REAL SUSTAINABILITY
Here at Karl Donoghue we aim to make choices and behave in a way that minimises the impact on the earth.
We believe by investing in good quality, well made products and caring for them means should help them last for many years.
This contributes to a more sustainable approach to fashion.
Here we offer some insight into some of the choices we make to behave in a more responsible way.
NATURAL MATERIALS
Karl Donoghue prides itself in working with the finest materials from European tanneries, mills and suppliers who adhere to the highest standards creating a positive relationship between farming and biodiversity. We believe with the correct controls and regulations of animal welfare, using real skin is a far more sustainable approach to fashion than most plant based alternatives which are petroleum based.
Creating desirable products from leather, a by-product of the meat and dairy industry, prevents around 7-9 million tonnes of additional waste material globally each year. The skins used in our collections are mainly processed using CO², a more sustainable tanning process than the traditional way of using water. By using this method, we avoid an excessive amount of water wastage.
There is great longevity in real skin allowing the pieces to pass down generations. There is evidence to suggest leather skins degrade in the ground at the same rate as an oak leaf compared to the plastics used in fake furs and leathers, which can take decades.
Better Cotton initiative
Our cotton fabrics are produced by a long standing Scottish mill, established in 1864, using responsibly sourced cotton by being a part of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). The Better Cotton Initiative is a non-profit long-term multistakeholder initiative that develops and promotes good farm practices which allow more cotton to be grown while using less water and chemicals and protecting both working conditions and biodiversity.
ECODOWN
We use a world recognised wadding, produced in Italy called Ecodown. The new Ecodown is the only durable thermal insulation in the market to be made from 100% post-consumer plastic bottles. This allows the reuse of a considerable number of bottles, which would have otherwise ended their useful life as waste in a landfill.
NO PLASTIC POLICY
We avoid plastic trims and instead prefer to work with real buffalo horn and corozo nut. These natural materials are sustainable, versatile and have a kinder end of life. Even the waste from cutting out buttons and buckles can be ground up and put into the land as fertiliser.
MINIMISING WASTE
We avoid throwing away left over skins from our collections, instead trying to incorporate them into future projects and collections, thus avoiding unnecessary waste. This approach has been part of our brand DNA from the outset, but we still have a long way to go!
Supporting local communities
We procure yarn from yarn mills adopting sustainable practices, supported with documentation. Our yarn supplier is certified to process and spin the long fibres into yarn, by dehairing the topcoat from the fine undercoat before they wash it and dry it on a flat surface due to its delicate nature.
Our factory employs ethical manufacturing and trade practices. The complete production chain does not harm any of the components, from the animals to the farmland and natural ecosystem. The factory is certified by a local body for sustainable production and fair trade.
Their family run business is in big support of women empowerment with more than 70% of the employees being female. We also practice worker welfare training sessions to make sure our working conditions are the best possible.