Greg Lock
CEO & Company Director
Greg Lock, founded the Ochre knitwear company almost 25 years ago. Greg first went to Kathmandu when he was just 17 years old and fell in love with this magical place and the wonderful people of Nepal. Greg’s father was stationed in Nepal for many years and he and his wife still live there. The factory has over 50 staff – the majority are Tibetan refugees. It really is one big ‘family’ and Greg visits regularly to oversee production first hand. The whole team are focused on achieving the highest standards of service, quality and delivery. As a family business they believe strongly in fair trade, ethical sourcing and organic yarns. Greg and his team have also invested actively in Kathmandu’s local community – even setting up a school for his worker’s children. This is a labour of love.
Greg Lock
CEO & Company Director
Greg Lock, founded the Ochre knitwear company almost 25 years ago. Greg first went to Kathmandu when he was just 17 years old and fell in love with this magical place and the wonderful people of Nepal. Greg’s father was stationed in Nepal for many years and he and his wife still live there. The factory has over 50 staff – the majority are Tibetan refugees. It really is one big ‘family’ and Greg visits regularly to oversee production first hand. The whole team are focused on achieving the highest standards of service, quality and delivery. As a family business they believe strongly in fair trade, ethical sourcing and organic yarns. Greg and his team have also invested actively in Kathmandu’s local community – even setting up a school for his worker’s children. This is a labour of love.
At Ochre Knitwear we are 100% focused on sustainability and doing our ‘bit’ to save the planet. We believe strongly in fair trade, ethical sourcing and organic yarns.
Not all knitwear is created equal and our beautifully designed cashmere, merino and pure wool clothing is ethically and humanely harvested. in addition to our cruelty-free wool, we’re proud to say our garments are made with pure organic cotton which is GOTS certified.
Production
Ochre has two production sites in Kathmandu, Nepal, where we manufacture our high-quality knitwear and wraps. We select and import only the finest cashmere yarn from Mongolia, where it is spun prior to being shipped to our facilities in Kathmandu. The clothing is made on hand machines – a labour-intensive and highly-skilled process. We employ and train mainly female workers to use the machines that knit the basic designs into the correct shape, style and measurements of the garment, using pre-made design patterns. The garment is then dyed, assembled and hand finished, passing quality control before being shipped. We are justifiably proud of our facilities and the efforts we make to take care of our workforce.
Our Mission
We try at all times to be environmentally aware, using as many local materials as we can, creating a supply chain which creates work for people outside our business. All the packaging, tags, and gift boxes are sourced locally, as well as the transport and shipping services that move our goods. All in all, it creates a rich source of income for the community.
100% Organic Cotton
We’re proud to say pure organic cotton is GOTS certified. This certification covers the processing, manufacturing and trading of organic textiles. The certification of fibre production is on the basis of recognised international standards that are approved in the IFOAM Family of Standards.
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Cruelty Free
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Production
We have introduced facilities into the workplace that would seem normal in the United kingdom but are not so common in South Asia – for example, clean drinking water machines and proper toilet facilities. There is very little staff turnover within the company – most of our employees have been with us from the very beginning, and we value their continued presence as the company has grown.