At home, in Iceland, beauty and sustainability go hand in hand. Inspired by the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’, we create beautiful, timeless fashion with the least environmental impact. By seeing beauty through nature, we remember to respect it and to value it. From innovative materials to zero waste manufacturing practices, we introduce a new and different way of creating fashion. For the love of our land, its wildlife and its people, Katla is committed to being part of the solution to reduce the impact of fashion on the environment.

The way we make our clothes says everything about who we are. We design with meaning. We select fabrics with thought. We innovate with intention. We partner with purpose…

It’s no secret that fashion has a waste problem. That’s why, we design with meaning in a way that is as beneficial to you as it is to our planet. Starting with timeless clothing styles, we create high-quality, lasting garments made for conscious women to wear often and to keep always. Next, we embrace a zero-waste philosophy and operate with a mix of small production runs, and made-to-order manufacturing to ensure we only create clothes that will be used and cherished by our customers. The result is inventory that never goes to waste and personal purchases that stay out of our landfills for a happier environment.

Behind the clothes we make are a group of friends who share our purpose and who turn our fashion vision into a reality. We manufacture all of our garments in the USA in partnership with BMC Fashion in Phoenix and Polytime in LA. We work with top fabric mills in the US and Internationally. Our partners are recognized for their know-how, their approach to sustainability and their respect for high ethical working standards. We make it our responsibility to collaborate with thoughtful people who care about the safe and fair working environment of their teams, as well as their impact on the planet. Katla and our partners adhere to the Clean Clothes Campaign Code of Labor Practices.

All Katla items are manufactured in the United States. Our main manufacturing partner is BMC Fashion in Phoenix, Arizona.

BMC Fashion is one of the world’s most sophisticated manufacturers of on-demand fashion. BMC is an integrated on-demand apparel platform based in Phoenix, Arizona. We are proud to partner with them as a leader in scaling on-demand manufacturing and creating a new sustainable industry standard.

Katla additionally does small production runs with Polytime in Los Angeles.

Polytime Inc is run by Founder and CEO Ali Barone and operates in Los Angeles. The company specializes in small runs of high-quality fashion products. This allows Katla to hold minimal inventory of their products. Polytime is focused on providing high quality development and manufacturing in America. Polytime pays a living wage to all its workers and provides training opportunities so its workers can grow within the company.

The company is fully licensed (License #GA-153261-1) and complies with the very strict contractor and manufacturing laws for Los Angeles despite the high incremental costs of doing so. Polytime’s pricing is labor-based. This means the garment’s price is based on the time it takes to make it. Quality can not be rushed. Prices do not fluctuate with larger quantities because the same skill and time go into 1 as does 500 items.

To create beautiful, timeless fashion with the least environmental impact, we thoughtfully-source fabrics and materials that respect the environment and are animal cruelty-free. To get there, we work with leading sustainable fabric suppliers from around the world and we set our standards high - as should you. When considering materials through the lens of sustainability, we are able to find innovative solutions that are natural, biodegradable and made from renewable sources. Starting with the materials we choose, we weave sustainability into our business.

PYRATEX is located in Spain and was created in 2014 with the mission to replace synthetic textiles with natural and more responsible options. Their sustainable fabrics are engineered to retain the fiber's natural properties, bringing functional qualities to the final garments. Pyratex’s seaweed fiber is carbon neutral, produced in a closed loop, with no chemicals released as waste, exclusively from sustainable raw materials, using methods that save both energy and resources. Pyratex is GOTS, OCS, GRS and BCorp certified and works with a number of certifications at the factory level including OEKO TEX, Bluesign, FCS or PEFC. Pyratex develops impact passports for each of its textiles.

Getzner Textil is located in Bludenz, Austria. Getzner acknowledges that the textile industry consumes a considerable amount of natural resources. In an effort to protect people, the environment, and natural resources, Getzner uses state-of-the-art technologies, and regularly implements appropriate measures, to ensure preservation of energy and water, and reduction of waste. Getzner’s certifications include bluesign and Oecotex.

Eagle Fabrics is based in California in the US and offers a comprehensive range of fabric for the sportswear, junior, contemporary, children’s, loungewear, dance, yoga, maternity, active wear, eco-friendly, and outdoor markets featuring performance fabrics such as Dri-release and body conscious fabrics such as TENCEL™ Modal by Lenzing.

Egedeniz Tekstil A.S. is a textile company based in Izmir, Turkey that produces textiles made from sustainable fibers, mainly organic cotton which is locally grown. Egedeniz Textile has been at the forefront of organic farming, particularly in the cultivation of organic cotton, since the early 1900s. As the first certified organic company in Turkey, they have upheld their commitment to sustainable practices for over a century. Their organic cotton farms, primarily located in the beautiful region of Izmir, use environmentally conscious and socially responsible farming practices including prohibiting the use of synthetic pesticides, harmful chemicals, and genetically modified seeds. They have a number of certifications including GOTs, OEKD-TEX, GRS, Bluesign and V-label.

Infinity SRL is located in Rovereto, Italy. Quality, innovation, and creativity are the guiding values of Infinity’s line. Infinity pays great attention to each stage of the manufacturing process, from the choice of yarns to the production of unbleached fabrics, and from the fabric dyeing and finishing to the final quality control. Infinity is proud to be able to meet specific customization requirements, and to create unique, customized fabrics. Infinity is GOTS, ICEA and GRS certified.

Ipotesi srl is located in the Como district in Italy. Established in 2010 as a textile converter it is integrated in a large industrial group to guarantee textile processes at a low environmental impact. The group is fully committed to sustainability and certified. The group adopts the Chemical Management 4sustainability® Protocol for the implementation of the ZDHC. Ipotesi is GOTs, GRS, OEKOTEK AND FSC certified.

Katla is a majority female owned business. A majority of the members of our Board of Directors are women as well as a majority of our C-suite members

To nurture our planet and establish a new business model for giving back more than we take out.

With our partners, our planet and our customers at our core, we live these values:

All KATLA employees, including freelancers and employees of our partners

Members of our Board of Directors when they act in their capacity as directors

Our Model Code encompasses the core labour standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and additional criteria. These include:

For further information, see the Katla Supplier Ethical Code of Conduct

Traceability is an essential part of KATLA’s DNA. We include a unique tracking number for each of our products. Customers can input this number on our website to learn about their garment’s origin story including information about the manufacturer and the fabrics with which their garment was made.

In addition to our unique tracking numbers, many KATLA items contain a QR code which has become a signature design element for the brand. By adding new content to our QR codes we believe we will further extend the life of each KATLA garment by reinvigorating excitement long after it has been purchased. Our QR codes are updated with new content.

In the coming months we will be implementing a new transparency technology in the form of unique digital product passports in collaboration with our technology partners, IVY.

At Katla we believe that one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions in the fashion industry is to significantly reduce the amount of wasteful overproduction. This is why on-demand and small batch manufacturing is at the heart of our practices. Our goal is to only make the items that customers actually buy, whereas the industry on average overproduces by 30-40% each season.

We also believe that the use of seaweed in our fibers is an important way to reduce our overall carbon footprint. Seaweed is approximately 20 times more effective at carbon sequestration than land trees and therefore an important tool in tackling climate change.

KATLA has been working with students and professors at Karelia University in Finland and Hof University in Germany on LCA analysis to assess the footprint of our clothing and how it can be improved. This work is ongoing.

Our goal is to become carbon neutral by 2030.