Manufacturing Update

Today we’re announcing that BlackMilk has made the decision to wind down manufacturing at our Brisbane factory.

As part of this transition, we are consulting with 15 members of our production team.

This is one of the most difficult decisions we have made as a business. Before talking about what comes next, I want to acknowledge the people affected by it.

Our production team has played an extraordinary role in BlackMilk’s story. Their craftsmanship, skill and care have helped create products worn by hundreds of thousands of customers around the world, and their contribution to this brand cannot be overstated. Our immediate priority is supporting every affected team member through this transition with care and respect.

I also know this announcement will be deeply disappointing for many members of our community.

Australian manufacturing has been part of BlackMilk since the beginning. For many customers, it has represented far more than where a product was made. It has been part of the identity of the brand itself.

We have previously said publicly that we intended to continue manufacturing in Brisbane. That was genuinely our intention, and we worked for years to make a model of local and offshore production work together.

Today, we need to change direction.

We are doing so because we no longer believe our current manufacturing model can support the future of the business.

This decision is the result of several factors.

The reality for us is that manufacturing in Brisbane is no longer commercially viable in a way that allows us to deliver a range of products into the future and continue investing in the business.

At the same time, our product strategy is evolving. We are introducing more cotton, other natural fibres and recycled polyester where those materials are the best choice for the product. Many of these fabrics and the specialist production capabilities required to work with them are not available through our current Brisbane factory.

This does not mean that offshore manufacturing automatically produces a better product.

Quality remains BlackMilk’s responsibility, regardless of where a product is made.

As part of this transition, we are strengthening our quality processes by transitioning to 100% inspection of offshore production. We will continue evaluating new fabrics, construction methods and product performance, and we will make changes where something does not meet the standard we expect.

What is not changing is the creative heart of BlackMilk.

Every product will continue to be designed by our Brisbane team, exactly as it always has been. Our prints, silhouettes, technical development and creative direction remain here.

Customers will also continue to see Australian-made products for some time, as many products are already progressing through our development and production pipeline. We will continue to clearly identify the country of manufacture on every product page so customers can make informed purchasing decisions.

I know not everyone will agree with this decision.

I respect that.

As CEO, this decision sits with me.

I also know that trust is not built through announcements like this. It is built by what we do next.

Over the coming months, we’ll continue sharing more about our evolving product range, our approach to quality and the changes we’re making as this transition continues. With so many different voices in our community, we will continue listening and adapt as we are able to, to service the majority of our Sharkie community.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for continuing to care so deeply about BlackMilk.

Jackie Kruger

CEO

BlackMilk Clothing

Questions about our Brisbane Production Transition

We know this announcement raises a lot of questions, and understandably so.

We’ve answered the questions we think many people will have today. As this transition continues, we’ll keep updating this page with additional information.

Q: Why is BlackMilk winding down clothing production in Australia?

A: This decision wasn’t driven by one single factor.

For many years we worked to maintain a model where BlackMilk produced products both in Brisbane and through trusted offshore manufacturing partners. We genuinely believed we could continue operating that way.

Over time, however, we reached the point where we no longer believed that model could support the future of the business or the products we want to create.

Manufacturing products in Brisbane is no longer commercially viable in a way that allows us to continue investing in the business, evolve our product range and position our products at a price that makes sense for our customers.

At the same time, we’re introducing more cotton, natural fibres and recycled polyester where they’re the right choice for the product. Many of these fabrics and the specialist manufacturing capabilities needed to work with them aren’t available through our current Brisbane production operation.

This decision reflects all of those factors together.

Q: Didn’t BlackMilk previously say that it would keep manufacturing in Australia?

A: Yes.

That genuinely was our intention.

When we shared those updates, we believed we could continue manufacturing both locally and offshore, and we worked hard for years to make that model sustainable.

This announcement represents a change in direction.

We understand some customers will feel disappointed by that, and we respect those feelings.

Rather than pretending we never made those statements, we believe it’s important to acknowledge them openly and explain why our position has changed.

Q: Is this simply about reducing costs?

A: Commercial viability is an important part of this decision, but it isn’t the whole story.

