Products assist us through our days and express our values. Good products are designed with purpose and use materials honestly. They exist in harmony with the planet, its beings, and its cultures.

The Pro Backpack is designed to carry you through your day, wherever it may take you.

Minimal on the outside, functional on the inside, sustainable all around.

The Crossbody helps you go anywhere with your essentials.

The Packable Tote is the first a zero-waste product of its kind.

It's durable and packs into itself for easy storage.

The Face Mask is designed for all-day comfort and protection.

We helped Day Owl introduce a repair program for used bags.

Day Owl

Product Strategy
Product Design
Prototyping
Color Design
Factory Development

Day Owl is a sustainable bag brand from Pittsburgh PA. We have supported Day Owl since its debut in 2020, helping to grow the brand from a successful kickstarter into a sustainable, $2.5M business. Throughout this period, we have led product architecture and design, helping to grow the product offering from 2 to the current 9. Day Owl product design is guided by pragmatism, minimalism, functionality, and sustainability. Day Owl products are created from recycled inputs and designed for repair and reuse. Most objects end up in the landfill, ours start there and never go back.

Day Owl

Product Strategy

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Day Owl is an everyday carry brand designed by Almanac. Day Owl product design is guided by American pragmatism, considering  notes of Japanese minimalism, Swiss functionality and Indigenous sustainability. Day Owl products are created from recycled inputs and designed for repair and reuse. Most objects end up in the landfill, ours start there and never go back.

The Small Navy Bag is inspired by roll-top dry bags.

The roll-top opening on the Large Navy Bag creates a water-resistant seal.

The Bifold Wallet is sewn by hand using a minimal amount of stitches.

The Merino Wool Scarf.

The Small Tote with an exterior pocket.

The Large Tote.

The Small Tote.

The Long Brim Utility Hat.

The FEIT Cap.

The FEIT Cap features an elasticated back for adjustable sizing.

FEIT Objects

Product Strategy
Product Design
Factory Development

FEIT is a footwear and accessory brand built on an uncompromising ideal of quality and craft with with a commitment to building products out of naturally-occurring materials. In our time working with the brand, we have helped to translate FEIT's approach to product into accessories. What started as ideation into what other types of products FEIT could channel its ethos into evolved into the design, material sourcing, and development of the brand's first range of bags, a shoe care kit, and some naturally-crafted knit goods.

FEIT Objects

Product Design

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FEIT is a footwear and accessory brand built on an uncompromising ideal of quality and craft with with a commitment to building products out of naturally-occurring materials. In our time working with the brand, we have helped to translate FEIT's approach to product into accessories. What started as ideation into what other types of products FEIT could channel its ethos into evolved into the design, material sourcing, and development of the brand's first range of bags, a shoe care kit, and some naturally-crafted knit goods.

Moving blanket jacket patterns overlayed upon each other.

Moving Blanket Jacket 1 and Rift Tabi Moc.

The jacket on body, so cosy!

Nike Rift Tabi Moc, knit by Shelby Wauligman.

Printed lining for Moving Blanket Jacket 2.

Documentation of the process.

Moving blanket jacket during construction.

Second Hand

Prototyping
Product Design
Material Design

Second Hand is an exercise in extending the life of materials and objects. This project is founded on viewing "products" as material capable of organizing into many things. We discovered existing industrial waste streams such as blankets from the moving industry to source materials responsibly, diverting these materials from landfill. The project includes a chore jacket built from a discarded moving blanket and a pair of knit tabi clogs made with second hand yarn and a sole taken from used Nike Air Rift sneakers.

Second Hand

Prototyping

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Second Hand is an exercise in extending the life of materials and objects. This project is founded on viewing "products" as material capable of organizing into many things. We discovered existing industrial waste streams such as blankets from the moving industry to source materials responsibly, diverting these materials from landfill. The project includes a chore jacket built from a discarded moving blanket and a pair of knit tabi clogs made with second hand yarn and a sole taken from used Nike Air Rift sneakers.

