OUR MISSION
When my mother and I founded arkitaip in 2019, we set out to create clothing defined by ease, longevity, and a deep respect for the world around us. From the beginning, our vision was to design pieces that embody effortless elegance, function, and a more thoughtful way of dressing.
That vision remains at the heart of arkitaip today.
OUR MISSION
We create for those who value beautiful clothing, but who are equally conscious of the choices they make. Every decision - from fabric to finish, from production to packaging - is guided by a commitment to quality, responsibility, and lasting relevance.
Since my mother’s passing, I have continued arkitaip in honour of the vision we built together, carrying forward the values, care, and quiet strength that have shaped the brand from the beginning.
Before creating our first garment, we made ourselves a promise: we would only begin once we had found the right material.
We were looking for a fabric that was natural, vegan, biodegradable, and low in environmental impact - one that could be sourced within Europe to keep transportation routes as short as possible. After months of research into the footprint of different fibres, we found our answer in linen.
Linen is made from flax, one of the most considered raw materials in the world. It grows on marginal land, meaning it does not compete with land used for food production, and it thrives largely on rainwater alone, without the need for irrigation or pesticides. It is both resilient and inherently low-impact. Compared to many conventional fibres, linen requires significantly fewer resources across its lifecycle, while offering exceptional durability, breathability, and longevity.
For us, it was the natural choice.
For our clothing range, we work exclusively with 100% European, Masters of Linen™-certified linen. This certification ensures traceability throughout every stage of production - from field to yarn to fabric - while supporting European farming and processing practices that respect both the environment and traditional know-how. It reflects standards including zero irrigation, zero GMO use, and a zero-waste approach, with fibre extraction carried out mechanically and without chemical processing.
By sourcing and producing within Europe, we are also able to keep transportation routes shorter and maintain a close understanding of our supply chain.
All of our fabrics are OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified. This means they have been tested for harmful substances and are considered harmless in human ecological terms - an important standard for materials worn close to the skin.
We apply the same level of care to the details.
Our buttons are made from biodegradable corozo, casein derived from waste from the dairy industry, and shell sourced from France and Portugal.
Specific details can always be found on each individual product page.
We are committed to using the most responsible packaging available to us. For storage purposes, we use biodegradable polybags or polybags made from 100% recycled Ocean Bound Plastic pollution. Each piece arrives in a compostable cardboard box, and our brand and care labels are made from organic cotton.
Every element is chosen with the same intention as the garments themselves: to reduce waste, extend usefulness, and make better use of what already exists.
We oversee our supply chain from crop to shop, allowing us to take direct responsibility for how our pieces are made.
We know where 95% of our raw materials originate, and we maintain close relationships with our supplier community. We can fully trace where our garments and finished materials are made. Where we continue to improve is in verifying the full raw-material origin of certain hardware components, such as hang tags, yarns, and care labels. For these, we can confirm responsible production and sustainable materials, even where full upstream traceability is still in progress. Keeping production in Europe allows us to work more closely, uphold higher standards, and preserve transparency across the brand.
We believe responsibility must extend beyond materials to the people behind every piece. Everyone involved in arkitaip is paid fairly and protected within the framework of European labour standards. By working exclusively with EU-based suppliers, we are able to support fair working conditions, social protection, and responsible employment practices throughout our supply chain.
Our garments are made in Portugal, in a small family-run factory in Maia in Northern Portugal. The factory is led by a mother and daughter, who together employ a team of nine seamstresses. Their female-led team is paid the national living wage and works within fair, EU-conform hours.
We visit the factory regularly, not only to maintain a close and trusting relationship, but also to ensure that the standards we value are upheld in practice, not just in principle.
Our own team is small and female-led. We celebrate diversity and remain committed to building an inclusive environment as we grow.
Our pieces are designed with longevity in mind. We believe the most responsible garment is one that is worn often, kept for years, and valued enough to be passed on. Our collections are intentionally timeless and designed to remain relevant beyond a single moment.
Working with 100% pure linen also supports our long-term ambition towards circularity, as mono-material garments are better suited to future recycling solutions. Any leftover fabric is repurposed into smaller accessories, such as scrunchies or tableware, to minimise waste wherever possible.
We believe our responsibility does not end once a piece leaves us.
If you no longer wear your arkitaip garment, we encourage you to return it to us. We will cover the shipping costs and offer a £50 voucher in return. Our aim is to ensure that each piece can be given a second life and remain in use for as long as possible.
Our aim has always been to create products with an inherently lower impact, while encouraging a slower and more mindful approach to consumption. At the same time, we recognise that producing new garments still creates emissions. To address this, we work to account for and offset emissions associated with both shipping and production.
Through our shipping partner, emissions from delivery are neutralised. We also offset emissions associated with each item sold, using an estimate that exceeds the footprint of a typical arkitaip linen piece in order to take a more cautious approach. We know that offsetting is not a complete solution. But for us, it is part of taking responsibility for what we create, while continuing to push for better systems, lower-impact choices, and long-term improvement.
We always try to do our very best when it comes to making ethical and environmentally-responsible choices and want to be held accountable for our actions. If you have any suggestions or feedback, we’d love to hear from you.
