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Sustainable workwear with style – an interview with KAYA&KATO
KAYA&KATO stands for workwear that offers so much more: stylish design, high functionality and genuine sustainability – without any greenwashing. In an interview, founder Stefan Rennicke explains how the company uses certified raw materials from fibre to finished product, why comfort and style are becoming increasingly important in workwear, and how closed-loop recycling not only conserves resources but also helps maintain stable prices. He also reveals why the Clean Ocean collection, made from recycled marine plastic, is one of the bestsellers, and how KAYA&KATO is setting new standards through transparency and fair production conditions.
Style meets responsibility – How KAYA&KATO is redefining workwear
What defines KAYA&KATO as a brand?
Stefan Rennicke: We base our cuts and colours on our employees’ needs. We combine stylish design with environmental and social responsibility. We do not engage in greenwashing. KAYA&KATO is committed to using certified raw materials – from the fibre right through to production.
What are the current trends in workwear?
Stefan Rennicke: Above all, functionality and comfort are crucial – combined with a stylish look. You want to dress for work in the same way that you feel comfortable in your private life. Workwear must also fit in with the look and feel of the working environment.
What does good workwear need to be able to withstand?
Stefan Rennicke: It must be suitable for hire and industrial laundering. Fabrics that live up to their promises.
What does ‘closed-loop recycling’ mean?
Stefan Rennicke: We collect used textiles, process them and put them back into circulation. This ensures stable prices and demonstrable savings in resource use.
What are your bestsellers?
Stefan Rennicke: Above all, our Clean Ocean collection. When it comes to using recycled polyester, we go one step further: as part of our Clean Ocean concept, instead of the usual blended fabrics, we use recycled plastic waste from the sea.
What do you prioritise in particular during the manufacturing process?
Stefan Rennicke: For us, sustainability, transparency and fair working conditions are woven into the very fabric of our company. We can provide transparent proof of our supply chain – via a QR code, if requested.
About Stefan Rennicke
Before founding KAYA&KATO, Dr Stefan Rennicke began his career in the private sector, before spending almost ten years at the German National Commission for UNESCO, where he established and headed the Public-Private Partnership and Cooperation with Africa divisions. During this time, he worked with commercial enterprises on projects in the fields of education, science and culture. In addition, he implemented projects in developing and emerging countries – with a focus on Africa – in collaboration with NGOs, government departments and universities. It was there that he gained first-hand experience of cotton cultivation – an experience that has shaped his perspective on corporate responsibility and sustainability in combination with economic viability. He now brings this knowledge to KAYA&KATO – with the aim of developing modern workwear that not only looks good but also incorporates forward-looking solutions such as recycling and Clean Ocean initiatives.
Being #partofthedifference
For us at KAYA&KATO, sustainability is firmly embedded in the company’s DNA. It is what drives us every day to take responsibility – for the people who make and wear our clothes, for the teams we kit out, and for the world we live in. On the one hand, workwear must be functional – but on the other, it is also more than just clothing – because we use yarns made from plastic waste recovered from the sea and offer our customers comprehensive recycling schemes.
Every apron, every jacket, every shirt tells exactly this story. And we invite you to be part of it – so that work not only looks professional, but also feels really good.
Contact:
KAYA&KATO GmbH
Email: info@kaya-kato.de
Telephone: +49 (0)221 99889 100
Website: www.kaya-kato.de
At KAYA&KATO, we create workwear that is not only practical and durable, but also takes a stand – for people, the environment and a new understanding of responsibility in the world of work.
Many thanks to Stefan Rennicke for the great interview.
Kind regards, Sandra
