CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Chi Lan Ha’s passion for sustainable products started when she realized the fashion industry’s impact on the environment.
“The fashion industry produces billions of clothing every year and throws away a lot of them as well.”
She wanted to do something about it.
Chi was convinced there was a market for eco-friendly, sustainable and ethically-made products in Charlottetown when she first moved to the province a year ago.
A friend of her family in Vietnam has a children’s clothing brand with products using eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, fibre trees and oak trees. Chi decided to bring the line here.
“All of our materials are sustainable and are not harmful to the environment. This clothing brand is exported to Japan and has gained lots of successes, so we thought, why don’t we bring it here and introduce it to everyone,” she said.
She and her family opened Haki Apparel and Accessories at 169 Great George St. in Charlottetown in September.
Haki carries a range of bamboo and rattan home decors, handmade handbags made from wild grass, and especially children's clothing, Chi said.
“Our children's clothing is well-known for its eco-friendly materials, including bamboo, bamboo-cotton, modal and melange cotton. The final products are breathable, soft and comfortable, promises to protect the baby’s health with additional thermo control and UV protection for all seasons.”
Last week, Haki launched a seasonal campaign called Sustainable Thanksgiving, promoting the shop's wild grass straws and table mats to replace plastic goods.
“We have received lots of good feedback.”
The store is looking to import more festive and sustainable designs for Christmas, she said.
“People can use our products as Christmas gifts. We’ll also have many cute holiday design baby clothing, so why not dress the baby up for some adorable photo shoots,” she laughed.
Customer Camellia Nguyen loves the grass tote bags.
“It fits all of my everyday necessities and looks stylish, yet 100 per cent eco-friendly.”
Haki has quickly become her go-to place when she looks for a gift, she said.
“What I got there never failed to impress the receivers. I can’t wait to grab more stuff for Christmas.”
Lan Chi Ha is the co-owner of Haki.
Maintaining sustainability and providing customers with a good experience are the brand’s primary goals, Lan said.
“We are proud of how far we have gotten, with lots of baby clothes and accessories orders, as well as positive feedbacks about our home decors.”
People are becoming more aware of environmental sustainability, she said.
“More and more people are finding a way to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. Our brand is happy to contribute a good line of products that are friendly to the environment.”
