Cargo Crew’s New Conscious Collection
Melbourne-based Cargo Crew takes a significant stride in its sustainability journey with the launch of the Conscious Collection.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Courtesy of Cargo Crew
‘Whether you’re an at-home cook whipping up weekend feasts for friends or a small business owner outfitting your staff, sustainability is a consideration that doesn’t stop when you start to work, make or create,’ says Felicity Rodgers. Photo: Courtesy of Cargo Crew
The Conscious Collection features a tote bag style and eight apron styles, including the Hazel Apron which, along with the tote bag, is crafted from 100% recycled fabric remnants (42% Recycled Polyester / 34% Recycled Hemp / 12% Recycled Cotton / 12% Recycled Viscose), and is bluesign® textile certified. Photo: Courtesy of Cargo Crew
‘We want to show that even something as functional as an apron can be both beautiful and as sustainable as possible. The beauty of the Conscious Collection is that it really encapsulates so much of what matters to consumers right now, as well as to us as a business – being mindful of our impact on the planet, but without compromising on quality, longevity or design.’ Photo: Courtesy of Cargo Crew
“Sustainability is a spectrum and we’re not proclaiming to be perfect – it’s all about taking considered steps that move our industry in the right direction.”
Several of the pieces in the Conscious Collection can be personalised with custom in-house embroidery – a Cargo Crew process that is certified by Ethical Clothing Australia. Photo: Courtesy of Cargo Crew
Felicity Rodgers, founder and chief creative officer at Cargo Crew. Photo: Courtesy of Cargo Crew
Cargo Crew’s mission is to create work uniforms that staff will want to wear. Photo: Courtesy of Cargo Crew
‘If you are committed to walking your own path in business, not set on following others, there is opportunity to build a meaningful business that will continue to open doors of opportunity.’ Photo: Courtesy of Cargo Crew
Twenty years ago, Felicity Rodgers, founder and chief creative officer at Cargo Crew, started the fashion-focused uniform brand from her small flat in Melbourne’s Clifton Hill.
Felicity’s design journey started with a fashion label that she created with a classmate, after completing a fashion design degree at RMIT. During the years of running the label, she was often approached by businesses to create fashion-focused uniforms – it was through these projects that Felicity realised the uniform sector was in desperate need of reinvention.
‘I have always loved marketing and appreciate the power of a strong visual language. I realised I could apply my technical skill and sense for design to uniforms to create a fresh interpretation of what modern uniforms could be; to offer a new level of quality that was so lacking at the time. My grandfather was the head waiter in the 1930s delivering silver service at London’s iconic Savoy Hotel, so in many ways that intersection of hospitality and presentation runs in my blood!’ shares Felicity.
Cargo Crew grew from humble beginnings, from Felicity’s small flat in Melbourne’s Clifton Hill, starting with just Felicity, to later include her sister and husband, slowly working to scale the business to what it is today with a team of over sixty employees.
The Cargo Crew team moved from backyard sheds to shared co-working spaces to, most recently, a 4500 square metre HQ in Melbourne’s north east, growing a client base of thousands of Australia’s leading restaurants, arts institutions, festivals and more, and bringing chef Curtis Stone as its chef-wear ambassador. ‘While our commitment to quality and innovation has not changed, the scale at which we are creating is worlds apart from our humble beginnings. Like most businesses that have been around for more than two decades, we’ve refined our voice and our offering significantly in that time,’ says Felicity.
For Felicity, the Cargo Crew journey has proven that anything is possible. ‘I started this business with a $2000 tax return. Whilst it’s been a long road of bootstrapping and often a need for “no guts no glory” mindset, Cargo Crew shows if you create something with passion that’s unique, and back that with genuine quality and service, it can grow beyond your wildest dreams. If you’re committed to walking your own path in business, not set on following others, there is opportunity to build a meaningful business that will continue to open doors of opportunity.’
Cargo Crew has just released the Conscious Collection - a tidy range of sustainable aprons and tote bags made from recycled materials like Repreve® recycled polyester containing at least 4 plastic bottles, hemp or recycled yarn fabrics, diverting waste from landfill. The release of the collection marks something of a levelling up for Cargo Crew's sustainability program, which has already resulted in 1,186.5kg of Cargo Crew’s own textiles diverted from landfill and 8 tonnes of plastic eliminated from its supply chain since the business redesigned its entire packaging and waste-reduction measures in 2020.
‘Our Conscious Collection supports this ongoing work whilst continuing to dive deeply into fabric sources and creation. Our hope is we can continue to create quality, useful designs that not only deliver to businesses and brands, but also offer everyday consumers quality products for home and life,’ Felicity says.
The Conscious Collection features a tote bag style and eight apron styles, including the Hazel Apron which, along with the tote bag, is crafted from 100% recycled fabric remnants (42% Recycled Polyester / 34% Recycled Hemp / 12% Recycled Cotton / 12% Recycled Viscose), and is bluesign® textile certified. Every batch of Hazel fabric is unique, with the remnant fabrics creating slightly different colour characteristics and colour shades that add to the individual quality and natural look of the design.
‘Sustainability is a spectrum and we’re not proclaiming to be perfect – it’s all about taking considered steps that move our industry in the right direction,’ says Felicity. ‘I get to wake up every day and work with an incredible team of passionate, talented people while problem solving and looking to the future. It’s so fulfilling to be leading a business that my family and I have built from the ground up with talented people contributing to our success along the way – every win means as much to me now as it did 20 years ago.’