Dylan Kain
What led you to create Dylan Kain? Please tell us a bit about yourself :
It started with a conversation between New York and Melbourne. Sisters over Skype discussing the lack of a luxury designer handbag brands on the market, that there was nothing setting their hearts on fire.
That conversation became Dylan Kain. The designs ‘en noir’ are cool, easy, chic. With a focus on high quality and a collection that grows as inspiration hits, not when seasons or trends dictate. It’s a mix of classic elegance and heavy metal hardware: I+II – symbolic of the three sisters behind Dylan Kain.
When was your brand created and what products do you sell?
Dylan Kain is an Australian independently led and female founded accessories design Studio which was launched in 2012. With a deep consideration of people and planet, Dylan Kain create highly coveted and timeless Italian Leather accessories that are made to wear and love for a life time. Dylan Kain anchors its design philosophy at the intersection of conscious consumption and sustainable manufacturing. Collections are brought to life in small-batch production runs, with pre-order functionality ensuring we keep our footprint to a minimum – making only what’s needed.
Who are your target clients?
The Dylan Kain customer values being seen as an individual with accessories that are adaptable to their own personal style. Our classic and timeless styling means we have a broad appeal. Our customer seeks out High Quality products at accessible price points, accessories that consciously created to wear and love for a lifetime. Although look and function come first, sustainability is quickly emerging as a key value.
What aspects of your brand or products are sustainable?
To us, sustainability is an ongoing journey Rather than a destination, and we are constantly researching new ways of working, new textiles, new advancements and better practices.
Honesty is one of our core values, and by creating a transparent dialogue our customers.
We have long-been committed to supporting sustainable leather manufacturing across the globe, and we are proud members of The Leather Working Group (LWG).
The LWG certifies leather manufacturing based on environmental performance in areas such as water and energy usage, air emissions and waste. We carefully select tanneries that have been audited and certified by the LWG with a Gold, Silver or Bronze rating, and therefore fulfil the highest standards within the industry.
At present, 60 – 70 per cent of leather used by Dylan Kain is sourced through tanneries with LWG ratings, and it is our goal to increase this to 80 – 90 per cent by 2022.
Compostable and Biodegradable
Dylan Kain aims to tread lightly. We’re building a brand that intends to leave the world a better place than we found it, and this mission extends beyond just our products. We have integrated environmentally friendly Bio Bags – compostable and biodegradable alternatives to plastic – and we remain committed to our continued search for more innovative and sustainable packaging solutions.
Leather Alternatives
We are excited to share our first Vegan collection made from Italian ‘Wine-leather’. This bio-leather is created from the stems, stalks and seeds left over from wine-making. It’s finished with an organic cotton backing and is beautiful, sustainable and made to last.
We have also launched our first Organic Cotton Denim range with PU leather detailing.
Our People
The way you do anything is the way you do everything, and we are proud of the close working relationship we nurture with our suppliers ensuring that all involved are treated fairly and respectfully along the way.
They are the spirit and soul of Dylan Kain, and we are resolutely committed to protecting all involved in our supply chain. We uphold rigorous standards of transparency and traceability with our suppliers, building confidence in their practices, as well as cultivating their confidence in us.
Is reducing the amount of plastic waste important to you as a brand and why?
Dylan Kain aims to tread lightly. We’re building a brand that intends to leave the world a better place than we found it, and this mission extends beyond just our products. We have integrated environmentally friendly Eco Bags biodegradable alternatives to plastic to reduce our foot print on mother earth.
Please tell us about any problems you have had in sourcing sustainable packaging
With so many products and processes out with claims of environmentally friendly, it can be overwhelming finding the right packaging and processes that fulfill our individual needs. We have found that many environmentally products have high minimum order quantities. When producing small-batch production runs, to ensure we keep our footprint to a minimum, the high order quantities and eco packaging shelf life can become challenging. We want to avoid wastage at all costs, which includes green waste from packaging past its shelf life.
How important is your brands packaging to your brand image?
With a focus on ensuring every interaction remains true to our brands essence, we strive to create an experience that feels memorable, understated, seamless and inspiring. Packaging is a key component of our brands image, and completes the customers experience with their newly purchased Dylan Kain product. It is imperative that our packaging is a continuation of our brands aesthetic but also ties in with our design philosophy of conscious consumption and sustainable practises.
Please tell us about any feedback you have had from clients about you using Eco Garment Bags.
Our customers care for the environment and hold themselves accountable for their personal impact on the earth. Feedback has been great, they enjoy the feel good factor associated with making a perhaps that isn’t going to harm the earth, and love the fact that the eco bags dissolve in water with no chemical affects going into the water ways.
Would you recommend the use of Eco Garment Bags to other fashion brands and why?
We would highly recommend the use of the Eco garment bags to other fashion brands in the industry.
The fact that they dissolve in water without leaving any harmful chemical trace means they don’t end up in landfill. They also have a beautiful clear aesthetic, which can be tricky to find in environmentally friendly product, and was a key selling point for our brand aesthetic.
How do you see the future of the fashion industry in terms of sustainability in the next 5-10 years?
Sustainability is an ongoing journey, and one that we feel will only heighten within the fashion industry in the years to come. The adverse affects of pollution and unsustainable practices have had on the environment over the past decade has become more and more evident, and it is an area that consumers are becoming more knowledgeable on. Sustainability will become a key driving factor in consumer buying.
What changes would you like to see happening in the fashion industry in the next 5-10 years?
Invest in products that will last – The first and probably most obvious change starts with us as the consumer. Fast Fashion trends come and go at such a fast pace that no customer would really want to spend a reasonable price on quality.
Purchasing timeless pieces that are high quality and made to last will reduces waste. The brands will recognise this consumer trend and produce less.
