SUSTAINABLY MADE IN BERLIN

SHIO is focused on sustainability and we believe that clothes should be made with care, to last. We are on a mission to minimise both waste and environmental impact. We use eco linen, upcycled cotton and organic cotton. The entire collection is made by Kate Pinkstone at SHIO Studio, behind SHIO store. Producing clothing on site allows us to keep track of stock and only produce what is necessary. Our core styles are designed to fit multiple body types and though we only stock a limited amount of sizes, these are just examples of our designs. Every item can be made to order using the customer’s measurements. Everyone’s body is different, so don’t hesitate to share your measurements with us. Size customisation is at no extra cost. Our goal is to reduce waste, avoid returns, and therefore reduce carbon emissions.

‘SHIO’ is a made up word, taking the 4 middle letters of the word FASHION. Our company name is a metaphor for only wanting to work in the core of fashion and not the industry that comes along with it. The fashion industry is one of the major polluting industries in the world. It’s also an industry renowned for its exploitation of cheap labour in developing countries. Skilled garment workers all over the world are undervalued and underpaid. For these reasons we choose not to be a part of it. Here are some practises we include in our design, production and distribution processes in an effort to make a difference:

A lot of our styles are repeated season after season to promote themes of Slow fashion and Sustainability.
In mass clothing production pattern pieces are cut out of piles of fabric, which produces a lot of scrap waste. We only produce a few of each item in each size and as the item sells, we replace it. Producing items on demand helps us reduces waste and avoid dead-stock. Offering a tailoring service and custom sizes means we don’t have to produce 5 different sizes and hope that they all sell. A lot of fashion brands find that at the end of a season they are left with a lot of one size and completely sell out in others. This is exactly what we would like to avoid. We also recognise that no 2 bodies are the same and want every piece to fit customers perfectly, no matter their size.
Producing clothing on site in our studio in Berlin means we do not exploit cheaper labor overseas. It also means we don’t have large international freight shipments.
We use the same fabrics and colours in multiple styles throughout the collection. This allows us to use the majority of the fabric. For example, after cutting out a pair of pants, the scraps can be used for the smaller pattern pieces from other designs; like necklines, belts, and pockets. We also use our fabric scraps to make hair scrunchies and for repairs. Whatever scraps are left we donate to “Rag ‘n Bone” - a local business in Berlin that makes Upcycled dog beds out of fabric scraps.
We offer a free repair service for every Shio item. We want to make sure that when you invest in a garment, that it lasts as long as possible!
Each season we experiment more and more with Upcycling and include it in our collections. There’s already plenty of fabric in the world, why not try to use what already exists before producing more. At the moment we’re using 2nd-Hand cotton bed sheets that we hand-print and use in multiple styles in the collection. We’ve also just discovered that 100% cotton mattress protectors are a great fabric for Winter. We wash them, dye them, cut them up and use them for the lining of our winter wrap jacket.
This season, we’ve made a small step closer to treading lighter. We've eliminated the use of plastic zips and started working with biodegradable buttons made from the raw material 'Casein' (a milk protein surplus!), which you’ll find on our new and improved cotton twill Trousers.
We ship all of our garments in organic cotton bags that we hand-print - to avoid using extra tissue and wrapping papers and a gift for our customers that they can use again . We ship our packages in 100% compostable mailers.