From Fire Hose to Fashion: The Story Behind Elvis & Kresse's Upcycling Mission

One of the things we've loved about having our Oxford shop has been the chance to stock a variety of local, sustainable, and socially conscious brands we love. One of the highlights came a few months ago when we added Elvis & Kresse's beautiful bags, belts and accessories to our range - and we are delighted to say that you agree!

The introduction of Elvis & Kresse's beautiful range has been a huge success and everyone has absolutely loved seeing the collection in person. It's even brought out some amazing personal stories - from the NYC firefighter who bought a bag as a unique souvenir, to a son who's new travel bag reminds him of the smell of his own dad who was a fireman. We can see why people fall so hard for these unique and stylish pieces but the story behind the brand is even more incredible. Take a look with us at the journey from landfill diversion to award winning luxury brand.

A a firm supporter of zero waste and regenerative practices in every aspect of life, Kresse and her partner Elvis were inspired to set up their eponymous brand after a chance encounter in 2005 with the London Fire Brigade. They discovered that, after 25 years of heroic service, damaged or worn out fire hose was heading to landfill - an unceremonious end for such a fantastic material. 

Compelled to find a solution to this wasteful problem, they decided to do something different, and bring zero waste solutions to the luxury fashion industry. Since this spark of an idea - beginning with the design of their now iconic belt - they have grown into an incredibly successful, award-winning business with a diverse range of projects and collaborations. But the true measure of success is that none of London's fire hose has gone to landfill for over a decade now.

Upcycling Solutions

Elvis & Kresse's production process is characterised by a deep appreciation of craftsmanship, innovative up-cycling solutions, and careful attention to detail. Every aspect of their product range is meticulously thought through, from bag linings, to tags, to printed leaflets.

 Aside from the up cycling of the fire hose other materials rescued from landfill include:

- Faulty parachute silk: used as lining for bags.

- Damaged or worn out industrial printing blankets: used for packaging pouches.

- Auction house banners: used for linings

- Used tea sacks: used for paper packaging, brochures, and mailing pouches

- Upcycled cardboard shoe boxes: used for packaging and labels. 

Adding another string to their bow, the brand also embarked on a partnership with British luxury brand Burberry to find alternative solutions to the problem of offcut waste from the production of leather goods. With funding from The Burberry Foundation, Elvis & Kresse now produce an up cycled leather range from textiles made by weaving together small pieces of leather to create beautiful and unique bags, homewares, and custom art pieces. 

It is this attention to detail which has made Elvis & Kresse into a successful luxury brand daring to do things differently. Each item tells a story of its past life and encourages us to think more carefully about the processes and materials which go into the items we cherish. 

Beyond the Bags 

Since the inception of the brand, the business model has always focused on the impact beyond product. 50% of all profits from the rescued fire hose range are donated to the The Firefighters Charity, an organisation providing clinical care and wellbeing support to UK firefighters and their families. From the rescued leather range, 50% of profits are donated to Barefoot College, an international organisation where Elvis & Kresse help fund solar engineering scholarships for women. 

This giving back policy is a core pillar of how Elvis and Kresse run their business and measure their successes. Their uncompromising commitment to sharing profits is a brilliant example of how good business can be more than just sales.

Impact for the Future 

Closer to home, the team's commitment to a healthy and flourishing environment is reflected in their work to regenerate the surrounding natural landscape at their headquarters. With a growing team and increasing range of projects, the company relocated to an area of farmland in the Kent countryside. 

Here they inherited a range of environmental issues, such as heavily depleted top soil, and a failed septic system. They quickly set about on a long term project to transform the area into a rich and biodiverse site with a goal of achieving Net Zero carbon by 2030. Their hard work has included brewing their own "compost tea" using food waste from the local area, constructing a natural sewage treatment system, as well as building a new eco-workshop and even a solar powered aluminium forge! Since work began in 2020, the biodiversity of the site has improved dramatically with new trees, bushes, and vines all thriving meaning local wildlife such as newts and birds are enjoying healthy habitats. 

Elvis & Kresse are a brand producing beautiful and thoughtfully made luxury items. They challenge the wasteful luxury fashion industry with their ingenious waste solutions while crafting timeless and hard-wearing pieces. But it is their unwavering commitment to giving back to important causes and regenerating the natural environment wherever they can that provides the industry with a truly visionary and innovative example of business done better!

Life on the Farm

The Elvis & Kresse team know how important transparency is to their brand and have always shared the business with their community. Their workshop and tour experiences are a big part of this and offer customers the opportunity to visit their Kent-based farm house headquarters and take a peek behind the scenes. 

They offer a range of experiences, including "make your own" workshops, tours of their facilities and production, and even the full Elvis & Kresse experience where you'll stay on site at their charming Field House holiday cottage. 

They have a few dates coming up over the summer so head to their website to find out more:

Elvis & Kresse

 

For further reading...

Meet another brand shaking up the industry in Mates of the Month: Vaela

Find out more about our Oxford shop and the story of the past 3 years

And shop sustainably with Oxford's best B Corps

 

Images courtesy of Elvis & Kresse