversity and equal opportunities. Furthermore, the brand ensures women are key figures of leadership within the organisation, providing extra support and access to childcare for both men and women when needed. The brand also adheres to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production), through sustainable sourcing for both their products and packaging as well as implementing resource efficiency of products through bio-based alternatives that are less carbon intensive.
