I met CUITU team, last July at Helsinki Fashion Week, Evi (their Ceo and designer) was wearing a look that caught my attention, so I asked her if I could make her a picture, and that’s how our relationship started….
They talked me about, what was still a project they were working on: the design of a unisex bag with a strong sustainable DNA, which would see the light in November.
And so it was, on 27th November 2019 they presented their “Curious” bag in Helsinki, surrounded by an enormous expectation.
What can I say about it? That, it’s simply a work of art, these 4 women have done an amazing job! And they have already left their mark forever, in the world of fashion and sustainable design.
If you want to know more about their work, you can’t miss this interview!Enjoy!
What is CUITU?
CUITU is a fashion brand that creates high-end circular fashion made of new material innovations and sideflow materials from different industries. I would describe Cuitu as curious, smart and funny. We want to find beyond obvious solutions for our products across industries and bring technology as part of the products to make them more functional. We always do everything with relaxed vibes because we don’t want changing consuming habits to cause stress but to be fun! Our first product is an all black unisex crossbody bag that combines the coolest street style and sustainability.
Why have you opted for sustainable design?
What brought our team together in the first place, was the guilt we all had felt when buying clothes that we knew were unsustainable. At the same time, we all still wanted to be on top of trends, so we bought what was available. We soon started to find ways to combine the words “trendy” and “sustainable” in fashion. We were surprised how many promising and unexplored opportunities there were across industries when it comes to circular fashion. We also think that the sustainability aspect always provides a cool story behind the product, and therefore makes it more interesting for the consumers.
Where do the fabrics you used for your bag come from?
The fabrics we use in our products are cutting surplus from a local diving suit production, where durable materials are used to create suits for extreme conditions. Therefore, rain will not cause pain to this bag. The custom made jacquard waved strap is made by Label System and their factory is located in Civitanova Marche, Italy. Zipper is also from Italy and we have visited the factory and seen the impressive production process of the zippers. The fabric tape in the zipper is made of old plastic bottles.
The process of manufacturing a sustainable garment is not easy, at all. Tell me a little bit about it:
We produce all our bags by using cutting surplus pieces that come in different colors and sizes. The production process starts by sorting all the fabrics. We need to find right kind of materials and right size pieces for each component to continue the process to laser cutting and sewing. Fun fact: one bag consists of 24 pieces. We use this many pieces to minimize waste. Sustainability is a norm for us that gives guidelines for all the strategic choices when it comes to our production and material acquirement.
What type of customers are your designs aimed at?
We create items that everybody can wear and match with their unique style. We design for urban people that struggle finding clothes and accessories in which trendiness and sustainability are combined. Our customers want to buy timeless yet cool items that are made to last.
What inspires you to create your designs?
We think it’s extremely inspiring to find components for fashion outside of the fashion industry, for example from the construction. In those cases, you might end up doing something really experimental and we find it the most interesting way to create. A company called Spinnova, that turns cellulose and waste streams into new more sustainable fabrics, is mentoring us. They have taught us the potential of these new material innovations and driven us to out of the box thinking when designing products. We find inspiration basically from everywhere, from random people with cool street style to different structures and shapes from the nature and science.
How do you see the future of sustainable fashion?
The segment is constantly growing and the future of fashion looks bright. There are several sustainable material innovations emerging, as well as multiple ways to recycle materials. For example the “paper” tags attached to our products have been made of textile waste. Consumers are also more conscious and demanding, which is a really good thing that pushes fashion brands to shift their business models into more sustainable ones. There is a growing demand for products in which the playful trends meet the sustainability. We are looking forward to continue creating these type of products and surprise consumers with our crazy ideas of circular fashion.
Tell me 3 reasons why people should start consuming sustainable fashion:
1. You’ll save money when you invest in sustainable and long-lasting products that you can match with any outfit.
2. You’ll be able to share stories about the items you are wearing.
3. You’ll be a trendsetter that inspires and encourages others to also choose the more trendy and sustainable consumption.
Cuitu team pic by Eeli Savolainen
“Curious” bag pic by Dante Mutashar
