/ / CONSCIOUS PRODUCTION / /

It’s never been a more vital time to embrace and actively be a part of positive change within our fashion industry.
This post explores the ways we continue to produce in ways that benefit our community of makers and avoid waste, and ultimately outlines the radical changes we have made in our textile sourcing with the environment in mind this year with the launch of new fabrics.
ScrunchieScarves
UPCUT
Always reluctant to throw away fabric offcuts, over many years we stored these up, and last year with the UPCUT COLLECTION we gave these fabrics a new lease of life. Diving back into our fabric boxes, The UP-CUT COLLECTION reads like an archival time capsule of KITTY JOSEPH print designs, including pieces such as SCARVES, SCRUNCHIES and SOCKS,  along with the items being the PRISM VELVET DREAM SCARF.
ZERO WASTE
Not only do we use archived fabrics, but we are committed to achieving minimal waste from items currently in production. Our new CHROMA SUNRAY PLEATED TOP is made from parts of the selvedge left over from our CHROMA DRESSES. In a similar way, while the CHROMA SKIRT  is being produced, the spare fabric is used to make the CHROMA HEADSCARVES/CRAVATS and the CHROMA SCRUNCHIES. We manage to achieve this by using extremely efficient lay plans.

UK ARTISANS
Throughout our production processes, we are proud to support and collaborate with UK artisans. We have a wonderful pleater, Kyri, at Rosamanda Pleaters Ltd in North London who pleats all of our CHROMA styles. You can watch a video of Kyri in action here . We also work with a small group of independent, freelance, machinists who come into our studio to sew our pieces. We are extremely lucky to know everyone in our production chain on a first-name basis, and it's a privilege and a joy to be connected to all the people involved in our chain of production.
 
FABRICS
This year we have phased out all virgin polyester, and now work exclusively with two fabric types: rPET and Tencel.

rPET
A synthetic produced from recycled plastic bottles, this beautiful fabric enables us to continue to produce our permanently pleated styles from the CHROMA collection, but without the virgin polyester, and instead with a fabric that harnesses waste products that could otherwise end up in landfill, or worse, polluting our oceans.
 
TENCEL
Tencel fabric is our most environmentally conscious fabric to date. After two years of intensive research and sampling, we have found a quality that we have fallen in love with and have used it to launch our new CHROMOLOGY range. It’s soft and strong while also 100% natural, being constricted from fibres derived from eucalyptus trees. The closed-loop production process means that over 99% of all the water and solvents are reused. Tencel’s sustainable credentials have been officially recognised, having been awarded both the European Eco label and European Environment Prize.
 EucalyptusChromology
The forests that Tencel ultimately comes from are perfect for growing eucalyptus trees, but are not suitable for agricultural practices. Therefore, they are sustainably managed with new trees consistently being planted to continue meeting demand. While the forests are managed sustainably, that’s not where the consideration stops, when the fibres are being bleached, there is no chlorine involved. By paying great attention to every step, Tencel has become a great choice for companies, such as Kitty Joseph, who are determined to create environmentally conscious clothing without compromising quality or style.
 
We are continuing to find more ways to improve our processes and become more environmentally conscious and are glad to share this with you on our journey and endeavor of positive evolution. Watch this space!