"Don't do storytelling, be the story".

We want to prove that it is possible to produce a high-quality towel and add value to the environment at the same time. This is the core of the philosophy of Kushel, a young company that produces towels, bathrobes, blankets and pillows from wood fibre and wants to conquer the home and interior market in a sustainable way.

In the beginning, however, the three company founders Mattias Weser, Jim and John Tichatschek focused on something completely different. Products played a secondary role. The focus in brand building for their company was to be sustainability. The products used to achieve this were not important at first. The company’s purpose was exclusively about making a positive difference and appealing to customers on a broad basis. That’s how the three founders came up with towels as the core product. Because everyone needs and uses them every day. They are used all year round and are relatively independent of rapidly changing fashions. In addition, towels are predestined for online trade.

Doing good as the new standard

The sustainability goal of the three founders is firmly anchored in the DNA of the company. Kushel sees itself as the world’s first climate- and resource-positive textile brand. The brand essence is about doing good and thus setting a new standard in the textile industry.

Once the product was found, the next step was to find the best material for its production. After intensive research and interviews with experts, the decision was made in favour of the wood fibre TENCEL™. Wood fibres are particularly soft and absorbent and are therefore well suited for interior and home products.

The wood for the textile fibers comes exclusively from certified sustainable forestry. The copper beech trees from which the Kushel products are produced grow without the use of fertilisers, pesticides or artificial irrigation. All trees are certified or inspected according to the standards of the FSC.

Wood as the core of the sustainability strategy

More than half of the Kushel trees come from Austrian forests, the rest from neighbouring countries in Central Europe. To guarantee short transport distances, the forests in Austria are located no further than 500 kilometres from the production site in Lenzing. The Lenzing company of the same name processes the trees into textile fibres. In a chlorine-free, integrated process, in which a large part of the chemicals required are reused and which causes very low emissions, the wood fibres are produced, which in the material mix with organic cotton then become the cosy end products.

Kushel plants two trees for every towel sold. In this way, the company succeeds in creating more resources than it consumes. Over 200,000 trees have already been planted and more are being planted every day. By additionally offsetting CO2 emissions, low water consumption in production and extensive sourcing of sustainable materials, Kushel is becoming the world’s first climate- and resource-positive textile brand.

Committed to entrepreneurship

Kushel is certified as a B Corporation and is committed to social value and environmental sustainability in its corporate bylaws. The international movement of B Corporations connects companies on their way to a responsible future of business. For today, it is especially important for sustainable brands to communicate their corporate values and goals transparently. Kushel explains this with the simple phrase: “Don’t do storytelling, be the story.” This makes a brand sexy and the products distinctive. And that increases customer loyalty, because real values are more in demand among consumers today than ever before.

Image: Kushel