All the opportunities of 2020 A summary
At
KOKOworld we look fearlessly into the future! We set ourselves
ambitious goals and persistently strive to achieve them. And although
we are always on the move, we also like to stop for a while to take a
look at what we have already succeeded. So with a slight delay, we
would like to invite you to a summary of the last year in KOKOworld.
Was 2020 kind to us? This is the wrong question to ask. How about a
different one: have we taken advantage of all the opportunities it
has given us?
Backstage – let's talk about fabrics
We launched the Fairtrade collection – clothes certified by the Fair Trade Coalition
Launching the Fairtrade certified clothes to the KOKOworld collection is the most important achievement of 2020 for us. It is the result of years of hard work: looking for sustainable sewing rooms, establishing business contacts, sewing and sending in and out prototypes – it was a lot of work, but we did it! In June we gave into your hands the first products from this line, becoming the first Fairtrade certified fashion brand in Poland. In this special Fairtrade collection you could find clothes such as the Raw and Minimal blouses, which were sold out in a few weeks.

Our article "Why can’t we make our Fairtrade clothes in Poland?" busting common myths about sewing in Polish sewing rooms also met with interesting reactions. The comments showed that awareness about the conditions in which clothes are made is still insufficient and demands constant updating.
We have made clothes made of EcoveroTM viscose – a further step towards increasing the number of sustainable fabrics in our collections
Launching viscose certified by the Lenzing Group (that is EcoVeroTM viscose) to the KOKOworld collection has been a very important step for us in increasing the number of sustainable fabrics in our collections. We were looking for a viscose equivalent that, while keeping all its properties, would also be less harmful to the environment. EcoVeroTM viscose clothes that we made for you are, among others: the Andao dress, Seki blouse and Etna.

We organised the EcoveroTM collection photo session fully online
This type of a challenge we faced for the first time in KOKOworld's history! We prepared online everything, except for the photos. We chose online the Great Photo Sessions I-Got-It, who prepared the whole thing online: she chose for us models and a photographer, who matched our style. Before the actual shoot Megi Rychlik only collected the clothes from us, and a few days later we received the finished results of the photo session. These are probably some of the best photos we've taken so far. We are thrilled with our latest campaign.
From an action to a reaction - launching new collections

We stayed in the pre-covid lineup – no one lost their job
For
many companies, downsizing was an extremely difficult step that they
had to take to survive. We appreciate that we are lucky and that no
one from our team lost their job. Yes, it has required to make many
adjustments and concessions, but it has also shown us once again that
we are a team and for us people matter more than goals. This is one
of the most important lessons we have learned during this time.

We launched the citiZEN fall/winter and spring/summer collections
And this, we admit, was not easy. The release of the first part of the collection happened during the spring lockdown – sewing rooms were closed, distribution limited, some members of the KOKOteam stayed at home. After the holidays, which brought back some normality for a while, the time came to launch the autumn edition of citiZEN and again... more restrictions disrupted the work. We will admit – at times it was a joyride. However, what surprised us positively was the fact that we managed to transfer part of our activities so smoothly to the online zone. Once again we have to say: this would not have been possible if it had not been for self-discipline and trust in each other.
From
the heart – social campaigns

We were there when Edu needed us
Although the pandemic spared no one, not everyone had an equal chance to face what it brought. Our friend from Colombia, who is also a KOKOworld craftsman, experienced this very strongly. Literally from one day to the next he became unprovided-for (let us just remind you that Edu supports women prisoners, so his problems affected them as well). We didn't think twice – on our website you could buy jewellery sets that Eduardo created especially for you. Thanks to the financial support you provided by giving him a work to do, Edu and his family survived the most difficult months. Unfortunately, there were some late packages, but this situation also showed us how loyal and understanding customers we have.

We
spoke the voice of those who needed support – a part of the income
from the sale of the masks was donated to Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę
Foundation
Although
we knew that the number of organisations that needed financial
support was huge, we could not do otherwise. We knew that with the
closure of schools, children were also closed – yes, at homes, but
not all of them are warm and safe, some unfortunately are places
where instead of love, it is violence that rules. The lack of classes
has limited children's access to a school psychologist or a canteen –
although it sounds unbelievable, many kids in Poland are still
malnourished. We have been watching the activities of Dajemy
Dzieciom Siłę Foundation for years, and we know that they do a good
job to protect the health and lives of the youngest. We are proud
that – thanks to you – a part of the income from
the sale of the masks we
can donate to support this organisation

We turned Black
Friday into something good –
we raised funds for a sewing machine for Niso
As every year, we decided to be out of the international "shopping holiday", but instead to support a selected organisation. During the days 27-30.11 we organised Green Friday and a part of the income from the sale we donated to the Kuchnia Konfliktu in Warsaw. To be more specific: thanks to the collected funds we bought a sewing machine for Niso, a refugee associated with the organisation. We also gave her bales of fabric so Niso canl sew masks and bags sold in the Kuchnia Konfliktu. Their sales will directly support the refugee and her family, who live in Pruszków.
From words to action – interviews and education

We gave interviews to major magazines, we put emphasis on education
Helpless as we watched life day by day move to the Internet, we couldn't help worrying about how our conversations would look like: whether you would still be so eager to drop by the shop at Starowislna Street and ask about the details of our clothes' production; whether we would meet at panel discussions; whether we would bump into each other out on the town. This all made us keener to say yes to interviews invitations. We knew that a lot of them would appear online and it would be a way of talking to you. We were also aware that now you may have a bit more time to read. Interviews with Agata Kurek, KOKOworld owner, have appeared, among others, in:
On top of it, we have prepared reliable articles for you in our KOKOworld MAGAzine:
- text about organic cotton filled with facts and figures,
- an interview with representatives of the sewing room where we sew our Fairtrade collection,
- manual for our fabrics so that they will be with you for years,
- EcoveroTM viscose vs conventional viscose comparison
Is that it?
We do not want to evaluate ourselves. That is not the point! Sure, there have been ups and downs, but that's what we're used to. Maybe it's because we're flesh and blood people in the first place, and only later a company making clothes? Maybe because we have ourselves, you, our history, which shows that the best things happen sometimes when we least expect it?
2020 permitted us to make mistakes and gave such an enormous will to fight that we can't help but wonder. With the strength of an unknown origin, we enter the new. We do not know what it will bring, but we trust ourselves, you and the relationships with people – and these (we will say it with affection, what the heck!), we have (thankfully already) reinforced last year.