Manning sisters put emphasis on local product Ania Minor models a creation by sisters Vanessa, left, Cheryl and Gabrielle Manning, the latest designers to be ethically accredited, in Sydney yesterday. THE Manning sisters - Cheryl, Gabrielle and Vanessa, of fashion label Manning Cartell - are the latest designers to receive accreditation by Ethical Clothing Australia. The accreditation acts as an assurance to designers and consumers that those garments created in Australia have been done so via a transparent supply chain, which proves workers are not exploited and workplace conditions are acceptable. "The discussion started with us wanting to ensure that we continue to manufacture locally," Gabrielle said. So many people have gone offshore already and we really want to keep it here. Vanessa added: "Manufacturing is dying in Australia. Even when it comes to things like machinery, less and less makers have the up-to-date machines because it's an investment for them. So they need to know that they're almost guaranteed to have a longevity in that business otherwise why would they make the investment? The accreditation process took about 12 months, involved a lot of paperwork, and the annual cost of accreditation is about $2500 a year. But they believe it is well worth it. Gabrielle conceded that manufacturing in Australia was more expensive, but they were prepared to work to lower margins to keep things local. It enables you to build the brand consistently because quality is a big part of it. While the majority of their collections are made in Sydney, heavily embellished pieces are created in India and knitwear in China. The sisters visited the factories themselves before signing contracts to check conditions as there is no global accreditation process for factories. Rebekka Carey-Smith, accreditation adviser for ECA, believed that as the trend towards understanding supply chains for food and household goods increased, so would the number of people wanting to know where their clothing originated, especially in the wake of fatal industrial incidents such as a Bangladesh factory collapse in April. "From the designers' point of view it's a way for them to ensure that they are in control of their supply chain and know exactly where their garments are getting made; it's some kind of security," Ms Carey-Smith said. Other accredited Australian brands include Collette Dinnigan, Bianca Spender, Cue, Ginger & Smart, Jets, Review and R.M. Williams.