Sustainability in fashion is no longer a niche but a necessity. The industry’s traditional reliance on resource-intensive materials and processes has led to significant environmental degradation. Brands that embrace sustainable practices not only contribute to environmental preservation but also resonate with modern consumers who prioritise ethical consumption. Sustainable brands are at the forefront of this transformation, offering products that meet both aesthetic and ethical standards.
The fashion accessory market has also evolved significantly with a growing emphasis on sustainability and eco-consciousness. As consumers become increasingly aware of environmental issues, the demand for sustainable accessories has surged. This shift presents a lucrative opportunity for brands that prioritise eco-friendly practices.
One brand at the frontline of championing the cause of sustainability is Ki Lee. Based in Seoul, Ki Lee was founded in 2017 with a specialisation in creating fashion accessories using plant-based leather alternatives. Since its inception, Ki Lee has showcased its collections at major fashion weeks in New York, Paris, Bradford, and Seoul, gaining international recognition. The brand’s products are sold in countries across Europe and Asia.
In a freewheeling chat with IMAGES Business of Fashion’s Kajal Ahuja, Ki Chan Lee, Founder, Ki Lee shares delves into what led to the inception of his sustainable brand and Lee’s visit to Anant National University in April this year to share his knowledge about sustainable design and fashion among the university’s students.
Here are the edited excerpts from the chat…
Tell us about your brand, its vision and mission.
Based in Seoul, Ki Lee was founded in 2017 with a specialisation in creating fashion accessories using plant-based leather alternatives. Currently, the brand is using cork fabric and mulberry fabric. Since its inception, Ki Lee has shown in multiple fashion weeks – New York, Paris, Bradford and Seoul, and has sold in countries across Europe and Asia. As designers, we are inspired by the problems that we see and try to solve those problems.
Personally, as a designer, I am interested in trying to make sustainable fashion, specifically, to make consuming sustainable fashion easier where people do not have to think twice about buying a fashion accessory that helps them express themselves.
In my opinion, I believe that as a society, we should have passed that point where people have to choose between sustainable or fashionable products. As a designer, my mission is to bridge that gap – by offering sustainable products that are also fashionable.
Also as a brand, we are experimenting with new materials and their functional and aesthetic possibilities by making new products and introducing these materials to consumers so that they see them as part of their fashion vocabulary.
What are the different kinds of accessories that you offer?
Currently, we offer women’s and men’s bags and small leather goods. And for runways, we also make one-of-a-kind body jewelry, bracelets, and small fashion accessories.
What encouraged you to use innovative plant-based leather alternative materials?
When I started designing jewellery, I started as a leather craft person. Leather is an intensive resource and precious for me as I make everything myself. When I would design, I would have the scraps put aside to be used later.
As I became more involved professionally and started collaborating with other designers, I encountered the challenge of managing inventory. For one season, I partnered with a local manufacturer to produce a relatively small batch. While I anticipated some difficulties, experiencing the process firsthand made me realise the crucial importance of using resources more intelligently.
After that, I decided that if I was going to work with manufacturers, I needed a reliable infrastructure to collaborate with and to compensate for potential resource shortcomings. This realisation led me to transition to using plant-based materials.
How do you procure these materials in a responsible manner?
Ki Lee uses two materials: cork and mulberry. As for procuring these materials, I work directly with the manufacturer – an Italian company called Lani Romero. Their close relationship allows Ki Lee to maintain high standards of quality and traceability. I am always on the lookout for new materials.
How important do you think it is to inculcate similar sustainable ways in mainstream fashion and design?
I think it is very important that fashion deals with these problems whether it be cultural, environmental, or economic. From a business perspective, at this point, if we do not inculcate this thought process to business of all scales, small businesses will not be able to survive.
Right now, fashion is just a big business as big brands have good resources and they have the ability to tackle these issues systematically and the government is enforcing this onto big businesses only. Small businesses, however, face a lot of challenges in dealing with the issue of sustainability because they lack resources.
Does your brand have a retail label?
Currently, we are selling through our own platform online. And in Korea, we have one offline stockist while we work with a German fulfillment service overseas. And we have just finished our collaboration with the Fufima service. We are looking into developing new ways of reaching a bigger market.
What is your vision and mission to visit Anant National University?
As a designer and especially a sustainable fashion designer, we are always thinking about where we can find our next exciting material including resources, inspiration, or infrastructure.
So for me, getting to come to a school that helped me to implement theories into practice. Interacting with the faculty and students here, and witnessing how things could be taught and thought differently was a big draw for me. So this is one part of it.
Another part was to come and see in person and then explore the future collaborations or opportunities – like a little student exchange. Additionally, I am also inspired by the rich textile history of Ahmedabad and here, I got to visit museums and experience things that I have not seen before. I am hoping to start my future collaboration by designing something that is inspired by my experience here.
According to you, what is the need to inculcate knowledge about sustainable design and fashion among young students?
I think the biggest reason for doing it is because students are already interested in sustainable designs. Unfortunately, in most cases, students are interested because our conventional design and fashion institutions are failing to address these issues. I believe that it is only natural that students are taught about the importance of sustainability in fashion design so that they become fearless about exploring all aspects of society and designs and by coming here, I wished to give them the opportunity and tools to identify these issues that should be central to all designs.
