Valentine Robin decided to create Akho after seeing thousands of metres of fabric go up in smoke in South Africa.
The brand seeks to create clothes made with natural materials without impacting the planet, and to considerably reduce waste that contributes to fashion being of the world’s most polluting industries.
The concept is based on the notion of circularity – giving a new lease of life to fabric relegated to storerooms, or even burnt, due to defects, unsold stock, production surplus or order cancellations.
“In South Africa, I had the opportunity to visit a textile factory. The workshop had seen a large order from France cancelled and was left with hundreds of rolls of freshly made fabric,” Valentina says.
“For lack of space and money, they were burning all this material out the back of their premises, causing some impressive black smoke.”
It was then that she decided to found a brand with strong social and environmental commitments.
“Seeing the disappointment of the factory employees was a real trigger. I wanted to get involved and invest in a system that would put expertise, humanity and respect for the environment at the heart of its concerns.”
Zero waste
Akho – which means “no new material” in Zulu – has already won over a significant number of fans in search of a more responsible wardrobe. Its campaign on crowdfunding website Ulele is about to reach 400% of its initial objective, highlighting public interest in a more circular approach to fashion.
Akho uses dormant stock from major European houses or fabric production workshops, focusing on high-quality, natural, chemical-free materials such as linen and cotton. Manufacturing takes place in a family workshop in Portugal.
It also offers its products as a limited and numbered series, produced on demand, to avoid overproduction. The idea is again about limiting waste but it is also about clothing that lasts over time, unlike the “disposable fashion” that leads to overproduction.
“It’s very important that we offer lifelong companions, clothes that we love and keep, that we pass on and look at years later,” Valentina says.
“To achieve this, the consumer needs to feel that their piece is unique. That’s why I decided to produce only small series of high-quality, timeless pieces, each individually numbered to support this feeling.”
The shirts featured in Akho’s crowdfunding campaign are priced at €109 (RM540) each.