Durability
Durable design for an extended lifetime
Unfortunately, the fashion industry is not clean, the more apparel we consume the more pressure we put on the environment. Therefore Charlie AK is focusing on making durable designs, sustainable for the environment and usable through time.
our core beliefs
Fashion is a powerful medium of self-expression that allows us to communicate without using our voices. We recognize the significance of clothing and its ability to address many of the issues faced in today's society. We believe that clothing should evoke emotions and inspire self-expression. Our designs are created to accentuate both the wearer's body and personality. Our goal is to create pieces that are not only worn a few times, but loved and cherished for a long period of time. To achieve this, we prioritize the use of high-quality materials, offer repair services, and provide helpful and informative care instructions to ensure the longevity of our designs.
you can make a difference
extend the durability of your clothing
1.use
You can make a difference!
The easiest changes are the ones we make ourselfs. By simply using the designs we have instead of buying new, we contribute to less consumption and consequenlty less environmental impact.
2.care
Most of the time we overtreat our clothing, this is both bad for the environment and the durability of the design. To prevent this from happening, we are submitting a care guide to help you better understand how to treat your clothing in the best way to ensure a long usability time.
3.Repair
Things break, even clothes do, but it doesn't have to mean the end of your beloved pieces. Often it is just a quick fix away and the piece will be as good as new. To prolong the life span of your Charlie AK clothing we offer free repair services.
The fashion industry's emphasis on fast-paced trends and low-quality products has led to unsustainable overconsumption of apparel. Many brands regularly release new collections with little regard for their environmental impact or the effects on consumer behavior. To support this model, consumers are encouraged to continuously purchase and dispose of clothing, resulting in a decline in the overall quality of products.
In contrast, Charlie AK prioritizes the creation of durable, high-quality designs that can be worn over multiple seasons. By encouraging customers to embrace individuality, stand out from the crowd, and reuse their clothing, we aim to promote sustainable consumption and reduce our environmental footprint.
uSAGE
Just as we want to reduce the storage of clothes in your wardrobe, we want to reduce our stock of clothes. When we produce our designs, we calculate how much storage we think we will need to ensure that we don't produce more than will be used. This is because we do not want a large number of clothes that we don’t know will sell out. We rather produce fewer clothes and order on-demand instead of compromising our climate impact.
storage
Fabrics
The production and treatment of fabrics have a large negative impact on the environment. We want to reduce ours, therefore we find it crucial to be completely honest about which fabrics we are using in our designs. We always keep a close dialogue with our production to make sure we choose the best alternative possible. We want to avoid using plastic materials to an as large extent as possible, as well as materials that have a major contribution to biodiversity loss. This is not an easy task, but something we value highly.
The fabrics that we aim to use are organic materials such as silk and wool. The reason why we try to avoid using cotton or synthetic fabrics is that when growing cotton it is common that it is sprayed with chemicals to ensure a successful crop resulting in harming both humans and nature. Growing cotton requires an excessive amount of water and land area which affects biodiversity negatively. Synthetic fabrics emit a great number of greenhouse gases and are not degradable in nature which makes them harmful both when produced and at the end of life if not treated properly. Microfibers from fabrics that are synthetic are also a major source of pollution in our waters affecting our marine ecosystems.
From the beginning, we made a conscious decision to manufacture our clothing exclusively in Europe, prioritizing both favorable working conditions and minimizing transport distances. I'm pleased to share that in winter 2022, we took a significant step forward by employing our first team member in Sweden. This talented individual is now spearheading the majority of our design efforts, proudly contributing to the local industry.
production
material information
We want to give you a clear understanding of where our fabrics are from, what they are made of, and who manufactures the final garment. We believe this is not just important from a sustainability perspective but also from a value perspective; to understand all the steps and the people behind them.