Responsibility
"Kaiko came about from wanting to do good through fashion. Ethics and social responsibility are the core of Kaiko's work. That is why we not only manufacture our products in a transparent way but also direct 7% of the profit of each sold item to education of women in developing countries. We also dream of expanding our production to developing countries for just this reason. Even though production in Europe is mostly done responsibly, there is a lot to be done in this regard in developing countries. We want to be part of creating a better clothing industry also outside of Europe. It is possible to do good and change things through fashion – that is what our slogan Fashion with a mission means."
Mirjam Sokka, founder of Kaiko
Ethics
Kaiko's mission is to enhance the position and quality of life of women in developing countries. In practice this means, at the moment, that Kaiko directs 7% of the profit of clothes sold to the education of women in developing countries. With the help of the money donated through Women's Bank, for example training has been organized in Nepal where local people get support in running their own business and thus get a chance for a better livelihood and future for their children.
During our two-year history we, together with our customers, have donated over 28,000 euros to our aid project in the Lalitpur region in Nepal. We feel that the cooperation with Women's Bank gives us a direct influence on enhancing women's quality of life and, at the same time, we can give our customers a real way to make a difference.
For us, being ethical also means a fair price: we do not aim to compete with the lowest possible price in the market. The recommended retail prices of our products are determined by actual production costs, not by what the so-called market price for the product group is.
We believe in the power of cooperation, mentoring and knowledge sharing. We love to learn from others and share our know-how.
Bimala Tamang lost her house and barn in an earthquake and became a shopkeeper with the help of training organized by a cooperative that Women's Bank supports. Bhardeu, Nepal.
Quality
The ecological footprint of garments primarily depends on their quality. We believe that by manufacturing quality products they will stay in use for longer and thus have a smaller impact on the environment. Timeless items withstand wearing and washing without losing their shape and their lifecycle will be as long as possible.
Yes to slow fashion
We want to be a trendsetter in that everyone can invest in high quality clothes and thus also vote against the throwaway culture with their feet. We hope that people buy clothes with consideration.
The cornerstone of Kaiko's design philosophy is that all items are timeless and high quality and they have been designed to go together with items from previous seasons. We hope that the design will not "expire" in the eye of our customers, either, and that it would last for the entire (hopefully very long!) lifecycle of the item.
We get a wonderful feeling of success when we see Kaiko items from previous seasons still in use and clothes that have become too small for their first wearer bringing joy to the next one.
We want to be a trendsetter in that everyone can invest in high quality clothes and thus also vote against the throwaway culture with their feet. We hope that people buy clothes with consideration.
The cornerstone of Kaiko's design philosophy is that all items are timeless and high quality and they have been designed to go together with items from previous seasons. We hope that the design will not "expire" in the eye of our customers, either, and that it would last for the entire (hopefully very long!) lifecycle of the item.
We get a wonderful feeling of success when we see Kaiko items from previous seasons still in use and clothes that have become too small for their first wearer bringing joy to the next one.
The anatomy of your favourite garment
“We get most attached to things that are always with us.”
We want to make clothes that you want to put on every morning, from day to day and year to year. The kind of clothes that you wear straight from the clothesline, that match anything – items you never want to give up.
Factory seconds
All of our products are hand-made by people so there are naturally some rejects. If the quality of a garment we have manufactured does not meet our expectations:
• we will repair it
• we will learn from it and strive to do things better/in a different way
• we will find out with the supplier where the problem is and what actions should be taken
• also defected items usually end up in use: they are sold in our events as factory seconds or donated
We want to make clothes that you want to put on every morning, from day to day and year to year. The kind of clothes that you wear straight from the clothesline, that match anything – items you never want to give up.
Factory seconds
All of our products are hand-made by people so there are naturally some rejects. If the quality of a garment we have manufactured does not meet our expectations:
• we will repair it
• we will learn from it and strive to do things better/in a different way
• we will find out with the supplier where the problem is and what actions should be taken
• also defected items usually end up in use: they are sold in our events as factory seconds or donated
Transparency
We want our customers to know what they are buying, where the garment or its material comes from and how it was made. We strive to openness and transparency in everything we do. We want to be approachable so that we can develop our business together with our customers to be even more responsible. We are open to development ideas, questions and proposals for cooperation. We believe that by doing and thinking about things together we can bring about a great change in the clothing industry. We strive to make the best possible choices based on Kaiko's values, and if we make a mistake we admit it. Responsibility is not black and white and we are not perfect. However, we do believe that when we put our whole heart into it and try our very best, we can generate great changes.