A fabric swatch book we created to send to First Mile impact partners.

Streamlined process for Tearfund's Human Rights Due Diligence Toolkit.

Simplified chart design for one of First Mile's strategic partners.

First Mile

Supply Chain Maintenance
Sustainable Strategy
Research
‍

First Mile is an ethical supply chain initiative led by the nonprofit, WORK, that creates positive impact through both material supply and strategic consulting. Almanac has helped First Mile to become a leader in social supply chains for brands including Unilever, Puma, American Eagle, and Patagonia. We have supported on the material supply side by helping with brand strategy and publishing textile swatch books for First Mile material partners. On the strategic consulting side, we have helped to distill human rights framework models for Unilever and Tearfund, as well as designing user-friendly toolkits for supply chain analysis. View the Tearfund Human Rights Due Diligence Toolkit here.

Absurdly Excessive Fashion Fieldwork

Research

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In January of 2020, we were invited by Liz and Branson of The OR Foundation to be part of a fashion research team in Accra, Ghana. We were there to gain an understanding of the "waste" involved in global production and consumption, an often overlooked conversation when considering sustainability. Specifically, this involved looking into the 60 million items of secondhand clothing that enter Accra each week from the US, Europe, and parts of Asia and how it relates to the global fashion system. The majority of our six weeks there were spent in West Africa's largest secondhand clothing market, Kantamanto. Most of Accra's secondhand clothing moves through the market and 40% of it immediately becomes "waste". We also were able to see first hand where these "wasted" clothes end up through helping clean a section of textile-infested beach and working at a landfill to help recover recyclable materials. Throughout this "waste"-tracking process, we used most of our effort to work alongside and learn from the Ghanaian citizens affected by these systems; informal waste pickers on Kpone Landfill, retailers seeking to make a living selling used clothing, and local designers working to create alternatives to fast fashion. Most importantly, we learned about the Kayayo, Ghana's head porters who literally bare the weight of global over production and consumption, and how they have become slaves to the dark side of the secondhand clothing industry.

We found our time in Ghana to be filled with paradoxes; moments of inspiration and devastation. It feels as if Accra and Kantamanto are simultaneously 20 years behind and 20 years ahead of the US (our frame of reference). We first saw Kantamanto as the dismal conclusion to fast fashion but as we spent more time there we witnessed a new global model with a central goal of imbuing value on the materials that already exist. The informal waste pickers at Kpone Landfill are often looked down upon in Ghanaian society for their dirty work but they are paid very well and are proud to be the last line of defense in preventing items from going to waste. And finally the Kayayo opened our eyes to the inconsistency within the "sustainable" fashion conversation in how brands focus on the human costs of production without considering this cost as it pertains to the after life of their products. Our time in Ghana was one we will never forget and hope to get back too soon. In the mean time our takeaways from the experience guide us in everything we do going forward.

A pig looks for food in a footwear burn pile near Kantamonto Market, Ghana.

James and Danny at the Kpone landfill near Accra, Ghana.

Large amounts of second hand shoes move through Kantamanto every day.

Along with shoes, Kantamanto is known for its wide selection of clothing.

A child sleeps while his mother sorts footwear in a warehouse.

Excess clothing from the used clothing market is often dumped into the ocean.

Excess clothing clings to rocks off the coast of Accra, Ghana.

A waste picker forages for materials on a landfill in Ghana.

Cheaply made virgin product competes with secondhand goods.

A man sorts footwear in preparation to resell.

A Jordan 6 washed up on a beach in Accra, Ghana.

