Clean
At Akenberg, we believe in the importance of an ethical practise towards people, planet and production. We don’t want to design unnecessary objects. Everything that we do must have a given place, a function and a purpose. When others restock, we reinvent. By creating sustainable high-quality and unique accessories that transcend trends and seasons, we bring true value and handicraft into your life.
Sustainability is an integral part of everything we do, from the initial design idea to packaging and shipping. We always source and use carefully considered materials that have less negative impact on nature or humans. And we make every possible effort to minimize waste.
We safeguard slow production and meticulous handicraft. We are proud to say that 100 percent of our products are made in Europe. Not only does it reduce environmentally hazardous emissions due to shipping and transports, it also shortens our lead times. It makes it easier for us to visit our factories regularly, and to stay in control of our complete line of production.
We work closely with the highest skilled craftsmen out there, small and local producers who share our views and who engage in sustainable practice. This ensures us of always being able to deliver the very best quality to our customers. All our partners; manufacturers, suppliers, trading agents and subcontractors are expected to work in line with all our requirements.
Global goals
Design is a constantly evolving process and a natural part of modern life. Having a holistic approach to business gives us the ability to bring real change in how Akenberg as a company, and we as humans, thrive together in a world where innovation is necessary without exploiting our shared resources.
In committing to the UN Global goals, we want to contribute to long-term sustainable development. For us, it is important not only to have as small a climate impact as possible. Equally important is that our business have a positive effect on employment, preferably at local level, that people are treated equally and the production takes place under good working environment conditions, and that we maintain the high quality that has infused the brand since the start.
With this as a starting point, we have selected these three UN Global goals to focus on: Good health and well-being, Gender equality, Sustainable consumption and production. Here is where we see that we can make a difference.
At Akenberg, we stand behind everyone’s right to be and feel whoever they are, regardless of gender identity and individual expression. We raise our voice for equality, tolerance and the equal value of all human beings. That is why we have implemented the concept GenDearLess to emphasize that our products are unisex/gender neutral.
We live in a world where everyone should have equal opportunities to thrive and be powerful. To us, diversity is synonymous with a good working environment. People with different backgrounds, competences, religion, gender and age, contribute to creating a better workplace and a better world.
Giving back
As the initiator and one of the co-founders of the association Female Founders for Fashion, we want to contribute to enable women entrepreneurs in the fashion industry to become even better women entrepreneurs. By joining forces, we aim to support, inspire, share and learn from one another, and to be part of this growing #womensupportingwomen initiative to foster successful and thriving businesses in the fashion industry.
We often speak about learning to settle with less, but investing in higher quality. Some people do not get that chance at all. We believe in generosity and giving back. In partnership with one of our retailers in New York, we support the charity Housing Works in Manhattan, an organisation who helps homeless people with HIV/AIDS, to whose activities we donate 10 percent of our total sales in collaboration with our retailer.
An on-going journey
Our sustainability work is constant. Although we are yet to reach full traceability, we are well on our sustainability journey. That journey will never end, because to us, sustainability is not a box to check or a marketing campaign, it is our way of being.