afyny is a Ukrainian children’s clothing brand, created in Lviv in 2019, as a tribute of gratitude to all children, their imagination and the feeling that nothing is impossible.
www.afynykids.com
How many years have you been in business? How have the trends changed? Have the buying habits of your customers changed? In what way?
We really like the trend that our customers choose clothes not only on the basis of product quality and sustainability, but also on the basis of the message (content) that this thing carries. For example, things from our latest collection Freedom of Childhood, where we encourage parents to listen to their children, accept their choices and most importantly – not to kill the dream, no matter how crazy it may be. In this collection, we even compiled a manifesto of children’s freedom and made a sweatshirt with this list, which became our bestseller. It’s so cool!
In what manner is your brand responsible, sustainable, and ethical?
We want to create clothes that children love to wear, but without affecting the social and environmental aspects of production. This is the brand’s mission and it affects our every move. After all, in such clothes, you not only look good, but also feel great.
At a time when environmental protection is no longer a choice, but rather a guarantee of our future, sharing this commitment with our children becomes a duty. In our collections we offer a wide range of durable fabrics and accessories:
- The use of organic cotton, processed cotton and polyester, as well as innovative fabrics of plant origin – Tencel and Modal.
- We do not use leather, fur, feathers, natural silk in any of our products.
- All our snap buttons do not contain toxic nickel and are specially created for children’s textiles by the Japanese factory YKK.
- We use buttons made of wood (corozo, palm, cork wood) and processed raw materials (cotton, paper, rice residues, etc.).
- We cooperate with innovative textile industries. Such as the Portuguese factory RDD (Research Design Development), whose customers are global brands COS, Stella McCartney, Moschino and others. The factory specializes in sustainable fabrics from recycled and organic raw materials.
- They also established a research bureau to create innovative fabrics that minimize damage from textile production. For example, a fabric consisting of 60% Tencel (Lyocel) and 40% processed cotton. Tencel is considered to be the most innovative fabric, which is made in a unique closed-loop system, where chemicals are processed and not released into nature. Production requires much less water and land use than cotton, and the fibers are made from FSC-certified wood, such as eucalyptus, spruce and birch, making them 100% biodegradable. Also, when creating fabrics from recycled materials, much less water and electricity is used. According to the company, only one T-shirt made of this fabric saves 722-1400 liters of water compared to a T-shirt made of ordinary cotton.
- Most of our printing is made on recycled paper.
In addition, all production processes that can be done on site, we do locally. We print, embroider and sew collections directly in Lviv, at a distance of no more than 5 km from our office. All our fabrics are also made from local raw materials in Turkey and Portugal. Thus, following another principle of sustainable production.
What is responsible consumerism for you?
This is a clear and thoughtful consumption of resources. When we clearly study who, where and from what made this thing before buying. Consider for how long it will remain relevant for us and what will happen to it when it will lose relevance for us.
What has been the inspiration for the current collection (AW20)?
Every child’s life is special and unique. Not all boys want to box, and not all girls need to play with dolls. It is not necessary to impose on children those dreams which parents could not realize in their life. AW`20 Freedom of Childhood collection – is a protest against the phenomenon when parents choose what their child should do…We, adults, should learn to listen to our children, accept their choice and most importantly – DO NOT KILL THE DREAM, no matter how crazy it may be.
Can you give us any hints about theme for the SS21 collection? How has Covid-19 influenced the production process?
Due to Covid-19, we had insane production delays. This situation has particularly affected the logistics of raw materials from abroad. But there was also a positive side of this situation – domestic tourism has developed significantly, people have begun to explore new unspoken corners of their country. We also want to join this initiative and in the new collection tell a little about Ukraine and our local authentic art.
How do you see the future of your brand?
We want to continue to promote the love of beauty and naturalness, to promote the use of natural quality materials, no brightly colored synthetics, just a pure range of colors. After all, this is the beauty.
Continue to raise global issues that can inspire children and adults to improve the world in which we live. And our children will be ambassadors of these initiatives.
Regarding production, our goal for 2021 is the usage of fabrics only from organic or recycled materials, as well as the usage of fabric residues from previous collections. Switch to 100% organic fittings (rubber bands, laces, etc.) and recycled paper packaging.