FIRESIDE CHAT SERIES EP.2

Kitty: Today I am having a virtual chat with Kiril, co-founder of the recycled down outwear brand Faculty. Hi Kiril, great to chat with you, how do you feel today?
Kiril:  Hi Kitty, I feel great, thanks. Excited to tell you more about our brand. 

KItty: Now, tell me why you name your brand Faculty?
Kiril: Sure, when we say ‘faculty’ we refer to the “powers of the mind”. People exercise the power of their minds daily to make a difference in the world - whether this is making informed choices, getting things done, or designing amazing products. So in 2019, when we launched Faculty, we started off with a vision to create outerwear that empowers people’s faculties and their daily pursuits. For us, this means protecting them from inclement weather and helping them navigate city microclimates while looking good and feeling good about the choice they're making.

Recycled down is down that was collected from products on their way to the landfill – it’s post-consumer “waste”. But because down is very durable and quite expensive, it makes absolutely no sense to throw it away.

Shop Faculty here

Kitty: To be honest, I only discovered recycled down until I bumped into your brand. What has inspired you to develop your product in this material?
Kiril: That’s a great question because we love to talk about recycled down. First, from a performance point of view, down, which is the very fine feathers coming from geese and duck, is the best insulation material we know of - it’s very light and breathable and is perfect for cold weather protection and when transitioning into and out of environments with different temperatures, as you would if you live in a city during the winter. Now, recycled down is down that was collected from products on their way to the landfill – it’s post-consumer “waste”. But because down is very durable and quite expensive, it makes absolutely no sense to throw it away. So when sourcing down for our products, we explicitly required that we only use recycled down, as it is the right thing to do. We’re working with an amazing partner based in Lugo, Italy that has been in the down industry for over a century. They meticulously collect the down from used products, wash it, sanitize it and make it available to brands such as Faculty. And our responsibility is to give this precious material a second life in our products. 

​Our puffer has seven pockets and our parka has nine pockets, which you can use to organize anything from your phone to your cold-weather accessories like beanies and lip balm.

Kitty: And thanks to the puffer, I survived the cold weeks in Hong Kong for the last two weeks! It keeps me so warm and it is so light to carry it around. I love the tote bag that came with it as well, so that I can store my jacket whenever I don’t need to put it on. What I love the most is, of course, the pockets! What was the story behind the design of the puffer jacket? 
Kiril: We actually spent a lot of time conducting user research and interviewing people living in cities such as Seattle, New York, London, and Copenhagen, and one thing we kept hearing was how important pockets were when it comes to outerwear. People love pockets on their jackets because carrying stuff around in the winter can be challenging when you’re already wearing layers of clothes on you. So we thought, how might we add a lot of functional pockets to our products, but without sacrificing the minimal aesthetic we were going for? So what you see now is our solution. Our puffer has seven pockets and our parka has nine pockets, which you can use to organize anything from your phone to your cold-weather accessories like beanies and lip balm. We even added a detachable pocket so you can take your valuables on-the-go when checking in your jacket or hanging it at the bar. 

Kitty: Tell me a secret about the brand.
Kiril: Sure, probably not many people know, but we call our puffer the EQ Puffer and our parka the AQ Parka. These names come from the emotional quotient and adversity quotient, respectively. EQ because we value faculties such as self-awareness, self-confidence, and human connection, and AQ because the adversity quotient measures human resilience, or our ability to cope with challenges. We hope our products help people connect in new ways and persevere through whatever challenges come their way. 

​We hope our products help people connect in new ways and persevere through whatever challenges come their way.

Shop Faculty here

Kitty: Yesterday I read on an article about puffer material on Good On You, they raised a concern on biodegradability of the recycled polyester outer material. Just wondering if you guys will go even further to fix or recycle the puffer?
Kiril: That's a great point. Yes, we're looking into ways of how we can work with our products from an end of life perspective. In the past, we partnered with a charity in NYC to collect and donate old coats to the homeless, so that's one direction. Recycling the products is still hard, but there are some promising solutions in the market that are being developed. So we're tracking those too.

Kitty: Anything else you would like to tell us today?
Kiril: Thanks for wearing our puffer! We love what you’re doing as an advocate for conciencies choices and sustainable brands. Stay warm! ​

Shop Faculty here