Since august 2021 almost everything from Alba of Denmark is being produced by Kishor Exports, an Indian factory. This factory promises to make high quality garments and respects international standards in production and working conditions. The factory is certified with OEKO-TEX standard 100, meaning the products are tested on harmful substances at all processing levels.
Most clothing items that are made of cotton are GOTS certified, the Global Organic Textile Standard does not only verify organic cotton but it also takes the working conditions into consideration. The factory also received the label for social accountability (SA-8000), which is an international standard for decent working conditions. The sewing house is said to be periodically audited. Because of the information mentioned above we can be sure that clothing from Alba of Denmark is made ethically.
The Indian sewing house supports Seam and TEARS too, Seam is an educational project and TEARS makes sure that residual fabric cut-offs are repurposed to students that weave durries or carpets, this means that production done in this factory is actually zero-waste! Kishor Exports is also certified as Fairtrade by FLO-CERT and received a Global CSR Award for Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance.
The brand Alba of Denmark supports a charity, if you were to purchase a Tree-shirt, the brand donates money to the Caribbean Tree Planting Project. The brand itself also complies with the Nordic Ecolabel, BSCI and Oeko-Tex. The Nordic Ecolabel has criteria regarding environmental, quality and health arguments. The BSCI stands for ‘Business Social Compliance Initiative’ and aims to improve working conditions.
The main material you will find at Alba of Denmark’s is organic cotton that is certified by the GOTS and tested on harmful chemicals by OEKO-TEX standard 100. That’s how you can be sure your children will be safe wearing these clothes and no toxins were used to create them. Because of the GOTS certification we know the cotton is responsibly and organically sourced which is great to see because the production of organic cotton fabrics also emits less CO2. You can read more about the advantages of organic cotton in our COSH! cotton research.
The organic cotton is sometimes blended with elastic or recycled polyester to make the clothes more comfortable for children to wear and move around in. At COSH! we prefer to see clothes made from mono materials, clothes that are for example 100% cotton or 100% polyester, because then they can easily be recycled, which now is not the case. However we understand why the brand chose mixed materials, it improves the comfort, practicality and durability of the clothes.
Elastic and recycled polyester are both synthetic materials that aren’t biodegradable, and so is polyamide, another synthetic material we find in Alba’s socks and tights. But it’s good to see the brand choosing recycled polyester (made from PET-bottles) instead of regular polyester.
As mentioned earlier in the materials-section of this brand text, the materials used for Alba of Denmark’s clothing aren’t always easy to recycle or biodegradable. But the brand is doing well by applying a zero-waste philosophy.
They do not waste or throw away any materials. If production mistakes occur, they will still find a home for these clothes. The brand uses leftover materials to turn them into new dresses, skirts and t‑shirts, for the lady clothes as well. They mention upcycling as one of their new focuses and they are looking to upcycle cotton for their future collections, they want to do this by collecting old clothes and turning them into kids’ collections.
Alba also designs adjustable clothes by adding buttons for example so your child can grow into these clothing items so the lifespan of these clothes can be prolonged. The brand supports the Reuse, Repurpose and Upcycle movement.
Unfortunately we cannot really state that this brand has a short supply chain. The headquarters of the brand are situated in Denmark and the production is executed in India so it’s a big physical distance we’re facing. However probably most production is done by the same Indian supplier so that would mean there aren’t too many subcontractors or steps involved.
Alba of Denmark does not use materials derived from animals, no leather, no wool. That’s why we can happily inform you that Alba is a vegan brand although they are not certified by PETA.
Because of the vintage style that is incorporated into the designs of Alba of Denmark it is safe to say that these clothes for babies and kids are more or less timeless. Vintage style at this brand does not equal dusty, the designs have a modern twist so children that are wearing these can show up at school and birthday parties looking fashionable and colourful!
The brand is passionate about creating clothes that are made to play in. They design the clothes in order to be comfortable, flexible and childlike. Creator Majken thinks color choice has a lot of influential value too, she wants colors to feel warm and happy to the children.
All clothes of the Alba brand are handmade and of high quality so they can last a long time. The brand encourages people to pass on their clothing to several children so they can be loved by as many as possible. This is a message that we at COSH!, can only be supportive of!
Alba of Denmark makes baby clothing in sizes 56 – 98, kids clothing starting at size 104 and ladies clothes for grown up women. The ladies collection is called ‘All I adore’ and it includes comfortable clothes in a unique retro style, some made of upcycled materials and if you’re lucky, you will be able to find pieces that match items from the children’s collection here as well!
Alba of Denmark sees good value and importance in transparency with their customers. If they have production issues or mistakes they express this to the clients and they offer a lot of information on their producer: Kishor Exports in India. We appreciate that they mention the supplier they work with so transparently!
This supplier has the same attitude towards transparency, on their website they state that they believe in showing who makes your clothes and to raise awareness of the humans involved in the production of garments. They also say it’s their responsibility to take transparent steps to ensure ethical sourcing for brands and their certificates are available to download for anyone visiting their website.
Conclusion
Looking for some playful and vintage looking kid’s clothing? Then Alba of Denmark is the brand you’ve been looking for. You can find local retailers that sell this brand in your area on the COSH! Shopping map below!
