Kuyichi 2.0: on a mission

The fashion industry is in high need of positive impact creators. The polluting nature, insufficient working conditions and unsustainable supply chains create a big negative impact. Sustainable produce isn’t easy to find in the stores and fast fashion still seems to be the norm. The need to replace the one for the other is high, though. After her restart, fashion brand Kuyichi has a mission: to bring sustainable and fair wear into the stores. The brand focuses on organic materials and closed-loop thinking. The passionate entrepreneurs behind the brand want to create a new norm. Kuyichi is back and is this week’s positive impact creator. How about their sustainable plans and impact?

 Spreading the word

After her recent restart, fashion brand Kuyichi is back and ready to pursue her mission. This mission can be formulated as spreading the word and creating awareness among consumers about sustainability and fashion. As a brand, they want to show people that it’s definitely possible to create a sustainable product that’s cool too. The period in which sustainability was placed in a more alternative corner is over. It’s not old fashioned, rare or alternative anymore: it can be fashionable and that should be the norm.

We want to create the awareness that it doesn’t make sense that child labour or production methods that, ultimately, destroy the planet, are still put to use.

A sustainable basis

As a brand Kuyichi is convinced that she can take a unique position in this ‘second era’. They want sustainability to enter the stores and gain visibility there. Especially in the stores that – initially – didn’t consider sustainability to be a factor of importance. Sustainability may be a unique selling point in fashion today, and brands can use that in a positive way. In the end, however, this uniqueness should fade and become the norm. That is where Kuyichi is working on. “Right now, to grow in the market, we want to show: our brand is fashionable and cool but also, it’s a fair produce.”

With this Kuyichi can distinguish herself from other brands in stores where sustainability or fair wear isn’t common (yet). Loads of fashion stores do not prioritize this right now.

Our starting point is to reverse this wrong mindset and accelerate fair fashion thinking.

Then they can show the consumer that it is ridiculous that they can choose between unsustainable  and sustainable fashion. It should speak for itself.

Developing impact

Kuyichi shares with us that a lot was learned from her ‘first era’, especially about management and how to arrange everything business wise. What Kuyichi needed was real entrepreneurs with a real passion. Because in the first place, it’s not about the results. According to the brand, it’s about putting passionate people with an entrepreneurial mind in a leading position. Not only philanthropists. “But we’d like to carry on what we’ve learned about leadership and management skills, as a positive heritage from our first era”.

They have a clear mission, but keep in mind that they’re a business too. They position themselves as a ‘naked’ brand – in the sense that they are, and supposed to stay, raw. Staying close to their products helps them realize this and keep the focus on quality, sustainability and being fashionable.

We want to contribute to throwing the ‘sales story’ overboard: it doesn’t relate to the idea of slow fashion.

Creating a movement against fast fashion is central. In the long run, this will create happiness for the consumer, the brands ánd the stores.

Since the beginning of 2016, Kuyichi made a restart with four new owners. They create a positive impact with their raw mission, and try to accelerate this. At Rainbow Collection we encourage brands that want to accelerate their positive impact. Are you on a mission too and in need of the right tools or the right people to help you get it off ground? Share your story with us and let us help you become or grow as a positive impact creator too. Check out all our impact creators on Facebook or Instagram!