Environmental

We believe it is essential to not only offer distinctive knit accessories, but also to help support sustainable local economies, while striving to minimize environmental impact.

How do we do this?

1. Local Production

The vast majority of our knitting is done in the same place that Olena Zylak sketches and "prototypes" her designs: at our studio in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. During busy periods, we receive occasional knitting assistance from another local artisan. By keeping our production on-site and local, we minimize the fuel consumption (and its emissions) needed to ship items between our studio and our associate artisan.

Working locally also enables us to contribute to our regional economy, and is the key to the outstanding quality of our finished pieces.

2. Fair Trade Organic Cotton

We are big believers in the importance and benefits of organic farming and production. And as the saying goes, we like to put our money where our mouth is, whenever possible. To that end, we offer a 100% organic cotton lining in many of our hat styles. Organic cotton provides our customers with yet another choice of natural fibre, while giving all of us the opportunity to support a forward-thinking industry at the same time.

Our organic cotton is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which is the leading worldwide textile processing standard for organic fibres. GOTS takes into consideration ecological and social criteria, and is backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain.*

The GOTS Social Criteria Requires That:

• wages and benefits must be fair
• employment is freely chosen
• freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are respected
• child labour must not be used
• no discrimination is practised
• working conditions are safe and hygienic
• working hours are not excessive
• regular employment is provided
• harsh or inhumane treatment is prohibited

Items which feature organic cotton are knit at our studio in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, just like our other pieces. Learn more about our local production >

3. Sustainably Produced Marketing Materials

We are deeply concerned about our planet’s wellbeing. Wherever possible, we seek out materials with smaller environmental footprints, without sacrificing quality.

For example, our hang tags, postcards and business cards are all printed in Canada using vegetable and/or soy based inks. And for our rectangular “logo” hang tags, we work with a printer that is certified by both the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the PEFC Chain of Custody standard. The FSC is “a global, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of responsible forest management worldwide”, and PEFC (The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is “an international non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification.”

In the case of our boutique point-of-purchase displays, we insist on using 100% recycled cardboard.

4. Reduced Energy Consumption

Our studio generally has the lights and air conditioning turned off, relying on natural light and attic insulation. It’s never a bad idea to try and make a difference through the everyday “little things”.

2024 marks our 27th year in business (and 27 years of being made-in-Canada). While this milestone is significant on many levels, we look forward to implementing even more economically- and environmentally-sound practices as the future unfolds.

*Source: Global Organic Textile Standard