I’m named after my Dutch grandmother, Riemke Baukjen. She was always called Riemke. I’m also called Riemke Baukjen but my parents decided to call me Baukjen day to day. Many customers tell me they don’t know how to pronounce my name. Don’t worry, hardly anybody does. If you would like to know how my name is pronounced, just watch this video
We have always found it important that the people who make our clothes are well paid and work in factories that look after their staff, but it was only years later when we realised the impact the fashion industry has on our planet. It dawned on us that, while we believe in business as a force for good, we were actually participating in one of the planet’s most harmful industries. That was never our plan. So, we decided to do everything we could to make a positive difference, not just with our brands but for the whole fashion sector as well. You can read more here. We didn’t do this alone of course, the team and our suppliers have been involved all the way
However, it’s not just about fibres and fabrics. We’ve halved the carbon footprint associated with an average Baukjen garment from 2019 to present and reduced our water usage by even more, by working with our supply chain and making improvements through collaborations. These have also impacted wages, labour conditions and ethics standards. We’ve won a United Nations Global Climate Action Award, a first for a fashion brand