MK Sons Creates Purposeful Denim in Pakistan
For much of the denim industry, sustainability was a sea change that ushered in new operating practices to meet and adjust to moving standards. However, for firms who are newer to denim, environmentalism has often been ingrained from the start.
This is the case for Pakistan-based MK Sons. While the company has been around for 35 years, the manufacturer moved into denim more recently, affording it the opportunity to start from scratch with a sustainable approach.
Carved in Blue spoke with Muhammad Erkan, CEO of the MK Sons apparel division, about the history of the business, how they got into denim and the firm’s sustainability commitments.
Carved in Blue: Tell us, who are you?
Erkan: MK Sons apparel is a new breed of denim maker. We are a purpose-driven, force-for-good denim manufacturer in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Responsible practices are built into our corporate model. Our mission is to innovate, create, sustain and disrupt.
We combine technology and our denim team’s fresh perspective with MK Sons’ years of know-how to provide the best combination for creating product with impactful change.
Carved in Blue: What does the MK abbreviation stand for?
Erkan: MK stands for Muhammad Khan, who was my grandfather.
Carved in Blue: You were established in 1986. Why are you entering the denim market now? What can you provide different than other denim makers in Pakistan?
Erkan: My father started a trading house in 1986 and started exporting wider width fabric, which was the major textile product of the region at the time. Over the last three decades, he grew the business by leaps and bounds and MK Sons became specialized in home textiles.
When I joined the business in 2016, I had a lot of new ideas regarding product, sustainability and technology. But the bedding market was not very eager around these subjects.
Upon a chance encounter with a few denim insiders in Amsterdam, I realized that denim manufacturing is one of the most forward-thinking segments in the wider textile industry. They were tackling these challenges head on. Upon further research, we found out that Pakistan is exporting major quantities of denim fabric, which ideally should be processed into garments here.
Because we started in this current era of consciousness around sustainability and social impact, MK Sons apparel has this awareness in its DNA, which makes us different from the rest of the industry.
Since day one, we have also integrated technology into our production and management processes, which has firmly set our direction towards an industry 4.0 future.
Carved in Blue: What type of styles have you developed? What would you say is your forte in terms of product?
Erkan: We have a very flexible approach to product development, which takes root from the design team requirements at the buyers end. We believe in the vision of creators and the connections they have to their customers. Through collaboration, communication and technology, we provide a platform to bring their creations to life.
This philosophy also allows us to reduce the amount of trials and limit development waste. We have built agility and flexibility into our production lines allowing us to make bottoms, tops and an array of fashion items in denim.
Carved in Blue: What’s your vision around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?
Erkan: The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals provide a very comprehensive guideline for our future as an apparel manufacturer.
Aside from our continued efforts in overall waste reduction, responsible water and energy stewardship, most of our policies around our workers have been based on the social U.N. SDGs, and we plan to continue creating more programs that help us achieve more of the goals.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Erkan: The commitment to a better more sustainable future of fashion is carved in blue.
Carved in Blue: How can we connect with you around the world?
You can connect with us at denim@mksons.com, on LinkedIn, and, of course, on Instagram @MKSonsApparel. And hopefully, we will see you at the next denim event you attend.