Our Story
About Us
A letter from our founder
Hello there,
I founded Arctic Fox in 2017 with a very simple desire: to
combine staple, sustainable accessories that provide unwavering warmth and
comfort even in the coldest of temperatures. This mission was inspired by a transformative
journey to Iceland, where the marriage of functional design and the beauty of
nature against freezing cold backdrops left an indelible mark on me. Building
the foundations of the brand coincided with my final year studying fashion in
Manchester, where it became starkly evident how detrimental the industry is as
a whole to our planet, and it became very clear that we would have to work hard
to become part of the solution.
Personally, I come from two islands on opposite ends of the
world, each gifting me with the richness of both eastern and western cultures,
arts, and values. Japanese and Scandinavian influences in particular are known
for their simplicity, minimalism, functionality and most importantly, quality.
These values have found a harmonious home in Arctic Fox’s core. Our ethos revolves
around these pillars, inspiring us to craft enduring pieces that are as
considerate of people and the planet as they are timeless.
Our unwavering commitment to sustainability and our core values
are outlined below, encompassing Product, People, Packaging, and Planet. These
principles are the driving force behind every decision we make. We pledge
transparency, kindness and a pursuit of learning, improvement, innovation and adaptation.
Our standards, mission, and goals are elevated day by day, as we embrace growth
and strive to be a force for positive change.
We hope you’ll join us on our journey, and if you do – a very
warm and heartfelt welcome to our ‘skulk’ (that’s our pack of arctic foxes). x
With love,
Charlotte
Planet
-£1 from every order is donated to Big Blue Ocean Clean Up, removing 1kg of plastic from our oceans.
-We are carbon neutral. We offset all our carbon output through the Woodland Trust UK.
-We donate 5% of our profits to WWF to support the incredible work they are doing to limit climate change.
Product
All of our products are made from either:
- Recycled materials (usually made from recycled plastic bottles, repurposing this planets waste and turning it into something beautiful)
- High welfare wool, certified by either the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) or Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS)
- High quality industry off-cut fibres which would have otherwise been wasted
- Redesigned dead stock that would have otherwise been destined for landfill.
Our collections and styles are all produced in small quantities and using only what is available.
People
We work with 3 factories specialising in accessories based just outside of Shanghai, and we have a very close working relationship.
These factories operate at a very high standard – the working conditions are clean, safe and comfortable, using high-tech machinery and equipment. The workers are all paid a fair living wage.
**
The collections are developed and created with my mother. We personally visit, work in and with the factories several times a year.
A little bit about myself here – I grew up in Shanghai and have been visiting factories with my mum, who works in fashion, since I was 5 years old. Throughout the years I have seen first–hand many really fantastic factories, as well as, unfortunately, some unacceptable ones. I then went on to study Fashion at University and spent my placement year working as a Product Development Intern at Hunter Boots in London, where I also worked in their Sustainability & Ethics department gathering details from suppliers to ensure compliance with the company’s very high standards and guidelines.
With this knowledge and experience I can very proudly and honestly say that the factories that produce for Arctic Fox are some of the very best, they have also produced for incredible brands such as Acne Studios, Calvin Klein and the White Company.
Packaging
All of our packaging is plastic-free, made from recycled material and is both fully recyclable and biodegradable.
We personally hand wrap and pack all orders, providing a lovely unboxing experience – a perfect gift to yourself or your loved ones. We believe that our packaging should only contain the essentials that gives our customer the best experience which reflect our products & brand values, but nothing more.