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MADE TO KEEP WEARING
DESIGN AND QUALITY FOR A LONGER LIFE
For a garment to truly last, you have to still want to wear it, and still be able to.
At Charlie AK, we think about both. We create distinctive designs without designing only for the moment, and combine them with carefully considered materials, fit and construction to give each piece the right conditions to be worn for years.
Because clothes are made to be worn, longevity doesn’t end when a garment leaves us. How you wear it, care for it and repair it along the way all play a part in how long it can remain in your wardrobe.
DESIGN
A garment can be perfectly wearable and still end up unworn.
For us, durability starts long before we think about how well a fabric will withstand wear. It starts with whether the design is something you will still want to wear in the first place.
We love fashion and the way it allows us to express ourselves, but we don’t believe good design should depend entirely on a particular season or moment. We create clothes with a distinct point of view and enough character to make you want them, while considering how they can remain relevant in your wardrobe as it evolves.
This also shapes how we build our collections. Rather than treating each collection as a replacement for the one before it, we build the Charlie AK wardrobe one design at a time. New pieces are created to work with what is already there, giving you more ways to wear the clothes you own as your wardrobe grows.
Because making clothes last means very little if you don’t want to wear them.
The material is part of how a garment looks, feels and holds up over time.
Material choice is an important part of every Charlie AK design. We consider not only how a fabric looks, but how it feels against the body, how it moves, how it works with the silhouette and how it performs with wear.
We work with natural materials throughout our clothing, including silk, wool, cotton and cashmere, while our jackets use recycled polyester. Rather than choosing materials according to one fixed formula, we select them according to the needs of each individual design.
The right material should support both the expression of the garment and the way it is intended to be worn. Because for us, quality is not only something you see when a garment is new, it should continue to matter every time you wear it.
MATERIALS
FIT & CONSTRUCTION
Good materials are only part of what makes a garment worth keeping.
Fit, proportion and construction are considered throughout the development of every Charlie AK design. We work with these elements not only to create the silhouette we want, but to make sure the garment feels right when it is actually worn.
A beautiful piece that is uncomfortable, restrictive or difficult to wear is unlikely to become a lasting part of a wardrobe. That’s why fitting and refinement are an important part of our design process, from the first prototype to the finished garment.
The aim is simple: to create clothes that you feel good in and can continue to wear.
Our clothes are made in Sweden, Portugal and Italy.
We have chosen to keep our production in Europe and work with selected production partners depending on the needs of each design.
Staying close to the people who make our clothes allows us to remain involved throughout development and production, from fit and construction to finishing and quality. It also gives us the opportunity to build long-term relationships with the people and manufacturers behind our garments.
MADE IN EUROPE
USAGE
The fashion industry's relentless pursuit of fast-paced trends and low-quality products has led to a troubling cycle of unsustainable overconsumption. Many brands churn out new collections with little regard for environmental impact or the effects on consumer behavior. This model encourages consumers to constantly buy and discard clothing, resulting in a noticeable decline in product quality.
Instead we prioritize creating durable, high-quality designs meant to be worn season after season. Our mission is to inspire customers to embrace their individuality, stand out from the crowd, and make sustainable choices by reusing their clothing. By championing this approach, we aim to reduce our environmental footprint and transform the way people think about fashion.
STORAGE
Just as we strive to minimize the number of clothes in your wardrobe, we're committed to reducing our own inventory. When creating our designs, we carefully estimate the storage needed to ensure we only produce what will be used. We prefer to avoid overstocking and the uncertainty of unsold items. Instead, we focus on producing smaller quantities and ordering on-demand, which helps us minimize our environmental impact.
MATERIALS
The production and treatment of fabrics can have a significant negative impact on the environment. To mitigate this, we believe in full transparency about the materials used in our designs. We work closely with our production partners to select the most sustainable options available, prioritizing organic materials like silk and wool.
We make sure to use organic cotton, as it is grown without harmful chemicals and requires less water, reducing its environmental footprint. We avoid synthetic fabrics due to their high greenhouse gas emissions, non-biodegradability, and the pollution they cause, which can harm marine ecosystems. Our commitment to these choices reflects our dedication to sustainability and minimizing our ecological impact.
Learn more about our materials.
PRODUCTION
From the beginning, we made a conscious decision to manufacture our clothing exclusively in Europe, prioritizing both favorable working conditions and minimizing transport distances. While still producing the majority in Sweden we collaborate with a small factory in Porto, Portugal, a familly business just like Charlie AK.