Can fast-fashion be virtuous?
From respecting the environment to people, to second hand.
KIABI HUMAN chooses to reveal itself, starting from listening the most frequent questions, made by collaborators and employees. Based on this interaction a new document is born, which deals with the company’s social responsability, focusing on the key moments of 2020 and on the future projection of events.
From the idea to the product: the production chain that really works
KIABI’s promise, leader of French ready-to-wear, is offering to the world affordable fashion with little prices fair all year round. Collections are designed by a team of more than 100 designers, model makers and product managers. Clothes are packaged at factories that work for the company on subcontracting, in 21 countries, especially in Asia.
The organisation collaborates with 137 suppliers in 400 establishments chosen on the basis of sustainability criteria: respect for human rights, work conditions, protection of the environment, corruption prevention, preventive audit, annual controls.
To be able to offer small prices all the year round KIABI acts on various phases of the item’s production. Each component is studied in detail to optimize the overall cost, minimizing waste.
The Covid-19 emergency led the organization to reduce the number of exchanges of samples between suppliers and product development teams.
Eco-designed products: when the beauty becomes good
To obtain an eco-designed product its necessary to optimize the phases of a product’s production. KIABI is an active part of the factory and it intervenes in the raw material selection, in the manufacturing process, in the logistics circuit and in the distribution network.
Acting directly in these phases, 1 million downs/coats in recycled polyester were produced from used plastic bottles, 2.5 million denim trousers treated with the eco-wash method. And again, 37 million t-shirts and 2,8 milioni baby bodysuit made in cotton fibres from orgnaic and integrated agriculture.
Circular fashion: to give clothing a second life
KIABI si mobilized both inside and outside its organization to make its contribution to circular fashion, which knows how to regenerate itself without affecting the planet’s resources.
Greater attention was paid to textile disposal and recycling, a worldwide problem of enormous impact, focusing on the Second Hand project to give new life to clothing.
KIABI France has created 2 customization workshops to adapt and extend the life of the garments at the Cormontreuil and Merignac stores; It launched 6 second-hand corners in stores, providing for the launch of an online site whre you can proceed digitally to the sale of used products.
A policy is in place based on the management of stocks and partnerships for donations.
A 2021 test is coming to Italy for second hand corners, initially only in a few stores to promote the circular model instead of the linear ones. Second-hand clothing collections will also be planned for next year in collaboration with a charity association.
Inclusive fashion: the equality of diversity
For over 20 years the key principles for KIABI have been equal opportunities and inclusiveness.
In this regard, in Italy there is a collaboration underway with provincial bodies to promote the inclusion in the world of work of people with disabilities or in precarious living conditions. A plan for the insertion of profiles with disabilities was also set up and agreed by the HR KIABI department with the various sales points in the area in 2021.
Translating all this infos into figures, a total number of 400 disabled employees within the KIABI GROUP were estimated in December 2019.
Planet: from small actions to greater projects for tomorrow
KIABI is setting big goals to reduce its impact on the environment.
By 2025 the french fashion brand at small prices aims to achieve 100% sustainable materials used for the production of clothing and fabric accessories; the test phases will also be accelerated for projects such as used items, collection and unsold items.
A focus on logistics and transport is also underway to reduce the carbon traces on the environment.
The 22% of KIABI purchases on 2020 has happened with sustainable materials. In addition, 1 truck tour of the world was saved, thanks to the new Southern warehouse for the Southern European area.
KIABI wants to be the protagonist of a changing world, aiming to be more and more leader in the low fashion section, protecting the available resources and impacting the environment less and less.