Auckland-based non-profit Reemi are on a mission to do things the right way, with local partners, creating menstrual products women actually want and all backed by evidence-based research.
They make period underwear, stocked here in NZ and across Asia but their most ambitious work is based in Bangladesh where they support female garment workers with reusable menstrual products and menstrual health education.
Founder Emily Au Young has spent a lot of time living in Bangladesh working with local organisations and understanding the issues in depth.
Reemi works with the prestigious Humanitarian Innovation Fund and the University of Munich conducting ground-breaking research on garment workers and their menstruation in Bangladesh.
Their partners include some of the biggest manufacturers (Hop Lun) as well as NZ brand AS Colour.
Their key implementation partner, Change Associates is a locally-led non-profit with decades of experience in the garment industry.
100 per cent of Reemi’s profits go towards providing menstrual products and education to women in Bangladesh.
Inequality is at the core of Reemi’s values as the garment sector is the intersection of many current issues; environmentalism, racial inequality (western exploitation of non-white labour), consumerism and global politics.
It’s the face of green-washing and globally every single human being wears and needs clothing; it affects everyone.
But most importantly, periods shouldn’t just be an issue that half of the world needs to struggle with.
This latest collection – Reemi 02 – is an expression of abundance – the future of how all things could be made.
The design inspiration for this collection was to point toward a world filled with possibility and flourishing, and where this isn’t just for the privileged few but it’s accessible to all.
The fibres used were specifically chosen for their sustainable properties including their signature self-disinfecting CottonX™ fibre, hyper sustainable Tencel™ Modal, and recycled polyester in the leakproof layer.
Every pair of underwear that is pre-ordered allows Reemi to provide menstrual health education and a set of reusable period products for a garment worker in Bangladesh.