Our commitment to Sustainability and Ethics

At K&R we are commited to transparency. We embrace sustainable and ethical practices at every stage of our design and production process, however as a fashion brand that is creating new products, we recognise that we are not perfect.

Our London based factories, use of deadstock & natural fabrics and limited production runs are testament to our commitment to ethical and sustainable production. At the same time, we understand that sustainability is not just environmental. We also strive to maximise our positive social impact through local & ethical production which supports the local community.

Below we detail how we implement sustainable and ethical practices in each stage of our development and production process. We are by no means perfect and we are constantly evolving and finding ways to improve. If you have any further questions or suggestions after reading then feel free to email us at hello@kandrclothing.com

Design

  • K&R started as a vintage clothing brand and we use our experience with vintage clothing and the unique perspective we have gained from it to inform our design process. We have seen firsthand how fashion has evolved throughout the decades: what has been overproduced, only to be discarded a few years later, and what has truly stood the test of time.
  • With that in mind, all of our products go through a considerate and detailed design process. They often take many months to perfect.
  • Over 50% of our designs are specifically made to be unisex so they can be worn by anyone.

Fabric & materials

  • 85% of the fabrics that we use are deadstock. Deadstock fabric is leftover, unused fabric from larger production runs that would otherwise go to landfill. Our commitment to using deadstock fabric reduces textile waste, minimises the demand for new fabric & ensures we aren't contributing to the millions of tonnes of fabric already stored in warehouses and landfills.
  • As well as being deadstock, 90% of the fabrics we use are natural, with almost all our designs being made from either cotton, wool or linen. At present the only non-natural fibre we have used is polyester for 'the vita dress in yellow gingham' and polyester based boucle for 'the felix cardigan in brown check'. These fabrics were 100% deadstock & would otherwise of been destined for landfill.
  • Where possible we source our materials and fabrics locally to minimise our environmental impact and support the local community.

Production

  • All of our products are manufactured in our London factories. This not only supports the local economy but also reduces our carbon footprint.
  • Local production also means that we are able to regularly visit our factories to oversee the production process from start to finish, ensuring our products are quality checked throughout.

working with our Factories

  • Regular visits to our factories mean that we maintain strong relationships with them and the people that work there.
  • All the people that work for us are paid fairly, at least the national living wage.

Pre-order & Preventing overproduction

  • We produce all our items in small runs to avoid overproduction and minimise waste.
  • Many of our products are only available on pre-order. This allow us to judge the demand for our products before we go into production, preventing us from unnecessarily overproducing clothes that may not sell. Pre-order also allows customers to make more mindful choices about what they buy.

Keeping clothes in circulation

  • K&R started out as a vintage clothing brand & we have never forgotten where we came from. Although we produce our own clothing, 50% of the clothes we have sold since we started have been second hand. We have carefully sourced vintage clothing from around the world, repairing it where necessary and giving it a second chance at life. To this day we have given over 23,000 items of clothing, that could have ended up in landfill, a new life.

PACKAGING

  • All orders are sent in recycled plastic mailing bags.
  • We do not unnecessarily wrap our products in plastic or tag them and we avoid using any additional and wasteful packing materials.
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