Resources

Baby alpaca wool: the quintessential LN Knits material

Ellen Kegels settles for nothing less than baby alpaca yarn of the highest quality. To this all-time favourite she adds a small percentage of polyamide to make sure the knits retain their shape. But LN Knits doesn’t shy away from the occasional sidestep into merino wool either, offering customers a bit of extra variation for limited items.

Wearing pure alpaca wool is a dream come true when it’s freezing outside but would be less than comfy in summertime. That’s why LN Knits shifts to a blend of alpaca wool, silk and linen when the temperatures rise. For the numbers guys and girls among you: that’s 52% baby alpaca, 20% silk, 18% polyamide and 10% linen.

Design

Timeless basics and zero-waste policy

All LN Knits items are designed in Antwerp. Every season, with a great deal of care and meticulously following the brand’s vision, Kegels and her team of freelancers come up with timeless basics. LN Knits is a big fan of wool in basic colours, so most balls of yarn come back season after season to prove their worth. Yet the label also works with so-called ‘trend colors’. The leftover yarn stock in these hues is sold online, so the DIY community can get all crafty with it. Zero waste: check. When it comes to hangtags and other labels, Kegels makes a point of picking the most eco-friendly options available.

Production

Honest jobs for hundreds of Peruvian knitters

For many people, LN Knits is synonymous with Peru. That’s because there, in sunny South America, every knit is made by hand or with a hand knitting machine by a team of knitters, employed mostly by LN Knits’ main supplier Solid International. LN Knits provides jobs to about 350 women, who get fair wages that allow them to build a better future for themselves. Furthermore, LN Knits attaches a lot of importance to establishing a safe and inspiring work environment for these women, who can also rely on childcare services and receive healthcare. Kegels wants them to feel secure and surrounded by like-minded souls. In short, her brand creates a safe haven where women are rewarded for their hard work.

Moreover, LN Knits doesn’t turn a blind eye to the fact that it is part of the fashion industry and that it does contribute to air traffic – hence air traffic pollution. That’s why the brand teamed up with a Kenyan partner of Solid International for a carbon offset scheme, compensating its carbon footprint by investing in nature conservation and recovery projects.

Retail

Eco-friendly packaging materials and awareness-raising

LN Knits collections are sold in several multi-brand boutiques and concept stores, as well as via the LN Knits web shop. Every order passes through the skilled hands of Ellen Kegels, who adds lots of love to every box she packs and who consistently opts for the most eco-friendly shipping materials available. Via her website, Kegels makes a plea for sustainability and presents her brand’s sustainable vision, its values and beliefs to her customers, who can also browse background information like the LN Knits sustainability report and blog. No finger-wagging, but awareness-raising.

Consumption

Maintenance tips and tools

An LN Knits piece lasts a lifetime. If you take good care of it, that is – which is why the brand provides an after-sales service and informs customers, too. The LN Knits blog, for instance, has lots of maintenance tips, while the web shop is full of little helpers like clothing mist, steamers and shavers (to remove the bobbles).

End of life

Sample sales and looking into takeback systems

Because of the superior quality of the yarn, an LN Knits knit can be cherished forever. But the brand wants to step up its game, for instance looking into ways to reincorporate old items into the production cycle and organizing online sample sales. After the launch of a new collection, LN Knits always ends up with quite a few samples. These items are often in perfect condition, so they get to spend the rest of their days with a new owner rather than on some dusty shelf. Knits that don’t pass the quality check (meaning they’re unfit for sale) are transformed into pillowcases. Sweet dreams!