“We provide classic and concise styles that can stand the test of time”
Zhang Qing, klee klee Brand Manager
What they do
klee klee, is a Shanghai-based fashion label defined by its minimalist aesthetic and environmentally conscious principles. With a dedication to reducing environmental impact, the brand utilises organic materials and low impact manufacturing processes, crafting a low-impact production chain. Through their designs and communications, klee klee advocates a “slow-living” attitude to “reconnect us to the harmonious rhythm of nature”.
Why is it an example of the circular economy?
Starting from an organic cotton T-shirt in 2010, the design team has always insisted on designing products to last and using safe materials with low environmental impact and exploring natural dyeing processes. klee klee & friends, a platform that the brand built to invite the public to share knowledge around sustainable lifestyles, is used to communicate with their clients and share information, such as how to care for clothes with a proper washing method and non-polluting products. They also offer free repairrepairOperation by which a faulty or broken product or component is returned back to a usable state to fulfil its intended use. services on all their clothes and a tailoring service for customers to request adjustments for fitting.
What are the benefits?
Given that klee klee focuses on timeless designs, they empower their customers to use their products more and for longer. At the same time, their permanent collections are made out of safe materials and processes (e.g. "Let's blue!" collection of jeans), resulting in energy and water savings while avoiding pollution. klee klee also works with Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified partners to produce T-shirts and silk collection, which uses organic growing methods, or biodynamic farming to make sure that the harvesting of the raw material and its production is benefiting the environment and society. Compared with traditional dyeing and washing processes, the use of chemical substances and water consumption was substantially reduced, thus decreasing environmental pollution.
How it works in detail
Products are designed considering physical and emotional durability
klee klee takes a holistic approach by making sure that the fabrics they choose are durable and long-lasting in general and that the design style is timeless rather than only following the current trends.
klee klee shares stories about the products and the fabrics with its customers to inspire emotional connection with the clothes. For instance, for delicate fabrics such as silk, the brand provides detailed care instructions, and a full story of how the silk is produced in a biodynamic farm. As a result, many customers feel that the behind-the-scenes story inspires them to take better care of the pieces they have. klee klee also leverages its physical store space to communicate its durable manufacturing practices with customers to further aid the emotional durabilitydurabilityThe ability of a product, component or material to remain functional and relevant when used as intended. of the garments. They showcase a specific aspect and theme each year in accordance to the season, collection and/or products in the shop.
Repair services and recycling programmes are offered to keep clothes in use
klee klee offers free fix and repair services for all their products. They have found that most requests are to tailor the clothes so as to provide the perfect fit rather than to repair worn clothes.
In late April 2021, klee klee’s Shanghai Anfu Road store hosted a used clothes recycling event with Déjà vu, a second-hand trading service that uses WeChat Mini app to recyclerecycleTransform a product or component into its basic materials or substances and reprocessing them into new materials. used books and clothes.
