Sustainability

R/H's story began in 2010 when the foundation was laid for what R/H is now more than 10 years later. Our goal is to create unique, carefully thought-out products that serve the various needs of their users. Instead of following constantly changing trends, our goal is to create products that stand the test of time and serve in different life situations.

We design our product with care and love in Helsinki. From day one, we have aimed to keep the production of our clothing as close to home as possible. All R/H products are manufactured within the EU. For example, 62% of our Spring/Summer 2024 collection was produced in Estonia, 29% in Portugal, and 9% in Italy.

OUR PRODUCTION PRINCIPLE

Being mindful of people and the planet is important for us. Our aim is to minimize the amount of pre-consumer waste and pollution in everything we do and to ensure good working conditions for our employees and partners. We strive for environmental sustainability in different ways:

  1. Calculated stock and no fabric waste. We want to be smart with what we produce and limit the size of inventory to create a more sustainable R/H fashion cycle. In order to maintain a stock that doesn’t exceed our needs, we carefully calculate how many pieces per collection we should produce. This way none of our products are left without an owner. As there are always production minimums for materials, most fashion brands end up with surplus fabric. In R/H no fabric goes to waste, as we utilize everything by making scrunchies, bags and even entire collections!

  1. Local production practice. All our garments are manufactured in factories within the EU. Fabrics are produced in Italy and Portugal, clothes are made in Estonia and jewerly is made in Finland. We’ve worked with these factories for years since we want to know where and how the raw materials, fabrics, and products are made. Local production practice enables us to use truck transportation instead of air freight to keep our carbon emissions down.

  1. Mindful design. We aim to be inclusive by making silhouettes and sizes that fit various body shapes. Simple silhouettes and versatile sizes also reduce the amount of leftover fabrics.

WE KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH US

All our products are designed with love and care in Helsinki and are sewn into finished products responsibly in Tallinn, Estonia. This local production has been the cornerstone of our sustainability since the beginning of our company.

We have been working with the same people since R/H was founded, but of course along the way we've been able to grow our R/H family. We want to know the people who work with us. We regularly visit our factories and our partners to communicate and discuss how we can grow responsibly together.

It is important to us that everyone who works with us receives fair pay and has a good and healthy working environment. This increases the cost of products, but we wouldn't be able to do what we do if this didn't happen. And we believe that our customers appreciate this too!

CHOOSING FABRICS & MATERIALS

Sustainability regarding fabrics is complicated. There are many things to consider when choosing a fabric or blend, as each has different pros and cons when it comes to sustainability. For example, our classic jersey product is mainly made of GOTS-certified organic cotton, but we have combined elastane with some fabrics to extend the life of the garment. Elastane makes the garment easier to care for and more comfortable to wear. However, we constantly strive to make more responsible fabric choices one step at a time.

USE, REUSE AND REPAIR

We want our products to be in use for as long as possible and therefore we encourage our customers to take care of our products by following the care instructions and repairing broken products instead of replacing them with new ones. In our online store, each product has material and care instructions attached to the product information. By offering product-specific care instructions, we hope to reduce the environmental impact of our products during their use.

All our products have a 12-month warranty that covers manufacturing defects. Please inform us of the possible need for repairs in advance before sending the product, either by email to info@rh-studio.fi. We offer a 1-year warranty for our products when they have been used and maintained in accordance with the given care instructions. For example, Bobi jackets or blouses made from GOTS-certified organic cotton normally last for several years. Clothes that are used every day will of course wear out more and probably won't last as long as they would otherwise. 

We also know that R/H products are in high demand at many flea markets, which makes it easier for our customers to recycle clothes they no longer wear. In the future, our customers will have the opportunity to sell their used clothes through us as well. We urge our customers to recycle all unusable clothes properly, instead of throwing them in the mixed waste. 

CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT FOR RESPONSIBILITY

We know that changes are still needed in all areas of the company, including production, to ensure a sustainable future. It is a long process, but we are constantly moving in this direction. Read more about our future plans in our Responsibility Report 2021 and Responsibility Report 2020 .