AK Threads
Website:
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/antakaranathreads
About AK Threads:
With a core commitment to supporting and sustaining craftsmanship and communities, whilst reducing environmental impact, London-based AK Threads create beautiful and long-wearing sustainable women’s clothing. Influenced by concepts of Japanese simplicity, both in lifestyle and design – they aim to inspire women to curate their own wardrobe and individual style, building a personal collection of sentimental items that can be worn each day.
With a strong sense of social responsibility, AK Threads work closely with their makers to ensure working schedules are aligned with their makers personal and home lives.
Fair Pay and Good Working Conditions:
AK Threads pay their makers a London living wage for each item they make. This is worked out through the sampling stage and costed according to the exact time it takes to make each piece. Makers are encouraged to have regular breaks throughout each working day. Flexible working is encouraged and the brand work individually with their makers to discuss lead times that they are comfortable with, that work with their personal schedules. As production is local, they’re able to check on working conditions regularly.
Their weavers are paid for each hour they weave and their schedule is worked around the weavers’ children & families. They have an onsite creche to support women with children whilst working. They have regular breaks and communal lunches. They make regular trips to check on welfare and production and how they can best support their suppliers throughout their production.
Sustainable / Organic Materials:
AK Threads Editions (collections) are created with the lightest possible environmental impact and all of their materials are meticulously sourced to ensure quality. Their past Editions have included banana silk and botanical dyes. Their current Edition is formed of organic hand-spun and handwoven cotton, which produces no CO2 emissions and locally reclaimed (East London) surplus materials. Utilising reclaimed material, ensures AK Threads have a low environmental impact: reducing water and energy consumption, reducing unnecessary production of virgin resources and reducing landfill waste and space. Gracie, the founder of AK Threads, has been vegan for 5 years, so it is important that all materials are vegan friendly and of natural origin.
Sustainable Practices:
Their latest Edition is made-to-order only, limiting consumption and eliminating waste. Their handwoven materials have all been made without the use of electricity and use 1/4 of water usually required to produce woven cottons. Their garments are designed to be timeless, made with the highest quality to ensure they last beyond seasons but once at the end of their life are bio-degradable. Even their buttons, where possible, are made from corozo to limit plastic usage.
Animal Welfare:
As mentioned previously, it is important to AK Treads that their materials are plant derived only. They work closely with their suppliers to source these and ensure they’re aware of where all virgin materials are grown as part of their supply chain transparency.
Sustainable Packaging:
AK Threads packaging is made from hand-spun, handwoven & off-cut materials. The packaging is reusable and can be used to store garments to support their longevity. These bags are made by a women’s co-operative in India. AK Threads support the women in the training and manufacture of these bags, as they come from low income backgrounds and have no formal education and minimal knowledge of construction. Each bag provides a women with a day’s wage.