What We’ve Learned After Two Years As a B Corp
What We’ve Learned After Two Years As a B Corp
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Our latest collection, In Our Nature, celebrates a more considered way of dressing — one that’s grounded in natural fibres, thoughtful design and everyday ease.
As part of the B Corp™ certified Sussan Group, we're equally committed to creating a positive impact beyond our collections, supporting our people, communities and the planet by doing business differently.
We recently celebrated two years as a B Corp™ certified business. To mark the milestone, we spoke to Managing Director Natalie Aardoom about what we've learnt since becoming certified, the progress we've made and the role it continues to play in building a more considered future.
Because being more thoughtful, more responsible and more connected isn't just part of our business. It's in our nature.
Our latest collection, In Our Nature, celebrates a more considered way of dressing — one that’s grounded in natural fibres, thoughtful design and everyday ease.
As part of the B Corp-certified The Sussan Group, we're equally committed to creating a positive impact beyond our collections, supporting our people, communities and the planet by doing business differently.
We recently celebrated two years as a B Corp-certified business. To mark the milestone, we spoke to Managing Director Natalie Aardoom about what we've learnt since becoming certified, the progress we've made and the role it continues to play in building a more considered future.
Because being more thoughtful, more responsible and more connected isn't just part of our business. It's in our nature.
For customers who might not be familiar, what is a B Corp™, and what does it mean for Sussan?
B Corp™ certification is awarded to companies that meet high standards across social and environmental impact, governance, and transparency. For fashion brands like Sussan, it means looking beyond the product to how every part of the business supports people and the planet.
The Sussan Group is B Corp™ certified, and Sussan is part of that collective commitment, not just the collections we design, but how we operate. At Sussan, that commitment shows up in many ways, from the causes we partner with and the fabrics we choose to the way we support our teams and show up for women, every day.
What does B Corp™ mean for customers? Where would customers see the impact of The Sussan Group being a B Corp™ fashion collective?
In many ways, it shows up in things our customers may already recognise. B Corp™ didn’t change our direction; it helped formalise and measure the work we’d been doing for years.
A good example is our long-standing partnership with Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA). We’ve been working together for over 20 years and have contributed more than $3.3 million to support Australians diagnosed with breast cancer. That kind of long-term community commitment was already part of who we are.
You’ll also see it in the fabrics we choose, from our Australian Cotton sleepwear, Everyday Icons and denim to more responsible fibres like ECOVERO.
And it extends beyond the moment of purchase, too. Our WomenKindness aftercare guides are designed to help customers care for the pieces they already own, while partnerships with Upparel and Seamless make it easier to recycle garments and keep textiles in circulation.
Our commitment to people and planet also shapes how we show up in the community. In 2023, we launched our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan, followed by our Innovate RAP last year. We are also proud to have introduced an Acknowledgement of Country in every store, created with Yorta Yorta artist Holly McLennan-Brown. These are important steps in a longer journey of commitment to inclusion and community.
For customers who might not be familiar, what is a B Corp™, and what does it mean for Sussan?
B Corp™ certification is awarded to companies that meet high standards across social and environmental impact, governance, and transparency. For fashion brands like Sussan, it means looking beyond the product to how every part of the business supports people and the planet.
The Sussan Group is B Corp™ certified, and Sussan is part of that collective commitment, not just the collections we design, but how we operate. At Sussan, that commitment shows up in many ways, from the causes we partner with and the fabrics we choose to the way we support our teams and show up for women, every day.
What does B Corp™ mean for customers? Where would customers see the impact of The Sussan Group being a B Corp™ fashion collective?
In many ways, it shows up in things our customers may already recognise. B Corp™ didn’t change our direction; it helped formalise and measure the work we’d been doing for years.
A good example is our long-standing partnership with Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA). We’ve been working together for over 20 years and have contributed more than $3.3 million to support Australians diagnosed with breast cancer. That kind of long-term community commitment was already part of who we are.
You’ll also see it in the fabrics we choose, from our Australian Cotton sleepwear, Everyday Icons and denim to more responsible fibres like ECOVERO.
And it extends beyond the moment of purchase, too. Our WomenKindness aftercare guides are designed to help customers care for the pieces they already own, while partnerships with Upparel and Seamless make it easier to recycle garments and keep textiles in circulation.
