Designed, produced, and headquartered in New Zealand, women’s fashion brand Kowtow has made a name for itself thanks to the luxury and sustainable knitwear they offer. While they sell a variety of upscale, minimalist pieces, from dresses to outerwear, they are most known for their eco-friendly knits.
There are only a handful of eco-friendly, high-end fashion brands that go to the lengths Kowtow does in order to ensure their products leave the smallest footprint possible.
For example, all Kowtow pieces are made from renewable and sustainable fibres, such as organic cotton. Specifically, Kowtow’s cotton is sourced from organic cotton farms, where crops are rain-fed, hand-picked, farmed without chemicals, and grown from non-genetically modified seeds. Other sustainable materials they use include sustainable Tencel, clean denim, ethical merino wool, and regenerated nylon. The brand aims to work regenerated fabrics into their collections as much as possible.
Currently, all of their swimwear is made with ECONYL regenerated nylon. This material has helped remove over 160 tons of fishing nets from the world’s oceans and turned them into yarn. Lastly, the Lenzing Tencel (a fabric made from wood pulp) that they use is sourced only from Forest Stewardship Council certified forests. Like ECONYL, Tencel is produced within a closed-loop, which recirculates all water used in the manufacturing process. In addition, in the case of Tencel, the material will break down naturally when the consumer is finished with it.
In addition to the eco-friendly materials the brand uses to create their luxury knitwear pieces and more, Kowtow has taken care to ensure that every single piece of their clothing items is sustainably sourced. Case in point: their buttons, denim tacks, and zippers. All buttons are produced in Italy using recycled hemp and all denim tacks and zippers are nickel-free. Plus, all trims used on their pieces are tested by OEKO-TEX for harmful substances and must adhere to the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and ISO 14000 environmental management standard.
Beyond the fabrics and trims chosen, the methods behind the production of each item are also centred on environmental sustainability. Kowtow exclusively uses environmentally friendly dyes and washes on their clothing items. For instance, their organic cotton is dyed using Global Organic Textile Standard-approved inks and dyes, none of which contain chlorine bleach, formaldehyde, aromatic solvents, or toxic heavy metals.
Meanwhile, the brand’s merino wool is processed and dyed through the Bluesign system, a system that sets a standard for occupational health and safety, air emissions, and water usage to ensure a sustainable product is created. Speaking of water usage, Kowtow’s production processes also minimize the usage of water in every part of the supply chain, including the dying methods.
Kowtow is proud of its “entirely recyclable packaging”, which is made out of paper that is sourced from Forest Stewardship Council certified forests, just like their Tencel fabric. Further, all of their packaging is printed with soy-based, petroleum-free, recyclable ink.
Finally, in an effort to be fully circular, Kowtow has both repair and take back programs designed to increase the longevity of each and every item they produce, including their beloved knitwear. Rather than replacing a garment that has been damaged, Kowtow urges all customers to participate in their Repair Program. Through this program, a customer’s item that has incurred minor damages can be sent to their offices for a complimentary repair.
If there is a large tear or rip in an item of clothing, the brand offers to repair it using the Japanese sashiko patching method. Alternatively, if a customer feels that they are done with the garment for good, Kowtow also has a Take Back Program, whereby consumers can return their items to the brand’s Wellington or Newmarket locations and receive a $10 voucher in exchange. From there, the brand will explore different options for the best way to recycle or repurpose the garment to ensure it doesn’t end up in a landfill.
Down below are some of the best from Kowtow’s current offerings. All images below are courtesy of Kowtow.
