Currently 90% of our surplus materials are sourced and made in Italy, from a supplier certified with Oekotex standard 100 and whom utilizes the Higg Index to measure and grow its sustainability practices. This company was also the first company in the sector in Europe to convert all its lace production to ROICA™ EF recycled elastomer by Asahi Kasei and the first to obtain the GRS Global Recycled Standard certification for its production chain. Hand-picking from this supplier's surplus directly first hand is a real heaven, since upcycling already responsibly made materials, is a really meaningful way to reduce emissions. Their production errors could mean for example that we find a hole every 10 meters or maybe the lace pattern is slightly pulled or maybe the color or elasticity turned out slightly different than how the original client wanted it. Since we hand-cut our patterns we make sure to cut around possible defects and adjust our designs according to the fabrics. A mass producing company who uses laser to cut their pieces would not be able to work with such variations, and they would not find it economically worthwhile to work with such limited quantity of each textile.

The other 10% of our surplus fabrics are sourced from different places, including local designer's surplus, deadstock warehouses in Italy and vintage market finds. The certifications of these materials are sometimes unknown, but the high-end quality and material composition we hardly fail to recognise, thanks to our designer's degree in textile science.

ECONYL® is made out of 100% regenerated nylon, turning waste problems into fashion. No new resources were harmed in the production, rather it rescues waste from oceans and landfills such as fishing nets, carpet fluff and fabric scraps. Versatile, hyper-resistant, elegant, soft and breathable – we love it for its silky smooth touch and unique mix of compression and comfort. Our swimwear and a part of our lingerie collection is made using ECONYL® fibres. It is Oeko-Tex standard certified which ensures that there are no hazardous chemicals used in dyeing the fabric.

The additional supplier production certifications are the following: ISO 140001, GRS Global Recycled Standard, Higg Index and they use green energy in their facilities.

The latest high-end addition to our swimwear collection. Delicately sheer, soft and breathable, with a brilliant floral pattern in the weave. And a soft as cream, wavy jacquard texture. B.recycled is GRS Global Recycled Standard certified, created with premium pre-consumer recycled polyamide with low consumption of energy and water. More exactly, -80% CO2 emissions and -90% water consumption (compared to standard polyamide). They also knit only what the market needs, dying and producing on request, avoiding useless environmental impact. We have a weakness for fabrics made in Italy, here is another reason.

The supplier production certifications are the following: GRS Global Recycled Standard, ZDHC- Roadmap to Zero - Progressive, Oekotex Standard 100, ISCC Plus and they use green energy in their facilities.

Lace is a delicate fabric made of fine yarns in an open weblike pattern. Hunting in the fabric jungle for an eco-friendly alternative, another Italian supplier grabbed our attention with their high quality features and responsible approach. This lace is made from 100% recycled fibres thanks to the introduction of the unique ROICA™ yarn, allowing also the elastic part to be made using recycled fibres. Soft as a dream, sexy pattern and both GRS and Oeko-Tex certified. This lace is made in respect of the planet and people at 360°. They use green energy in their facilities.

Our studio and office is located in Berlin-Kreuzberg within Velt Studios, a naturally and LED lit, naturally air conditioned co-working space powered with renewable energy. Surrounded with a community of creatives in different fields, ranging from fashion - and graphic designers to photographers – an atmosphere of fierce, independent people are bringing an additional light on our daily business. From here our designs, projects and ideas becomes real, your orders are being processed and products made-to-order are being made. The fact that all Anekdot products are being quality controlled and shipped directly from the Anekdot studio, further secure their quality and limit their transport footprint.

You can book an appointment to come by shop the collection directly from us in the studio, while also getting a little insight into our work environment.

We are grateful to work with a small women-owned manufacturer in Poland who we trust, who are skilled working in our wide range of textiles and willing to adjust to small numbers and specific requests. Krystyna and her small team of 3 are worth a great applause; for being able to nail the straightest stitches on the finest silks, caring about reflecting the florals on our beautiful laces to boob perfection, cut around small fabric defects and deliver on demand – allowing us to keep our stock levels low and minimise odd sizes remaining in stock.

Our Code of Ethics and Conduct outlines Anekdot's values and ethical principles, and sets standards which all of those working for and on behalf of Anekdot will follow, including standards for environmental responsibility.

