It is a daily challenge since we have enjoyed great growth since our beginnings, so the logistical, commercial and human constraints grow with the company.
In 2015, at the dawn of the creation of Katxi, we met several textile players in the Basque Country to get an idea of the market and its conditions.
One in particular, Mattin, founder of Ar(t)gazki (a local brand), whom we knew from counters and village festivals, advised and guided us with great kindness.
It turned out that he was at a turning point in his professional life: he abandoned the Ar(t)gazki project to become a self-taught screen printer under the pseudonym Kaixo Print.
It was a revelation, because in addition to being our official screen printer, Mattin gave us all his former suppliers of organic cotton and recycled polyester. The beginnings of three pillars of Katxi Klothing, the eco-responsible side, local customization and friendship.
The local economy and short circuits. The brand's entire production system revolves around ultralocal customization.
This way of producing is obviously restrictive at the logistical level, but I prefer to see the positive points:
Knowing and building relationships with our colleagues makes our professional adventure more human. It is a source of pride to be able to assure our customers that more than half of the price of our collections serves the economic basin of the Basque Country.
The way I perceive the world around me and interact with others has been heavily influenced by...
My travels and particularly my returns home.
It was on returning from South Africa that I truly realized that almost everything that most people look for on the other side of the world can be found here.
From creative inspirations to the richness of culture and the skills of local artisans, the Basque Country is a territory endowed with indisputable resources. All that remained was to initiate an economic dynamic.
Since we are focusing on the Basque Country or South Africa (the country in question), let me tell you an anecdote:
In South Africa, I had the chance to bungee jump, the largest jump in the world, 217m. The jump was fantastic but once finished, I was hanging by my feet 20m from the ground waiting for someone to come pick me up. I felt like my feet were falling apart little by little, it was the longest 5 minutes of my life.
I like to think that the desire to support noble causes is contagious. So if I had to give advice to those who haven't yet taken the plunge:
Don't be afraid to believe in yourself and take action, create your own luck.
Take inspiration from the riches of your territory, the kindness of those around you and the skills of the players in your region.
However, adopting a more ethical and responsible lifestyle is not a linear process;
TRANSPARENCY: We still have our textile base located in Bangladesh, it is the number 1 country for organic cotton, its cultivation and processing and our factory is supported and approved by numerous NGOs, it allows social and economy of the country.
However, we work daily to bring our production closer to the Basque Country and are already developing certain products in Portugal. When I go around the surf spots in a truck to find the perfect wave! I sometimes shoot 1 hour to get back to my first choice of spot.