Startup Kai Clothes continues to grow 🚀
The startup Kai Clothes, from Elche, Spain, is expanding its products using recycled kitesurfing sails. Its latest product, FLIP-FLOPS, has received the INESCOP "COMFORT SEAL."
Today I'm very happy with this article I'm bringing you. Our collaborator Kai Clothes continues to expand its products. After much work and development, the most surfer-friendly and sustainable flip-flop has arrived. The flip-flops are now on sale at Kaiclothes.com.
In the summer of 2022, a new entrepreneurial initiative was born in the province of Alicante, Kai Clothes. A project led by Israel Ferrer from Elche, he has formed a startup based on the design, manufacture, distribution, and sale of jackets made from recycled textiles from nautical sails and kitesurfing. Ferrer decided to start this initiative because of "the combination of my professional experience in the textile sector and my great passion for the sea." Since then, the company has added new garments and accessories. In addition to jackets and windbreakers, it also includes vests, flip-flops, caps, backpacks, shoulder bags, wallets, and purses.
In fact, the startup, located within the UMH Science Park, has recently seen one of its products, specifically its flip-flops, receive the "Comfort Seal," a distinction awarded by the innovation and technology center Inescop. Ferrer states that "this seal confirms that our flip-flops are not only sustainable, but also comfortable and designed for everyday use," adding that "milestones like this remind us why we do what we do: to offer products that truly make a difference."
The company was one of the winning initiatives in the PCUMH UMH Marathon and Altea Emprende programs. It was also recently recognized as the best project at the GreenWeekend 2024 environmental entrepreneurship event.
The origin of the signature
Thus, the creator of Kai Clothes has worked for about 30 years in the textile world and wanted to create something "100% my own, personal, and unique." He has also been scuba diving since he was very young and "discovered the huge problem of the amount of plastic in the sea," as he explains on his website. About five years ago, he moved to Mallorca and began kitesurfing. There, he realized that kites "are a high-cost, short-lived item" due to the amount of breakage they suffer. At that moment, he realized something more could be done with that material and began to envision the idea of Kai Clothes, creating garments with vibrant prints and colors. According to Ferrer, they use 80% recycled materials in these jackets, vests, and windbreakers. He also emphasizes that "you give a new use to that kite that you've enjoyed for so long and you have an original, unique, and exclusive memory of it, since no two are alike."
Specifically, they focused on recycling sails for jackets because the fabric that makes up much of the kite—a type of nylon—has the right properties for this type of garment. It's a very lightweight fabric that repels water, dries quickly, and has thermal properties.
Thus, their creative process begins with receiving the kite they want to recycle. Kai Clothes sorts through and selects the usable pieces and discards any defective or torn ones. They then hand-wash the cloths they intend to use, dry them, and iron them. They then proceed with the design and cut of the garment, for men and women—and they plan to make them for children as well. The startup cuts the linings and padding and adds fittings for the garment's construction, ironing, and shipping to customers.
The startup also receives orders internationally. Recently, they created a mobile recycling center to facilitate the recycling of broken or old kites. They plan to attend sporting events to facilitate this collection, and they will also hold a small exhibition and offer the opportunity to purchase some of their already manufactured products.
