Kuyichi Redefines Black Friday with Conscious, Charitable Consumption
Dutch apparel brand Kuyichi is rooted in responsibility. The company was inspired by NGO Solidaridad’s visit to Peru in 1998, which brought to light the poverty and pollution in the cotton industry there. The organization sought to support and reward farmers for growing organic cotton, but there was not a sufficient market for the fibers. To create the needed downstream demand, Kuyichi was launched as a consumer-facing brand selling 100 percent organic cotton denim.
With these foundations in sustainability and social good, Kuyichi put its own spin on Black Friday this year. Instead of marking merchandise down, the company—which has ceased discounting—highlighted its new Forever Black denim that uses TENCEL™ Modal with Eco Color technology. The dope dyeing process for these fibers happens at the solution stage, as pigment is added to the liquified pulp before it is spun. This not only saves energy and water over conventional dyeing, but it also locks color into the core of the fiber for better colorfastness and longevity.
Kuyichi also gave back by donating 10 percent of its Black Friday weekend sales to earthquake survivors in Türkiye, bumping up the donation rate to 20 percent for its newsletter subscribers.
Carved in Blue caught up with Zoe Daemen, corporate responsibility manager at Kuyichi, to chat about the Black Friday campaign, the Forever Black collection and fighting against fast fashion.
Carved in Blue: Black Friday is often a time of discounting. What made you decide to use this shopping day as a platform to give back instead?
Zoe: At Kuyichi, we think that if we want to make fashion future-proof, conscious consumerism is an essential part of this. Black Friday is the classic moment when we buy for the discount instead of thinking about if we really need it. For us, this is the ideal moment to make people stop and think about how they consume and the effect it has on others. We translate this into giving back to others instead of taking a gain for yourself.
Carved in Blue: Why did you choose the earthquake survivors in Türkiye as the beneficiary of the sales?
Zoe: There are so many good causes you can choose from, but this cause is one closer to our hearts. As the majority of our products are produced in Türkiye, we took this opportunity to give back. Fortunately, none of our suppliers was directly hit by the earthquake, but a lot of the people working at our partners have a connection to the region and loved ones living there. It is often easy to forget about disasters like this, while for the people that are affected, it is still their daily reality.
Carved in Blue: You talk about “unfashioning” the industry. Could you explain the vision and idea behind this?
Zoe: We see unfashion as a rebel act against fast fashion. Our current fashion industry is focused on producing more for less, new (micro)trends every week and unsustainable consumerism. We believe that by unfashioning, we can slow down, focus on quality and consume mindfully to make sure that fashion will re-find its balance with nature and become fair for all people involved.
Carved in Blue: What led Kuyichi to develop jeans using TENCEL™ Modal with Eco Color technology? From your perspective, what makes this fiber innovation a good fit for denim?
Zoe: We love the fade of denim; it is part of its DNA. But in some cases, we do not want the fade at all. We want to keep denim black, no matter how long you wear it. For us, it is a good fit for denim that can be dressed more formally or if you want to have that deep, deep black look. By choosing Eco Color technology and having truly black denim that stays black forever, we hope to extend the number of times these black jeans are worn.
Carved in Blue: How are you using TENCEL™ Modal with Eco Color technology?
Zoe: We use the TENCEL Modal with Eco Color technology now for three women’s styles that share one fabric. It is blended with 5 percent PBT [polyester] and 2 percent elastane to give it a comfortable stretch. The Tencel™ Modal is used in both the warp and the weft, as it is 93 percent of the total composition.
Carved in Blue: Beyond using TENCEL™ Modal Black, how are you designing and developing denim with longevity in mind?
Zoe: To design for longevity, you need to have a holistic view. You choose your materials carefully and look at the construction of both the fabric and the design. You have to think from the wearer of the jeans. You have to choose your suppliers based on quality as well and test your products before they are produced and hit the shelf. We have a set of rules that we will not cross in terms of the weight or composition of a fabric. Find the balance between comfort and quality, as durable jeans need that comfort to be worn till tear.