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IVALO.COM's Sustainable Stars blog concept highlights pioneering sustainability brands.
Finnish sustainable clothing brand Papu Design started back in 2012 when the brand began designing and manufacturing unprejudiced children's and women's clothing. Today, sustainable women's clothing already accounts for 95% of Papu's production.
Papu is loved, funny, colorful, bold, and full of personality. Papu's playfulness inspires the enjoyment of sustainable clothing and responsible dressing.
Papu is famous for the joy for life, and it's also familiar to the brand founder Anna Kurkela.
"Our client is a woman who appreciates quality and aesthetics, whether it's about dressing, lifestyle, culture, or food and wine. Those who wear Papu want to enjoy their lives!"
Kurkela says that Papu's customers are primarily attracted to Papu's patterns, delicious colors, and versatile product designs. Ultimately, however, the quality and durability of Papu clothing is the most important reason to buy for a wide range of users.
"For me, the best thing is that we are always on the side of the good guys. We have also managed to create a recognizable style and brand for Papu.
Our goal of bringing happiness and everyday stardust into people's lives is even more important now during these challenging, even sad times."
Anna Kurkela describes that a genuine desire to change the fashion industry towards a more responsible direction has been one of the main reasons why Papu Design was founded in 2012. Papu has been doing groundbreaking work for more than a decade.
"Sustainability is the cornerstone of our operations. We are ambitious in every aspect of sustainability. It is important to us that the materials we choose for our products are as environmentally friendly as possible and that production takes place ethically in Europe.
We measure the progress of our sustainability work through various indicators every year, such as calculating the carbon footprint of our own operations and supply chain."
However, the number one thing about Papu's design is that the products are long-lasting, both in terms of design and quality. Papu strives to make products that customers fall in love with and want to take care of.
Papu's clothing and accessories have an active aftermarket, which extends the life cycle of the products. If you add Papu to your wardrobe, you can be confident that Papu will always find a new user if, for one reason or another, your time with the clothing comes to an end.
Papu is one of the most sought-after sustainable fashion brands in Finland, also in second hand.
Increasing the global circular economy is the prerequisite of the future, which the clothing industry must also take seriously.
Throughout its existence, Papu has been designing with the circular economy in mind but is now developing a new, more systematic concept to make the cycle more efficient.
"During 2023, we have developed the PAPU LOOP concept, which aims to extend the life cycle of the product by using different solutions. At the other end of the life cycle, the aim is to recycle the material or fibers of the product into a new product."
Papu's well-known and acclaimed visuality is inspired by strong women going their own ways; all the bossladies of their lives.
Papu's design team admires all the beauty around us: buildings, interiors, street fashion, art, and nature. Anna Kurkela believes that ideas and inspiration can come from anywhere.
"In the early days of our company, we designed clothes for children, but due to demand, we soon expanded our range to women's clothing. Even then, our strong colors and patterns inspired women.
In the future, we will continue to develop our women's range and offer more and more clothing for office work, for example. The aim is to continue to make our products as versatile as possible and suitable for many situations."
Anna Kurkela believes that the long-standing Papu is now facing something new. The past few years have been challenging as the market has become increasingly gloomy, but the pioneering sustainability brand has persevered through the stormy winds.
"I think we have done well." Anna Kurkela says.
"In early 2023, we made a strategic decision to discontinue our children's clothing range and focus on responsible women's clothing. Despite this major change, our turnover has been on a growth path again since the beginning of the pandemic.
The next goal is to further increase the visibility of our womenswear collection in the home country and get the internationalization process well underway. It's great that we can now put all our know-how and energy into developing and promoting women's wear."
Among the wonderful new fall arrivals, Anna Kurkela highlights the red items of the super-popular Sense range. The Boheme dress and the Pouch dress are Papu's most sought-after designs.
Genuine, high-quality knitwear is now very much in demand. Papu's knitwear made from merino wool and cashmere is particularly popular with Papu users. Warm and versatile, the merino cardigan is a winter staple that is 100% sure to be worn all the time.
With its new collections, Papu is receiving praise for its many stunning, high-quality woolen fabrics with reliable quality and also individual colors.
If you're looking for some recognizable Papu products, you can accessorize your outfit with Papu's popular berets. Classic wool scarves in luxurious materials are also a guaranteed choice for the winter season.
