~KleN eco-friendly clothing company~

Describe the first piece you created. Did you know immediately that you would create an entire layering line?
The first piece we made was a mens crew sock. As soon as we got the final version nailed down it was at that moment we knew we had a pretty good chance to create a complete layering program utilizing high quality and eco friendly fabrics.


Walk us through your creative process.
Our creative process is very loose and yet completely structured as impossible as that sounds. As a small company we have lots of unique opportunities to jump at opportunities as well as adapt to changes. The structure of our design process comes from knowing that we are only looking at layering items and that they must follow our core principles of being comfortable, maintaining style and also being eco friendly. The freedom side of our design process is that the nature of our products, our brand image and our core consumer allows us to use random colors, prints and cuts. Our initial collection has been somewhat limited, but what we have coming on the horizon is sure to turn some heads.



What are your future plans for your product?
Our latest project is a base layer program that many of our retailers have been requesting. Essentially a long underwear line of products that will maintain our fabric benefits of moisture wicking, thermal regulating, UV protective, super soft and being naturally antibacterial. In addition to the base layer items we are looking at expanding our products to include a women's collection.



How did you get involved in the business?
I worked in the apparel industry before and really enjoyed it, but knew in order to create a new line it needed to have a point of differentiation and be good quality with a positive image. The market is extremely saturated and so we created KLeN to give the customer something a little different. I am passionate about the industry and all that is tied to it and just couldn't imagine a career without these people and events.


As a small business owner, how are you surviving the recession?
You know, we have had as many opportunities from the recession as we have hurdles. We look at this bleak economy as a true proving ground; if we can survive this, then we are sure to thrive when things get better and people are spending more money. Some retailers are hesitant to try anything new, but the contrary is also true where other retailers are very excited for something new and different for their customers. As long as we continue to focus on the positive and grow where we can then it'll all be ok.


What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
First and foremost I would say that if you have a desire then by all means follow it! My follow up to that would be to make sure you are doing something you truly are either extremely passionate about or knowledgeable about. If you aim to build a company only for monetary reasons you will undoubtedly fail. Making money is fun and is ultimately somewhat mandatory in maintaining a successful company, but it can't be your driving force or people will read through you and not believe.


How long have you been in business?
The concept of KLeN and the business structure has been in place for almost 2 years, but we have only had product available for less than a year. We took our time to create our first collection and admittedly still had some issues, but we recognized those short comings and have acted accordingly to avoid any bad first impressions.

What inspired you to start your business?
It was a combination of wanting to get back in the apparel and action sports industry as well as wanting to create and provide an eco friendly product that virtually every person on the planet could take advantage of. Socks and underwear were the first articles of clothing and they continue to be the staple of every wardrobe. KLeN gives people the opportunity to have the most comfortable and sustainably built socks and underwear available.


Tell us why you think your business is successful.
Simplicity. We have a narrow product offering that allows us to focus on what we do best and then in turn offer the best quality to our retailers and customers. Our business model is built around giving back to the planet and other organizations that are important to our core values. Our honesty and drive will keep us alive.


What makes your business unique?
What a great question. In fact, I'm not sure the best way to answer this, but we are unique by not being unique? We make a product that everyone already has, only we made it better! We are unique by offering ONLY eco friendly products and giving a portion of every sale to charity.


Is there a particular niche you target?
Although we feel our product is scalable to the entire population, we have focused on the action sports community as well as the fashion focused consumer. The functional benefits of the bamboo base we use is ideal for active people and the quality and style is inviting to the fashionista. By adding the eco friendly and charitable giving aspect of the company we truly have a neat customer.