Fernanda, Cotton House Lda, Portugal.
What does the price of our products consist of?
Employees are paid a fair compensation for their work in every step of the production process. Also, there is no price dumping at the expense of the environment or well-being at work.
Retail prices (rrp) of products consist of the following costs:
materials
sewing
labels, washing labels
packaging
shipping costs
24% value added tax
salary costs
design and marketing costs
product development
insurances
other running costs
7% donation of the profit of each sold item to Women's Bank
Manufacturers
Portugal / Blackmoda Portugal Ltd
The majority (approximately 90-95%) of our products are manufactured in a Finnish-owned factory in Portugal. The products are made of GOTS certified organic cotton. The fabric is woven and dyed in Portugal. The production is Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified. This means that there are no harmful pesticides, heavy metals or traces of formaldehyde in our products.
The GOTS certified thread comes to the factory from Turkey where it is also spun.
The factory has recently invested in an automatic cutter that minimizes cloth waste in the production. All fabric cuttings – also those possibly cut by a subcontractor – are recycled. Cotton House takes care of the recycling.
In February 2019, Blackmoda Portugal Ltd started to use BCI certified cotton (Better Cotton Initiative) in its own tricot production. You can read more about the factory here.
Italy / Blackmoda Portugal Ltd's subcontractor
All Kaiko tights are GOTS certified and they are manufactured by a Cotton House Lda subcontractor in Italy. The factory is a family business run by two sisters, which has operated for over 50 years in the province of Brescia.
To make tights, cotton is combined with polyamide and elastane for durability and fit. Without polyamide and elastane, the product would not resume its shape after being worn and washed and would be uncomfortable to wear.
The majority (approximately 90-95%) of our products are manufactured in a Finnish-owned factory in Portugal. The products are made of GOTS certified organic cotton. The fabric is woven and dyed in Portugal. The production is Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified. This means that there are no harmful pesticides, heavy metals or traces of formaldehyde in our products.
The GOTS certified thread comes to the factory from Turkey where it is also spun.
The factory has recently invested in an automatic cutter that minimizes cloth waste in the production. All fabric cuttings – also those possibly cut by a subcontractor – are recycled. Cotton House takes care of the recycling.
In February 2019, Blackmoda Portugal Ltd started to use BCI certified cotton (Better Cotton Initiative) in its own tricot production. You can read more about the factory here.
Italy / Blackmoda Portugal Ltd's subcontractor
All Kaiko tights are GOTS certified and they are manufactured by a Cotton House Lda subcontractor in Italy. The factory is a family business run by two sisters, which has operated for over 50 years in the province of Brescia.
To make tights, cotton is combined with polyamide and elastane for durability and fit. Without polyamide and elastane, the product would not resume its shape after being worn and washed and would be uncomfortable to wear.
Estonia
A few items in our SS19 collection have been sewn in Estonia. Their material is familiar from our other products and also comes from Portugal. The production minimum in Estonia is smaller than in Portugal so we produced a test batch there.
A few items in our SS19 collection have been sewn in Estonia. Their material is familiar from our other products and also comes from Portugal. The production minimum in Estonia is smaller than in Portugal so we produced a test batch there.
Finland / Sopiva Ompeluliike
Sopiva Ompeluliike is a family business located in Ilmajoki that makes Kaiko's hair accessories. The material is the same Portuguese tricot that most of our clothes are manufactured of.
Sopiva Ompeluliike is a family business located in Ilmajoki that makes Kaiko's hair accessories. The material is the same Portuguese tricot that most of our clothes are manufactured of.
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We are happy to answer any questions
Is there something you would like to ask us regarding responsibility? Do you need more information? A lot still remains to be said but we strive to update this page often.
Contact us:
info@kaikoclothing.com
Is there something you would like to ask us regarding responsibility? Do you need more information? A lot still remains to be said but we strive to update this page often.
Contact us:
info@kaikoclothing.com