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Our Approach
With comfort and quality in mind, Affine uses natural fiber fabrics to create useful, comfortable, and responsibly made clothing. To achieve this, Affine not only designs timeless garments but also produces them locally in Canada with minimal waste. Furthermore, everything we make is produced in small runs to ensure that each garment ends up in the hands of an adoring owner, rather than adding to landfill waste.
In fact, Affine takes back leftover fabric from production to use in smaller projects and to give away to other makers, utilizing material that would otherwise be discarded. We are fully aware of what is left behind, and we put it to use! If you are looking for small pieces of fabric, give us a shout!
Irena Kongsuwan, Founder, Designer
Irena, a visual artist who works with various mediums, has had a lifelong passion for fashion. This passion has led her to experiment with designing wearable items. From her youth, she would experiment and style with items from her family’s closets.
Nowadays, Irena focuses on creating clothing that feels comfortable enough to wear all the time, as she believes that when we feel great, it shows. In her pursuit of health and comfort, Irena opts for natural fiber fabrics as the logical choice. Above all, she aims to create functional pieces that the wearer will cherish and continue to use. Take a look at what Irena has designed so far:
In her free time Irena can be found in a paint-covered apron, dreaming of travel to warm places by the sea.
See her artwork on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/irenamk/
What’s in a Name?
Affine in Italian means ‘descended from the same root’. The idea of inheriting values and a way of life from our ancestors is connected to traditional, proven ways of clothing people. Like the way that linen has been used for thousands of years and is still one of the healthiest and longest lasting fabrics in use today.
Irena also carries on the values of her Southern European Grandmothers:
1. Respect and value all the Earth’s resources. Everything takes energy and resources to make and so should not be wasted.
2. Make things well, then take care of them. The better we care for our things the longer they can stay in use.
3. Every thing we do matters. Little steps add up and make a difference for good or bad.
These values frame the work of Affine Fibers.
Location
We live and work on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta.
Calgary is situated on land adjacent to where the Bow River meets the Elbow River, and the traditional Blackfoot name of this place is “Mohkinstsis” which we now call the City of Calgary.