Good Qs with Kristina Falke, Falke
Purveyors of luxury socks and hosiery since 1895, German icon Falke is a family business now run by the fourth generation.
We speak to Global Communications Director, Kristina Falke about sourcing cotton from small farms in Greece, Falke’s conscious collection and the benefits of Qi Gong.
Your new sustainable cotton range looks great, could you tell us a bit more about it?
Yes, we are very pleased to be able to convert our FALKE Family line to sustainable, organic cotton. With this line, we have converted our best-selling product range, which we offer for the whole family, from conventional cotton to organic cotton. However, it wasn't just the switch to a sustainable material that was important to us; we also looked at and optimised the entire production process.
The organic cotton comes from small farms in Greece to shorten transport routes and to have 100% traceability on all the materials. In addition, a water-saving drip irrigation system is used for the benefit of the environment.
We are already working on further conversions of our production lines in order to move step by step towards sustainable production processes.
How do you pronounce Falke?
It is pronounced Fal-ke [ˈfalkə].
What were the biggest challenges you faced in your move towards sustainability?
Quality is an important FALKE criterion, not only with regard to the material, but also to all production steps. That's why we look at all areas in advance, from the extraction of the material until the end-consumer finally holds the product in their hands. Such a change is extremely time-consuming and requires several discussions with suppliers and service providers.
The know-how of our employees and the unconditional demand for outstanding quality has enabled us to take a big step towards sustainability.
What are the small changes we can all make to reduce our impact on the planet?
There are lots of things we can do and it is always good to change old habits. I try to avoid plastic bottles, bags and really anything plastic. Concerning clothes, I always check where the clothes have been made and “made in Europe” is always a guarantee to avoid long shipping and child labour.
‘RE-USE’ is key for me. Whatever I do not want to wear anymore, I give away to other people, Oxfam, or similar organisations. I advocate for leaving the car at home or and taking public transport.
How do you use socks to express your personality and what's your favourite way of styling them?
For me, it's all about the interaction between the feel on the skin and the look.
I love our FALKE Cotton Touch socks. These are super light and soft on the skin.
For a special occasion with a dress, I like to wear our FALKE Vitalize tights with light compression, or the FALKE Dot tights with polka dots that turn my legs into special eye-catchers. Not to forget the FALKE PURE MATT in bright colours such as red, violet and yellow.
What’s the most exciting thing about your job?
Definitely the people! This job is all about people from everywhere in the world, different cultures, habits, tastes and opinions.
As I believe in change, nothing could be better than being in fashion: change of seasons, change of colours, change of environments and also often change of people.
Do you recycle? Should we recycle?
I think we should all recycle and I have done so for a long time. Living in Germany, we have been brought up with waste sorting and are not used to throwing food away. I try to stick to seasonal and local produce, and believe vegetables and fruit should not be wrapped in plastic.
How do you take care of yourself, and what are your self-care tips?
I go swimming every morning and as I am a “cream junky,” I put all kinds of serums and creams on my face and body.
My favourite skincare at the moment is Royal Fern, which is made in Germany.
I have been doing Qi Gong for some years and cannot imagine living without my 12 exercises; it gives me only good energy.
What challenges are obstructing more sustainability in your industry?
Personally, I think it is important to sensitise the end consumer to question a product that is called ‘sustainable’. For example, we have our own sustainability report on our website to create transparency, however, I often find this lacking with other fashion suppliers.
The term ‘sustainability’ is broad and allows for countless definitions; hence a sensitive consumer is the most important asset for a supplier to grow.
In order to advance sustainability in the fashion industry, producers, suppliers, service providers and customers in their consumption behaviour, all need to play their part.
What is on your must see or must read list right now?
I am dying to see 355 in the cinema and my next book will be the KonMari method by Marie Kondo.
What’s next for Falke?
The next big step is to start using recycled yarns for most ranges of the FALKE hosiery, Furthermore, we will introduce the FALKE ClimaWool, which is our latest invention concerning temperature regulation for your feet.
What Good News have you had / heard this week?
The end of lockdown and hopefully, end of loneliness is in sight.