KINdom only uses eco-conscious & ethical materials. Read about them below.
COMPOSTABLE & RECYCLED PACKAGING
Whether it’s a high-end brand or a fast-fashion brand, practically every apparel or accessory or bag is individually packed in its own plastic bag, to reduce damages in shipping and protect the product. Plastic takes between hundreds to thousands of years to biodegrade, depending on the composition. In KINdom, we do not use just any plastic bag. In addition to using sustainable materials to make our garments, we also use compostable bioplastic bags made to pack each product for shipping. Another plus for the planet!
For hang tags, we used unbleached Kraft paper, attached to each garment with natural twine and a metal pin. The KINdom label is made of cotton ribbon tape printed with water-based ink, so it will fade after awhile, but that's how it's supposed to be. :)
ECO-CONSCIOUS
A few years ago, the fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world, next to the oil industry. Until regenerative textiles which help balance an ecosystem & sequester carbon are scaled-up and will be more accessible, current commonly-used textiles cannot be labeled as "sustainable". The use of the materials below helps decrease wasted resources and reduce pollution.
GOTS Organic Cotton: A natural fiber made of cotton plants, Organic Cotton uses no harmful pesticides. We use fibers that are Global Organic Textile Standard or GOTS-certified.
Regenerative Cotton: This textile is on our wish list to use! Regenerative cotton is a holistic agricultural philosophy that aims to positively influence ecosystems by supporting soil health, bio-sequestration, biodiversity, eco-toxicity, climate resilience, water systems and micronutrients. In simple terms, it helps balance the ecosystem using natural practices while sequestering carbon.
Hemp: Also a cellulose fiber that uses significantly less water and is made from fibers which grow on the outside of the hemp plant’s stalk. It is processed the same way as bamboo, but also uses less pesticides or insecticides due to its efficient nature of growth.
Tencel: Tencel is also a cellulose fiber obtained from wood pulp using recyclable solvents, which makes it more eco-conscious than bamboo & hemp, but it is also more costly.
RECYCLED
rPET or Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate: This is Recycled Polyester. Traditional, virgin polyester is often made from oil obtained through irresponsible processes. The Recycled Polyester we use is often made of plastic bottles, which helps divert plastic from landfills, reduce dependency on petroleum as a raw material, and uses up less resources.
Recycled Cotton: Created from old t-shirts and other 100% cotton clothing, the garment is taken apart and processed in several steps to recycle the cotton. Short of planting new cotton crops and using more water & other natural resources, this is an alternative way to go.
RECLAIMED
Oftentimes greenwashed by brands as "recycled", "reclaimed" textiles are basically deadstock surplus from other brands or suppliers. Big brands often cancel orders based on super strict or unrealistic standards. Examples of this may be due to materials or goods being (a) have aesthetic issues (fading, shading or being slightly uneven or off-color, crocking, etc.); (b) performance issues (low elasticity from standard, etc.); or (c) simply being late in delivery or a buyer/brand changing their mind and just canceling the order; and many more. The result is a significant amount of discarded stock inventory, which can end up in a landfill or incinerated if not reclaimed or recycled. KINdom reclaims these discarded materials and gives them new life, preventing them from being wasted.
Bamboo Viscose: A cellulose fiber that is extracted or fabricated from natural bamboo, it uses significantly less water. The process still involves some chemical solvents to convert it into fiber, however there is little or no use for pesticides or insecticides due to the easy and efficient growth of bamboo (did you know it's a grass?). Luckily, our bamboo fabric is reclaimed from deadstock, not a virgin product that adds more of these solvents into our soil & water systems.
Linen: A natural fiber made from the flax plant, we saw a lone roll of deadstock linen houndstooth to use as accents on some of our styles. Beautiful!
Silk: Silk is a protein fiber and animal product made from the silk worm. We DO NOT use virgin silk in our products. So far we only used *reclaimed* silk once, discarded as dead stock from other brands, but in a very minimal amount used as binding. Other than that one style, we do not use silk or any other animal products at all. Nope. Nope. Nope.
Trims: Reclaimed trims from deadstock is the way to go. From suppliers who are on the verge to throwing trims such as buttons in the trash, to one of our seamstresses who grabbed a box full of buttons out of the trash from a factory once, we strive to keep these out of the landfills as well.
INDIGENOUS
The group of people left behind in the fashion industry are those who inspire it to begin with. Indigenous communities have rich cultures that need to be preserved, and we believe in supporting them by highlighting them in our products. The materials from indigenous communities are always in very limited editions, because they are handwoven and are not mass-produced. From handwoven textiles to natural bosok seeds used for beading our garments, indigenous materials generally use the least amount of resources from the planet while having a small carbon footprint at the same time.