Kings of Indigo
Kings of Indigo (K.O.I.), founded in 2012, designs its garments to last long. K.O.I. makes quality denims, tops and accessories inspired by American classics with a Japanese eye for detail. The history of denim in the USA and the way Japan is developing denim to a whole different level, is the starting point of every collection. No fashion forward styles, but classics you can wear season after season so you can enjoy your favorite pieces as long as possible. K.O.I. uses recycled yarns as much as possible: there is so much waste in clothing, why not re-use the basic material and make new garments out of waste and old garments. Furthermore, K.O.I uses the finest organic cotton to make quality garments of the next era. Organic cotton has much less pollution since the fields where the organic cotton is grown are free of pesticides and fertilizers that are used for conventional cotton growing. Not only better for the earth but also for the people who work on the land. The organic cotton used at K.O.I. is GOTS certified, top notch material. To guarantee quality the organic cotton is processed in the world’s best denim mills. Result is a fresh, organic concept for your favorite garments. Other raw materials used by K.O.I. are recycled cotton, linen and TENCEL lyocell (over 90% of raw materials used is sustainable).
The name K.O.I came from founder Tony Tonnaer’s favorite tattoo, a koi fish on his right shoulder in remembrance of his mother. Koi fish are intelligent creatures and they tend to swim against the stream which is a strong metaphor for the rebellion that comes with a denim lifestyle. In Japan the Koi stands for luck, love and perseverance. All Kings of Indigo styles are named after Kings and Queens from the past, keeping their blue blood pumping.
K.O.I. reuses old fabrics by cutting them and turning these and clippings into fibers. Then the fibers are turned into yarns, and finally these yarns are woven into fresh fabric for our denims and tops. This process saves a lot of chemicals and water used to grow new cotton, making your new K.O.I. purchase feel just that bit better. The recycling process isn’t limited to garments, all Kings of Indigo packaging is made from the best recycled material. The garments of K.O.I. are put together in the Mediterranean. And, just like the fabrics, all suppliers and manufacturers are carefully selected to make sure they produce high-quality and sustainable garments (all the suppliers and manufacturers can be found on their website).
K.O.I has a goal: making quality products. But quality should go beyond the product itself. Quality of work environment is just as important. K.O.I cares about the people that make those great garments. To help you measure their engagement, Kings of Indigo is a member of the Fairwear Foundation. Their mission is to improve labor standards in the clothing industry. FWF is a verification initiative to enhance the quality of life for workers all over the world. The Fairwear Foundation labor standards are: 1. Employment is freely chosen 2. No discrimination in employment 3. No exploitation of child labor 4. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining 5. Payment of a living wage 6. No excessive working hours 7. Safe and healthy working conditions 8. Legally binding employment relationships.
When it comes to the finishing process K.O.I. uses innovative and sustainable production methods, such as low impact washes and natural dye techniques, where possible. K.O.I. is working on innovative washing and finishing techniques close together with its suppliers.
with the main goal to reduce water and energy consumption and pollution. Sandblasting, which is very harmful to workers, is never used. Instead K.O.I. focuses on more sustainable techniques such as laser, ice blast and ozone that are used to substitute manual scraping, stonewash and bleach finishes. With those techniques the used look of a washed down jeans can be achieved in a more sustainable way. Laser beams burn a pattern in the denim, while ozone takes out the colour. Ice blast is another technique to fade a denim fabric with dry ice. K.O.I. does not use any of the chemicals mentioned on the REACH list in their production, which means amongst others no chlorobenzenes, azo dyes or heavy metals.
One of the innovative projects of K.O.I. is ‘Veggie Denim’. ‘Veggie Denim’ is the first natural dyed denim fabric produced on an industrial scale. Through intense research and development, they succeeded in overcoming initial problems like creating the right color intensity and shade consistency. The fabric is made of 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and the dyeing process needs up to 70 liters less water per kilo, 30% less energy and no chemicals. Denim manufacturer Orta (Turkey) succeeded in creating an effective technique that overcomes the initial problems and that is 100% sustainable.
The Kings are now selling their collection to over 250 carefully selected retailers in 12 countries and online, with a focus on Northern Europe. Currently 10 Kings and Queens reign at the K.O.I Headquarters and the company is still expanding.
Based: Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Ships to: Worldwide.
Products: Quality denims, tops and accessories inspired by American classics with a Japanese eye for detail.
Mission: To improve labor standards in the clothing industry.
Vision: To develop all products in a fair and eco-friendly way. “Quality era for the next era”.