Absurdly Excessive Fashion Fieldwork

Research

In January of 2020, we were invited by Liz and Branson of The OR Foundation to be part of a fashion research team in Accra, Ghana. We were there to gain an understanding of the "waste" involved in global production and consumption, an often overlooked conversation when considering sustainability. Specifically, this involved looking into the 60 million items of secondhand clothing that enter Accra each week from the US, Europe, and parts of Asia and how it relates to the global fashion system. The majority of our six weeks there were spent in West Africa's largest secondhand clothing market, Kantamanto. Most of Accra's secondhand clothing moves through the market and 40% of it immediately becomes "waste". We also were able to see first hand where these "wasted" clothes end up through helping clean a section of textile-infested beach and working at a landfill to help recover recyclable materials. Throughout this "waste"-tracking process, we used most of our effort to work alongside and learn from the Ghanaian citizens affected by these systems; informal waste pickers on Kpone Landfill, retailers seeking to make a living selling used clothing, and local designers working to create alternatives to fast fashion. Most importantly, we learned about the Kayayo, Ghana's head porters who literally bare the weight of global over production and consumption, and how they have become slaves to the dark side of the secondhand clothing industry.

We found our time in Ghana to be filled with paradoxes; moments of inspiration and devastation. It feels as if Accra and Kantamanto are simultaneously 20 years behind and 20 years ahead of the US (our frame of reference). We first saw Kantamanto as the dismal conclusion to fast fashion but as we spent more time there we witnessed a new global model with a central goal of imbuing value on the materials that already exist. The informal waste pickers at Kpone Landfill are often looked down upon in Ghanaian society for their dirty work but they are paid very well and are proud to be the last line of defense in preventing items from going to waste. And finally the Kayayo opened our eyes to the inconsistency within the "sustainable" fashion conversation in how brands focus on the human costs of production without considering this cost as it pertains to the after life of their products. Our time in Ghana was one we will never forget and hope to get back too soon. In the mean time our takeaways from the experience guide us in everything we do going forward.

Absurdly Excessive Fashion Fieldwork

Research

Read More

In January of 2020, we were invited by Liz and Branson of The OR Foundation to be part of a fashion research team in Accra, Ghana. We were there to gain an understanding of the "waste" involved in global production and consumption, an often overlooked conversation when considering sustainability. Specifically, this involved looking into the 60 million items of secondhand clothing that enter Accra each week from the US, Europe, and parts of Asia and how it relates to the global fashion system. The majority of our six weeks there were spent in West Africa's largest secondhand clothing market, Kantamanto. Most of Accra's secondhand clothing moves through the market and 40% of it immediately becomes "waste". We also were able to see first hand where these "wasted" clothes end up through helping clean a section of textile-infested beach and working at a landfill to help recover recyclable materials. Throughout this "waste"-tracking process, we used most of our effort to work alongside and learn from the Ghanaian citizens affected by these systems; informal waste pickers on Kpone Landfill, retailers seeking to make a living selling used clothing, and local designers working to create alternatives to fast fashion. Most importantly, we learned about the Kayayo, Ghana's head porters who literally bare the weight of global over production and consumption, and how they have become slaves to the dark side of the secondhand clothing industry.

We found our time in Ghana to be filled with paradoxes; moments of inspiration and devastation. It feels as if Accra and Kantamanto are simultaneously 20 years behind and 20 years ahead of the US (our frame of reference). We first saw Kantamanto as the dismal conclusion to fast fashion but as we spent more time there we witnessed a new global model with a central goal of imbuing value on the materials that already exist. The informal waste pickers at Kpone Landfill are often looked down upon in Ghanaian society for their dirty work but they are paid very well and are proud to be the last line of defense in preventing items from going to waste. And finally the Kayayo opened our eyes to the inconsistency within the "sustainable" fashion conversation in how brands focus on the human costs of production without considering this cost as it pertains to the after life of their products. Our time in Ghana was one we will never forget and hope to get back too soon. In the mean time our takeaways from the experience guide us in everything we do going forward.

The Boro print label.

The Boro app.

The Boro website plugin.

The Boro website plugin in use.

Boro data aggregation approach.

Boro theory of change.

