This doesn't stop at the people who work in London's HQ, or those who put their all in to selling our products in stores across the globe. It extends to the people who create beautiful products for us, often in small villages across Asia (see Our roots section).

We are proud that we are a founder member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) (www.ethicaltrade.org), whose goal is to ensure that the working conditions of workers producing for the UK market meet or exceed international labour standards. We're not claiming to have all the answers, but are committed to driving continuous improvements throughout our supply chain.

In terms of how we do business, we do not operate our own factories, but ask all our suppliers to commit to The Monsoon Accessorize Code of Conduct. This is based on ETI standards and sets out minimum requirements relating to working conditions, pay and employment rights. We then work closely with our suppliers to help them improve and monitor progress through regular visits from our own as well as external audit teams. This includes some unannounced visits so we can get an accurate picture of progress.

To us, living our values means creating long-standing, sustainable relationships - and we have worked with many of our suppliers for over 20 years. This doesn't mean we turn a blind eye. If we find a problem, we work together to put it right. If our suppliers do not come up to scratch within a reasonable time frame, we are prepared to move our business elsewhere.