Find out how a Coast man is taking on the sex trafficking industry
“Once I knew about human trafficking ... I couldn’t pretend I didn’t” ... but what James Bartle did do is build a start-up company designed to take on the sex trafficking industry one stitch at a time
WE can’t show you the sewing room in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. And we can’t show the faces of the 29 seamstresses rescued from human slavery and sexual exploitation.
Cambodian law prevents publication of the images of trafficking victims.
But we can show you James Bartle, the man behind Outland Denim, the Gold Coast start-up that is changing lives one pair of jeans at a time.
“There was a girl in the street and she couldn’t have been more than 12 ... and she looked terrified ... I just couldn’t fathom what I was seeing. This was a young girl sold into the sex trade industry ... and my heart broke,” James said.
It is estimated that upwards of 27 million people worldwide are trapped in human trafficking with the average age of victims 12 years old. And Cambodia is a known centre for trafficking.
Five years after his first street encounter, the tears still leak but now James is a man of action. And a man of fashion. Outland Denim, a high-end jeans company, is James’ brainchild to build a brand of change.
The company specifically employs young women rescued from or affected by human slavery and sexual exploitation to make premiumquality denim.
And its impact is profound. Firstly, the women who have previously been victims of the sex trade are given the opportunity to thrive again on their own terms.
And secondly, women in the community avoid falling victim to the trade thanks to the creation of employment.
“We’ve been chipping away for five years but only officially launched about a month ago – and we’ve been blown away by the response,” James said.
“When we started we were a notfor-profit but under that model we could only sustain five seamstresses.
“So then we started to look at a ‘profit-for-purpose’ model ... poverty is what made these women so vulnerable.
“When we started out, we thought jeans – something in nearly every wardrobe throughout the world – was the obvious fit for us.
“We started out using foot-pedal sewing machines in their home villages and then we would have the jeans couriered back into the sewing room at Kampong Cham.
“Each seamstress was responsible for completing a jean from start to finish.
“But in order to grow – and to help more women – we decided to centralise.”
Outland Denim has opened its first shop in Paddington, Brisbane and now produces about 100 pairs of jeans a day – which is minuscule in comparison to factory production lines that have 60 different people working on the one pair.
“We’re pretty slow for a manufacturing business but we don’t want to be a garment factory.
“Our goal is to provide as many jobs as we can but also to provide a safe environment. And that trust has taken time. These girls are often terrified ... some have been told they would be cleaning hotels and then ended up in the sex trade industry.
“They were hesitant in trusting an outside company and they often experience great shame, ostracisation from their families.
“What we have set up is an opportunity for them to rebuild their lives.
“They can earn a good income, restore their sense of self-worth ... we support them with counselling and financial advice but the greatest thing is to see the girls happy.
“Happy, independent and feeling like they are contributing to society ... it really has been an incredible journey.”
And the journey is all coordinated from James’ headquarters
WHAT DRIVES ME IS THE THOUGHT OF ISABEL, WHEN SHE’S MUCH OLDER, ASKING ME ABOUT TRAFFICKING AND THEN SAYING, ‘WHAT DID YOU DO?’
at Tamborine. But the journey might not have happened if not for the generosity of an investor – a cattle farmer from Queensland. James first met him when he was making a living from freestyle motocross.
“He and his wife are such incredibly generous people – they never want me to mention them,” James said. “But this could not be possible if not for them.
“They actually sold their cattle property and bought a smaller one further out so they could invest with us.
“And they expect nothing in return. But I’d like to think one day that he would get a return on his investment ... because he’s a man who put his money where his mouth is.
“And I know what he’ll do with it ... he’ll reinvest in another worthy cause.”
James is 35, married to Erica and father to three-and-a-half year-old Isabel. Erica and James are expecting their second daughter in January.
“What drives me is the thought of Isabel, obviously when she’s much older, asking me about trafficking and then saying ‘What did you do?’
“I’ve always admired the guys that put their lives on the line to actually rescue the girls from the streets and the brothels,” James said.
“I couldn’t see myself performing that sort of work ... but we can all do something.
“I truly believe that if people knew the backstory of fast fashion or some of the fashion production lines they wouldn’t support it.
“If fashion is cheap ... someone has been exploited. Outland Denim was never a business idea. It was always about ‘How can I make an impact?’
“I’ve retained over 50 per cent of the ownership to make sure it never comes about making money.
“But we don’t want to be just another charity. Fifty dollars (retail around $190 and upwards) from each pair of jeans sold goes to anti-trafficking agencies like Destiny Rescue.
“But we also wanted a stand-alone quality product that people can say ‘By wearing these jeans, I am drastically changing the life of someone’.
“I don’t think you can operate in the modern world ... without making an effort to make sure your practices and dealings are ethical.
“People are being exploited for the clothes we are wearing – and it’s an educational process.
“Garment factories are not the problem – we are.
“People can make the decision to align themselves with brands that are ethical.
“I’m not one to judge anyone but I truly believe people want to do the right thing ... and this includes ethical choices with fashion.”