Boro project 25 and 50 year goals.

Boro role in customer education.

Boro window display

Boro

Sustainable Strategy
Impact Marketing

Boro is a dynamic labelling system concept that is designed to educate consumers at the point of sale. The system takes existing data within the apparel industry and distills it for consumers to make more informed purchases regarding a product’s social and ecological sustainability. Data from sources such as the Higg Index is only readily attainable for businesses to utilize in production. Boro simplifies this data for the everyday consumer, allowing access to them valuable missing information about the products they might be interested in purchasing. This levels the playing field to allow consumers and producers to take equitable responsibility for their impact on our environment and its inhabitants.

Boro

Sustainable Strategy
Impact Marketing

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Boro is a dynamic labelling system concept that is designed to educate consumers at the point of sale. The system takes existing data within the apparel industry and distills it for consumers to make more informed purchases regarding a product’s social and ecological sustainability. Data from sources such as the Higg Index is only readily attainable for businesses to utilize in production. Boro simplifies this data for the everyday consumer, allowing access to them valuable missing information about the products they might be interested in purchasing. This levels the playing field to allow consumers and producers to take equitable responsibility for their impact on our environment and its inhabitants.

FEIT is an alternative to mass-produced footwear.

FEIT uses only natural materials.

FEIT products are designed to be worn and repaired.

An image for FEIT's "Care and Repair" campaign promoting repair.

A cross-section of a FEIT Hand Sewn High.

Beeswax can be used to protect and keep leather supple.

FEIT Strategy

Sustainable Strategy

Our work with FEIT has given us perspective on the ideas of luxury and product pricing. FEIT is a footwear brand built on the notion that time, quality, and craft should be the driving factors in the cost of an item, not brand name. We have worked with FEIT on its uphill battle to evolve the idea of luxury into a more sustainable place. In our (humanity's) fight to become more at balance with our planet we must converse with all consumers, but no one company, organization, or person can talk to them all. In our work with FEIT we have focused on the "fashionable" and wealthy, a group that will be vital in the movement towards environmental harmony.

FEIT

Sustainable Strategy

Read More

Our work with FEIT has given us perspective on the ideas of luxury and product pricing. FEIT is a footwear brand built on the notion that time, quality, and craft should be the driving factors in the cost of an item, not brand name. We have worked with FEIT on its uphill battle to evolve the idea of luxury into a more sustainable place. In our (humanity's) fight to become more at balance with our planet we must converse with all consumers, but no one company, organization, or person can talk to them all. In our work with FEIT we have focused on the "fashionable" and wealthy, a group that will be vital in the movement towards environmental harmony.

A visual representation of both analog and digital at once.

The process of making prologue.

Japanese Gyotaku in digital space.

19 Orignal Gyotaku prints.

Capsule collection making use of Prologue graphics.

Prologue T-shirt as worn by collaborator Shelby Wauligman.

Prologue garment with fish receipt information.

Stamped labels for Prologue garments.

Prologue

Product Strategy
Prototyping
Color Design

Prologue is an apparel collection centered around the pursuit of harmony between analog and digital, two commonly opposed spaces. To illustrate the intention, the project employs Gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish printing, and photo manipulation. Each piece in Prologue utilizes a combination of contemporary bonding technologies, direct-to-garment printing, and laser cutting to add further contrast apart from the analog origin of the prints.

Prologue

Product Strategy

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Prologue is an apparel collection centered around the pursuit of harmony between analog and digital, two commonly opposed spaces. To illustrate the intention, the project employs Gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish printing, and photo manipulation. Each piece in Prologue utilizes a combination of contemporary bonding technologies, direct-to-garment printing, and laser cutting to add further contrast apart from the analog origin of the prints.

The WLA system.

Pattern development mock ups.

The cargo vest eliminates the need for a backpack.

Zip-off pants can adjust to changing weather.

Back-Tie Cap.

The WLA system in action.

