The philosophy behind all Twinki-Winki products is about bringing ease into your day-to-day so you can feel fab whenever you want. And that’s where slow fashion comes in.
Slow fashion is about creating products by hand that are a pleasure to wear, easy to care for, and long-lasting.
When you order a Twinki-Winki product, it’s either made by me (boa scarves) or by our POD partner (all other products). This means that from the onset, the product you order is being made specifically for you. Keep reading to find out about the various production techniques used to make Twinki-Winki products and what they have to do with slow fashion.
HOW TWINKI-WINKI PRODUCTS GET MADE
• Made by hand:
Twinki-Winki boa scarves are hand-cut and sewn in Madrid, Spain, by yours truly. No two are exactly alike. And I only buy enough fabric to be able to make three or four scarves in each color combination. This way I don’t stock fabrics I don’t need.
I think of all my boa scarves as wearable art. Wearable, as in, designed to be easy to care for. And art, as in, made by hand in super limited quantities to bring you joy forever.
If you want a fabulous refresher on scarves, I’ve put together a scarf guide you’ll love. I call it The Ultimate Scarf Guide. Oh, yeah.
• Made by POD (print-on-demand):
Did you know that your Twinki-Winki order is made just for you? Yep, Twinki-Winki uses POD (print-on-demand) to make its totes, tees, backpacks, prints, mugs, pillows, towels, blankets, and laptop cases.
It doesn’t get made until it gets ordered.
Twinki-Winki works with a POD order fulfillment company with facilities worldwide. So depending on where you are, your orders are printed and shipped from the facility that can do it most efficiently.
POD avoids overproduction and textile waste. Yay! That means no leftover stock is thrown into landfills. And that’s a big plus when it comes to sustainability.
ABOUT POD PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES AND PACKAGING
• Sublimation printing:
Twinki-Winki totes, backpacks, mugs, pillows, towels, blankets, and laptop cases use sublimation printing to get all pretty. This happens with Mimaki printers. These printers use inkjet technology with dye-sublimation inks and transfer paper. First, the design is printed on a sheet of paper infused with sublimation ink. Then heat activates the ink so that it seeps deep into the material (fabric or ceramic). This ensures a consistent and vibrant all-over print that covers the whole product.
After the sublimation printing process, Twinki-Winki mugs, towels, blankets, and laptop cases are ready to be shipped out to you. As for Twinki-Winki totes, backpacks, and pillows, the printed fabric must first get hand-cut and then sewn together.
• Cut & sew technique:
Twinki-Winki tote bags, backpacks, and pillows are finished with the cut & sew technique. This means that after the graphics have been printed onto the fabric with the sublimation printing process (see above), the cutting takes place. The shape of the product is precision-cut and hand-sewn with industrial sewing machines. This gives the product a durable construction.
• HDR ink-jet technology:
Twinki-Winki art prints use Epson UltraChrome water-based HDR ink-jet technology. These inks have a low environmental impact. And Epson recycles their ink cartridges.
• Packaging:
Twinki-Winki totes, tees, backpacks, pillows, towels, blankets, and laptop cases are packaged by our POD order fulfillment company. Each item is packaged in its own polymer bag, which is then placed in a polymer mailer. The poly bags are are made of low-density polyethylene and are fully recyclable.
Twinki-Winki art prints and mugs are also packaged by our fulfillment partner. In this case, they use cardboard boxes. Art prints are rolled up and packaged in triangular boxes that avoid the use of plastic caps, and ensure safe delivery without any creases or damages. Each mug is packaged in its own tight-fitting box that keeps it secure in the center. Multiple mugs are combined in one cardboard box.
Attitude is everything.
Now that you’ve read about various production techniques and what they have to do with slow fashion, let’s talk about attitude.
Attitude is about buying less often and with more purpose. This is a big part of what slow fashion is all about. And that’s why we often talk about slow fashion when we talk about sustainability.
Slow fashion connects environmental awareness and responsibility with the pleasure of wearing beautiful, well-made, and lasting clothing.
For example, you can choose quality over quantity. Quality items will cost more at first, but they will last longer and fit better. And quality accessories like scarves can help you switch things up. Thinking of new ways to style your wardrobe breathes new life into what you already have. Learning how to care for your quality items will make them last even longer.
Twinki-Winki is where I make what I love and love what I sell.
Let Twinki-Winki fill your life with color, joy, smiles, style, and attitude.
If you’re curious about understanding sustainability and slow fashion in general, you can go to ABOUT SLOW FASHION to read some more.