Read our Code of Ethics and Conduct

With the expansion of the fashion industry the quantity of industrial pre-consumer textile waste has increased to a tremendous amount. It is estimated that approximately 10-20% of textiles are wasted during standard garment manufacture*. Reusing pre-consumer textile waste within the fashion supply chain offers many environmental advantages, including:

· Directing waste away from landfill and incinerators
· Conserving resources and providing a solution for the shortages of natural resources and virgin fibres
· Delivering a lower monetary and environmental processing cost than virgin fibres

The reuse and recovery of textile waste causes only a fraction of the environmental, health and social damage caused by manufacturing the same amount of textiles from raw materials. Reclaiming fibres from textile waste avoids many of the polluting and energy intensive processes needed to make textiles from virgin materials. As textiles are almost 100% recyclable, in an ideal world, nothing in the textile and apparel industry should be wasted. Recycling and reuse are therefore particularly important and must be addressed along the whole fashion supply chain. Pre-consumer textile waste is easier to reuse than post-consumer waste because it does not have the same hygiene and collection challenges.

The materials we source are perfectly fine, but have been produced in a slightly different colour, elasticity, width than requested from the original client. Or they are remnants not longer fitting into another brands collection, or considered too small amount available to make it profitable to start a production. We source fabrics first and design according to the fabrics sourced. When there are small fabric defects, we cut around them. It takes more time, patience and precision, but we are committed to the motto that waste isn’t waste until we waste it.

Reference:
*Domask JJ: Achieving goals in higher education: An experiential approach to sustainability studies. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 2007, 8(1):53-68

Besides using surplus as main material for our products, we are committed to make the absolute most of these materials. We carefully cut around eventual small defects, and design our patterns to minimise off-cuts. Materials that we end up buying and not using for one reason or another, we donate or sell to other local creatives, or fully donate to art & education refugee projects located at Tempelhof Airport and S27. Textile scraps from our production too small to use for any of our lingerie and swimwear designs and also too small to donate to any of such initiatives stated above, go to several other projects of our own; from small accessories, special patchworks and pillow filling.

Some products are also exclusively available on our own web shop, to allow usage of small amount of fabrics.

We keep stock levels low and produce on demand to avoid unsold stock. Some products in our collection are made-to-order.

Our collections are not connected to seasons or fleeting fashion trends, which is an industry standard that we want to change since it fuels overproduction and overconsumption. We believe that loved clothes last, from season to season.

Most of our products are vegan. We never buy any new fabric that include animal fibres. The silks used in the collection are deadstock, that we rather source to upcycle into something beautiful, useful and meaningful for your everyday life than letting go to waste.

For our packaging we use recycled paper and compostable mailers that are carbon negative, biodegradable and partly made from corn starch. No plastic whatsoever – even the tape we use is made from paper. We ship with minimal packaging using only the essential materials. No extra filling, as all material (also sustainable materials) uses our planets resources to produce. 

This goes to everything from shipping your orders to deliveries between our suppliers and production partners – we avoid plastics every time possible. When it happens that we receive plastic we either give it back to the sender to reuse (while questioning their choice of material) or we reuse it somehow in the studio. We are not wasting it.

Our hang tags are made from recycled paper and printed locally in Berlin. Our garment labels are made from recycled polyester, by a producer in the Netherlands, who is certified with STeP-by OEKOTEX thanks to their strong emphasis on quality, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Each garment has a care label attached to it giving you the correct instructions. Treat with love and care. Lingerie is made from delicate materials and hand wash using cool water and a mild detergent is recommended for most items. Avoid vigorous scrubbing which will distort the fibres. Rinse well and do not wring to remove water, gently squeeze instead. Do not tumble dry or iron. If ironing is needed for our loungewear items, make sure to use a press cloth between the iron and the fabric.

Loved clothes last. Care for your intimates as treasures and they will last intact for a long time. If defects appear by wear and tear, use your creativity, repair invisibly or visibly, practice your mending skills. For questions and advice get in touch at hello@anekdotboutique.com

Photographers, stockists, printers, suppliers, fairs and events – we partner with like minded people sharing our values.

Hey, you made it to the bottom, meaning you are a curious consumer digging into the details. Way to go wo/man! This section is a space welcoming your imagination. Is there anything specific you’d wish to see on our site? Whether it is a new product, a special initiative you would like to see us support or partner with, or another utopian dream of yours – we’d love to hear it! Get in touch and let us know.