Zip-off pant bottoms can be stored in compression-layer pockets.

The cover-all poncho is waterproof and see-through.

WLA sketch ideation.

What Lies Ahead

Market Insights
Prototyping
Product Design

What Lies Ahead is a brand that channels the purposefulness of evolution to create functional apparel that allows humanity to connect more deeply with nature. The project culminated in a five-piece system that is designed to work seamlessly with the wearer’s needs, causing minimal distraction from their surroundings. The system is centered around a cargo vest that eliminates the need for a backpack by more evenly distributing the weight of items commonly carried by day-hikers, integrating them more seamlessly with hiking movements and allowing for easy access. The system also features a tapered fit zip-off pant with built-in compression shorts and a cover-all poncho that is compact and waterproof and still allows the user to see their dry cargo underneath.

What Lies Ahead

Product Design

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What Lies Ahead is a brand that channels the purposefulness of evolution to create functional apparel that allows humanity to connect more deeply with nature. The project culminated in a five-piece system that is designed to work seamlessly with the wearer’s needs, causing minimal distraction from their surroundings. The system is centered around a cargo vest that eliminates the need for a backpack by more evenly distributing the weight of items commonly carried by day-hikers, integrating them more seamlessly with hiking movements and allowing for easy access. The system also features a tapered fit zip-off pant with built-in compression shorts and a cover-all poncho that is compact and waterproof and still allows the user to see their dry cargo underneath.

The reversed label is the unifying symbol for cared for and repaired garments.

The current, flawed view of consumerism (top) compared to an alternative model (bottom).

Common Label's ultimate goal is to change our current views of the clothes we own.

The Common Label exhibit at Dutch Design Week. Photo: Louisa Stickelbruck

Examples of reconstructed clothes. Design: A. Minnaard. Photo: L. Stickelbruck.

Examples of mended clothes. Design: A. Minnaard. Photo: L. Stickelbruck.

Examples of mended clothes. Design: A. Minnaard. Photo: L. Stickelbruck.

Examples of modified clothes. Design: A. Minnaard. Photo: L. Stickelbruck.

Examples of modified clothes. Design: A. Minnaard. Photo: L. Stickelbruck.

Examples of reconstructed clothes. Design: A. Minnaard. Photo: L. Stickelbruck.

Examples of modified clothes. Design: A. Minnaard. Photo: L. Stickelbruck.

The CL website; designed to clearly lay out the problem and how they are helping.

The main functions of Common Label work together to create a circular system.

Care methods fall into three distinct groups: mend, modify, and reconstruct.

Common Label

Product Strategy
Market Insights
Prototyping

Common Label is building an open-source platform of methods and tools to fight textile pollution. Almanac has worked with our friends at Precious Plastic and Earthworm Project to build the Common Label identity and platform. The initiative focuses on open-sourcing global knowledge of clothing care and repair with an intuitive platform for individuals worldwide. As part of our research to slow the creation of clothing waste though mending, modifying, and reconstructing, Common Label is working with the Or Foundation in Accra, Ghana to better understand methods of processing waste into resources. The complete platform will comprise of a library of mending techniques as well as a map (similar to that of Precious Plastic) where community members can find local resources to upcycle, repair, and ultimately dispose of their clothing.

Common Label

Product Strategy

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Common Label is building an open-sourced platform of methods and tools to fight textile pollution. Alm Projects is working with our friends at Precious Plastic and Earthworm Project to build the Common Label identity and platform. The initiative focuses on open-sourcing global knowledge of clothing care and repair with an intuitive platform for individuals worldwide. As part of our research to slow the creation of clothing waste though mending, modifying, and reconstructing, Common Label is working with the Or Foundation in Accra, Ghana to better understand methods of processing waste into resources. The complete platform will comprise of a library of mending techniques as well as a map (similar to that of Precious Plastic) where community members can find local resources to upcycle, repair, and ultimately dispose of their clothing.