Sustainability & Production

The production of YO ZEN products is built on transparency and longevity of our products. We keep our collections small and the collections flow together. We want to make it easy for the customers to combine parts from all collections. We want to work with durable materials that don’t wear in use. Our aim is to design timeless pieces that can easily be kept for years and after use be recycled to the next user. We do not favor disposable culture, but hope that the jewelry is so valued and sought after, that it is taken good care of.

PRODUCTION OF JEWELRY

YO ZEN’s jewelry is assembled by hand at our studio Oulu, Finland. Every part is checked carefully before sending to the customer. The jewelry is packed in a recyclable cardboard box where it is kept safe during transport. The jewelry box is a good place to keep your jewelry when it is not in use.

For us it is important to collaborate with local companies whenever possible. For example our veneers and laser cut parts come from Finnish companies. We want to create new jobs in Finland, keep the transportation in its minimum and work with local-area companies.

The main materials of our jewelry are different kinds of veneers and acrylic (PMMA). Acryl, being a thermoplastic, is recyclable and, when burned in an appropriate waste plant, it will return to water and carbon dioxide. Also the veneers and steel parts can be recycled or incinerated.

In case of breaking of the jewelry we can deliver spare parts that can make your piece whole again. The aim is to make durable and long lasting products. In case you need spare parts, please contact us at shop(a)yozendesign.com

PRODUCTION OF TEXTILES AND CLOTHES

YO ZEN’s clothes are designed in Finland and made in Portugal at a Finnish owned factory, Black Moda Portugal, or their collaboration facilities. Besides great quality of clothes and materials we are interested in the ecological and ethical aspects of the whole process. With these principles in mind it is easy for us to guarantee the quality of the final product. It is important for us that our partner factory is located within a reasonable distance inside the European Union. The legislation of the EU defines that, for instance, the human rights and the salaries are dictated by law. 

The clothes are made from start to finish in the same area, all from making the fabrique to printing the cardboard tags that go into the finnish garment. This way the products don’t have to be moved back and forward to different countries or areas. The completely finished product travels one time to our warehouse by land.

As the main materials for our products we choose natural materials that, unlike synthetic fabrics, do not contain tiny fibers that are spread into the ecosystem. At this moment tricot our products are made of organic cotton that has been grown without artificial fertilizers or chemical pesticides. 

Wanted and high-quality clothes are more likely to be taken good care of and garments are less likely to be thrown away. We prefer quality over quantity. We also dislike the accelerating cycle of fashion that forces the brands to create collections four times a year and sell the former models quickly in order to make room for new garments. Our aim is to design and create clothes according to demand and need. That is why we are making pre-order possible even in the beginning of our journey.

We also want to do our part in creating jobs within Finland and favor local partners whenever possible. Although our clothes are manufactured outside Finland, we pay them completely to a Finnish partner so the tax revenue for the production stays in Finland.

YO ZEN’s philosophy is, and has been from the beginning, to create products that are so carefully designed and beautiful that they are taken good care of – washed and worn, and after use recycled for the next wonderful user.

YO ZEN’s merino wool accessories are carefully designed and made with pride in Finland. The merino wool used is mulesing-free. The embroidered tags used in the products also come from our Finnish partner.

#WEARWITHLOVE

YO ZEN’s philosophy has been from the beginning to design beautiful high quality products that people want to own and take good care of. When the products are maintained carefully they can be passed on to the next lovely user. We want to offer the fashion loving women options that can be enjoyed with a good conscience.

We have made a responsibility review to open more our production. The review is available only in Finnish at this time.