Our commitment to people and planet also shapes how we show up in the community. In 2023, we launched our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan, followed by our Innovate RAP last year. We are also proud to have introduced an Acknowledgement of Country in every store, created with Yorta Yorta artist Holly McLennan-Brown. These are important steps in a longer journey of commitment to inclusion and community.
What has surprised you most about the B Corp™ journey over the past two years?
What surprised me was how much it comes down to the small, everyday decisions. The certification process is rigorous, but the real impact is in the habits it creates.
In many ways, it validated things we were already doing, like our long-standing work with BCNA. But it also encouraged us to be more structured and intentional about areas like material choices, recycling programs and product aftercare.
You start asking better questions and thinking more holistically about people, product and process. It becomes less about one single initiative and more about a mindset that runs through the entire business.
How does B Corp™ align with Sussan as a brand for women?
Sussan has always been a brand for women, by women. Not just in the clothes we design, but in the communities we support and the people who make up our team.
Today, around 98% of our workforce is female, from our store teams through to leadership. Supporting women is part of how the business runs every day. That extends beyond our own walls, too, with a focus on nurturing women across our supply chain and long-term partnerships like BCNA.
B Corp™ recognises the impact we already have as a women-led business, while also pushing us to keep improving.
What has surprised you most about the B Corp™ journey over the past two years?
What surprised me was how much it comes down to the small, everyday decisions. The certification process is rigorous, but the real impact is in the habits it creates.
In many ways, it validated things we were already doing, like our long-standing work with BCNA. But it also encouraged us to be more structured and intentional about areas like material choices, recycling programs and product aftercare.
You start asking better questions and thinking more holistically about people, product and process. It becomes less about one single initiative and more about a mindset that runs through the entire business.
How does B Corp™ align with Sussan as a brand for women?
Sussan has always been a brand for women, by women. Not just in the clothes we design, but in the communities we support and the people who make up our team.
Today, around 98% of our workforce is female, from our store teams through to leadership. Supporting women is part of how the business runs every day. That extends beyond our own walls, too, with a focus on nurturing women across our supply chain and long-term partnerships like BCNA.
B Corp™ recognises the impact we already have as a women-led business, while also pushing us to keep improving.
This month's campaign is In Our Nature. How does that message connect to our B Corp™ journey?
In Our Nature is about taking a more considered approach, from the way we design our collections to the way we do business.
As part of The Sussan Group, B Corp™ gives us a framework to continually ask better questions and make better decisions. It shapes everything from how we source materials and improve transparency across our supply chain to the way we work to reduce our environmental impact over time.
It also influences the partnerships we build and the communities we support, whether that's our long-standing relationship with BCNA, progressing our Reconciliation Action Plan, supporting Australian cotton growers or helping give clothing a second life through initiatives like Upparel and Seamless.
For us, becoming B Corp™ certified was never about reaching a finish line. It's about continually evolving and making choices that reflect the kind of business we want to be. In many ways, that's exactly what In Our Nature is all about.
After two years, what has been the biggest lesson so far?
That there is no finish line. B Corp™ isn’t a badge you earn once; it’s a commitment to keep evolving.
Progress matters far more than perfection. What’s important is that we keep improving, keep asking questions, and keep bringing people along with us. Because real change only happens when we do it together.
This month's campaign is In Our Nature. How does that message connect to our B Corp™ journey?
In Our Nature is about taking a more considered approach, from the way we design our collections to the way we do business.
As part of The Sussan Group, B Corp™ gives us a framework to continually ask better questions and make better decisions. It shapes everything from how we source materials and improve transparency across our supply chain to the way we work to reduce our environmental impact over time.
It also influences the partnerships we build and the communities we support, whether that's our long-standing relationship with BCNA, progressing our Reconciliation Action Plan, supporting Australian cotton growers or helping give clothing a second life through initiatives like Upparel and Seamless.
For us, becoming B Corp™ certified was never about reaching a finish line. It's about continually evolving and making choices that reflect the kind of business we want to be. In many ways, that's exactly what In Our Nature is all about.
After two years, what has been the biggest lesson so far?
That there is no finish line. B Corp™ isn’t a badge you earn once; it’s a commitment to keep evolving.
Progress matters far more than perfection. What’s important is that we keep improving, keep asking questions, and keep bringing people along with us. Because real change only happens when we do it together.