If this decision were only about reducing costs, our explanation would be much simpler.

Instead, it’s about creating a manufacturing model that supports the products we want to make in the future, the fabrics we’re introducing, continued investment in BlackMilk and the long-term sustainability of the business.

Those factors all contributed to this decision.

Q: What happens to the Brisbane Production team?

A: We are in consultation with fifteen members of our production team who are affected by this decision.

These team members have made an extraordinary contribution to BlackMilk over many years, and we’re deeply grateful for the skill, care and dedication they’ve brought to the business.

Our priority is supporting every affected employee through this transition with care and respect. Whilst we don’t want to talk about individual circumstances, we will be supporting the team to transition to new opportunities.

Q: Is BlackMilk still designing everything in Brisbane?

A:Yes.

This isn’t changing.

Every print, product, silhouette, fit and collection continues to be designed by our Brisbane-based creative team.

What is changing is where many of those designs are manufactured.

Q: Will there still be Australian Made products at all?

A: Yes for now.

Our product development pipeline is planned well in advance, so you’ll continue to see Australian-made products released over the coming months while products already in production move through our pipeline.

We’ll continue to clearly identify the country of manufacture on every product page so customers can make informed purchasing decisions.

Q: Does this mean that all future BlackMilk products will be made offshore?

A: Over time, our production will move offshore.

However, during the transition you’ll continue to see Australian-made products released as existing production is completed.

Where every product is manufactured will be clearly identified on its product page.

Q: Why are you introducing cotton and other natural fibres as well as recycled polyester?

A: Our product strategy is evolving.

We’re introducing more cotton, other natural fibres and recycled polyester where they’re the right choice for each product.

Different fabrics offer different benefits depending on the product, and no single fibre is the right answer for every design.

This transition gives us access to a broader range of materials and specialist manufacturing capabilities while still allowing our Brisbane design team to create the products our community knows and loves.

Q: Does manufacturing offshore mean that the product quality will change?

A: Quality is BlackMilk’s responsibility, regardless of where a product is made.

We know some customers have been disappointed with offshore products in the past, and we take that feedback seriously.

As part of this transition, we’re strengthening our quality process by transitioning to 100% quality inspection of offshore production.

Quality isn’t determined simply by where something is made. It’s shaped by the fabrics we select, the specifications we write, the factories we partner with, the inspections we carry out and the standards we hold ourselves to.

Ultimately, we know we’ll be judged by the products we release, not by what we say here.

Q: Will BlackMilk products become cheaper?

A: This transition isn’t about creating the cheapest possible product.

Our focus is building a manufacturing model that supports the quality, materials, creativity and long-term sustainability of BlackMilk.

As always, our pricing will continue to reflect the cost of creating the products we believe in while balancing quality, design, craftsmanship and accessibility for our customers.

Q: Why not increase prices to maintain local manufacturing?

A: We know some customers would happily pay more to support Australian manufacturing.

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t create a sustainable solution for the business as a whole.

The decision wasn’t based on manufacturing costs alone. It also reflects the types of products we want to create, the materials we’re introducing, specialist production capabilities and building a model that supports BlackMilk’s long-term future.

We carefully considered a range of options before making this decision.

Q: Why not keep a smaller Australian-made range?

A: We explored a number of different possibilities before making this decision.

Ultimately, we concluded that maintaining a separate local manufacturing operation alongside our evolving product strategy wasn’t the right long-term model for BlackMilk.

While we know some customers will be disappointed by that outcome, we believe it provides the strongest foundation for the future of the brand.

Q: Will BlackMilk still warehouse and ship orders from Brisbane?

A: Yes. Our warehouse team will continue to operate from Brisbane, and we’ll continue packing and shipping orders from here as we do today.

The decision we’ve announced relates specifically to manufacturing. Our Design, Product Development, Customer Experience, Marketing and Warehouse teams all continue to play an important role in BlackMilk’s future.

Like any business, we’ll continue reviewing how we operate over time to ensure we’re providing the best experience for our customers. If our approach ever changes, we’ll communicate openly about those decisions, just as we are today.