Denise Ho is CEO and Founder of KITDO - Our June Sustainability Leader
Sustainability leader, Denise Ho, is a designer by training and stylist by trade for twenty years. Graduated from Rhode Island School of Design, Denise Ho has styled for countless high fashion magazines and major brand campaigns, working with celebrities such as James Franco, Luke Evans, and Michelle Yeoh.
In the last decade, Denise has also worked with sustainable fashion brands and NGOs, focusing on and designing environmentally conscious garments that follow zero-waste and upcycling techniques. This includes using recycled fabrics, restyling, as well as judging for competitions thus nurturing new sustainable fashion designers.
In doing so, Denise realized that she could provide a tool for stylists and regular clothing wearers alike that could alter the fit, texture, and volume of clothing pieces, giving more life to existing pieces instead of buying new. That tool became KITDO.
When did you first realize fashion was the industry you wanted to work in?
My mother was a buyer for Jean Paul Gaultier and I knew at a very young age that I wanted to be in the same industry as my mom.
How did Kitdo come to be as it is today and where do you want to take it?
KITDO was born out of my love for styling and sustainability, [...] through my learning journey from being a fashion stylist to a kidswear brand owner, [then] creative director of an upcycling label, and now an innovator and founder of this patented accessory.
The goal is and always will be to become the world's first-ever restyling accessory label, and [to] bring RESTYLING into mainstream culture, changing consumers’ mindset on creating wardrobe newness.
As a sustainability leader, what are your thoughts around sustainability and how are you endeavouring to improve yours?
Sustainability [is] not something that we can achieve in one go, it's about taking small steps and achieving milestones. It's also necessary to collaborate with others because the issues we are dealing with are just too tremendous and complicated.
On my side, I will continue to push for restyling, which I believe is my own sustainability language through my editorial work, education, and KITDO.
How does Kitdo contribute to sustainability?
We are currently only wearing 10-20% of our own wardrobe. Kitdo – [...] even though it is a simple product, [there’s] no question that it is triggering consumers’ creativity in revisiting their clothes. To me, the only way to resolve [... the fashion] waste crisis is to really slow down on creating new [clothing]. If we could create a culture around restyling and inspire each other with ideas, [I believe] we can change consumer behavior and make a difference within the industry.
As a sustainability leader, how do you go about creating a collection? Where do you get your inspiration from?
We have one product right now and I am trying to keep it that way as long as I [can]. I [have] always [been] inspired by how the folds between fabrics and twisted knitted textures get translated into wearable works of art, so that's how I came up with the function and purpose of KITDO; to create new shapes and textures for the clothes you already have.
How would you describe the KITDO woman?
Modern, conscious and curious
Describe KITDO in 3 words:
Innovative, unique and necessary
What is the best thing about your work? And the most challenging?
The best thing about my work is that it is never boring, as every day is different! The most challenging would be the same as every startup, how to keep everything afloat with the uncertainty, limited resources/cash flow, competition, and more.
Is there anything exciting in the pipeline for KITDO that you can tell us about? If not, a hint?!
2023 is an exciting year for us because we just got another 2 international design awards and will be venturing out to Europe for our first trade show.
Tell us a bit about your favourite piece we have at Style Carousel:
The Halston one-shoulder gown. I can already visualize different ways to restyle it with KITDO.
What's the best advice you've been given?
Give yourself permission to say no.
Read on to discover more about circular shopping...
Fashion is one of the largest contributors to global waste and microplastics in the ocean. If you love clothes, fashion and styling as much as us, this knowledge can be difficult to bear. Luckily, there are many ways to get circular with your consumption. Not only can you extend a product’s life cycle and keep it out of landfills by renting your outfits AND listing your luxury items for rental from platforms like Style Carousel, you can donate them, or re-purpose them. Struggling with how to start? Book a wardrobe detox with us. Get your friends involved for double the sustainability!
Making fashion circular creates better products for customers with longevity in mind, regenerates our environment, and creates plenty of opportunity for growth in the fashion industry. We all have to contribute; start doing better today for a better tomorrow.