In an era where fast fashion’s ghosts linger in every landfill, Kappahl Group—the Swedish parent company of Kappahl and Newbie—is threading a needle between commerce and conscience. The group sold 34.5 million products in 2025, with 99% crafted from materials boasting reduced environmental impact, per its latest Sustainability Report. For a brand rooted in Scandinavia’s minimalist yet functional aesthetic (Kappahl was founded in 1953, originally a women’s hosiery specialist), this pivot toward circularity feels less like a trend and more like a return to the enduring values of quality and longevity that once defined lingerie and loungewear.
CEO Elisabeth Peregi frames responsibility as the loom on which the company weaves growth: “Responsible fashion is the foundation of how we grow, how we design, and how we take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of a garment.” The supply chain—42% in Bangladesh, 30% in China, with smaller shares in Turkey, India, and beyond—now sees 84% of factories reporting social data via the Higg Index, while 95% of purchase orders trace back to fiber level using TrusTrace. This transparency echoes the meticulous craftsmanship of early 20th-century corsetières, who knew every inch of their silk and steel.
Notably, Kappahl discontinued pre-damaged denim in 2025—a move that resonates deeply in lingerie history, where distressed lace or deliberately weakened elastic has long undermined the very purpose of support and durability. “If we want garments to stay in use for a long time, we must design them accordingly,” said VP of Sustainability Sandra Roos. The company’s circular services now span 100 stores across four markets, with accumulated secondhand sales surpassing SEK 2 million ($215,600).
In a pioneering step, Kappahl is investigating open-loop recycling, turning low-value textile waste into a reduction agent for steel production—a collaboration with Höganäs, RISE, and the University of Borås. This alchemy, transforming discarded fabric into industrial resource, recalls the wartime ingenuity of repurposing parachute silk into lingerie. With 37% of its assortment now designed for a circular economy (targeting 50% by 2026), and a 30% reduction in climate emissions since 2022, Kappahl is proving that the most intimate garments can also be the most forward-thinking.
Originally reported by WWD