Cesca Wormald
A focus on sustainability is moving to the forefront of the fashion industry. With popular highstreet brands evolving to suit the needs of their environmentally conscious customers, we can’t forget the small businesses who make sustainability the heart of their brand. Impact’s Style editor, Cesca, had the opportunity to interview Miguel Munoz, the founder of London-based fashion brand Kromo menswear, a brand that eats, lives and breathes sustainability with the powerful mission statement to support the efforts to clean up our oceans.
Miguel took the dive into the realm of sustainable fashion three years ago after becoming fascinated by a lifestyle change towards an environmentally conscious way of living. After visiting multiple holiday destinations, he was devastated and overwhelmed to find the amount of plastic being overused and wasted. This motivated him to make a direct change around him. And so, Kromo menswear was conceptualised, with the intention to reduce plastic both within the creation and the transportation of his collections.
Kromo has taken many steps in order to avoid this unsustainable approach to fashion, using eco-friendly bamboo to form 96% of their fabric
When asked about the critical importance of sustainability within today’s fashion climate, Miguel not only highlighted the pervasive role that the fast fashion industry plays in the rise of pollution, but also in the maltreatment of fast fashion workers. He discussed the idea that although we as consumers are not ‘paying the price’ for the manufacturing and transportation of our ‘cheap and cheerful’ clothing items, someone else along the supply chain is.
Kromo menswear has taken many steps in order to avoid this unsustainable approach to fashion, using eco-friendly bamboo to form 96% of their fabric, bought from Italy. Not to mention Miguel’s plan to switch the 4% of elastane used to an even more sustainable alternative. The fabric also includes a brand new fibre called ECONYL which is surprisingly made out of old fishing nets from the ocean! It doesn’t just stop there: Kromo also avoids incorporating any plastic in the packaging of their items and ships sustainably.
Kromo takes a dynamic approach to their eco-friendly focus, with plans to evolve in the realm of sustainability. Miguel discussed the possibility of expanding the collection with leather accessories using an upcoming component within the world of sustainable fashion: pineapple skin!
Miguel hopes accessibility is at the forefront, so everyone is able to shop more consciously a reduce their impact on the planet
So, with sustainability at the core of the brand, what collections does Kromo offer?
Currently, the collections are focused on menswear, including t-shirts and shorts with a clean minimalist aesthetic. However, Miguel wouldn’t rule out the opportunity to bring his sustainable focus to the world of womenswear. Miguel describes his clothing as ‘cool but hippyish’ which allows his customers to embark on their sustainable journey. With the future of fashion looking ever more environmentally focused, Miguel hopes accessibility is at the forefront, so everyone is able to shop more consciously and reduce their impact on the planet.
So, if you fancy updating your wardrobe whilst supporting the planet and an up-and-coming brand, I highly recommend taking a look at Kromo’s products!
Cesca Wormald
Featured image courtesy of Scoobyfoo via Flickr. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
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