MEET THE FOUNDERS
WHO WE ARE
ANGELO & TINO
Born in Luxembourg, we are two brothers of Danish and Belgian nationalities who grew up in the South of France. During our upbringing, we were raised in a very environmentally conscious family. We were particularly inspired by our mother who founded TAF - The Animal Fund, a non-profit organization that acts and raises awareness on the environmental threats that the ocean and its marine species are facing. At age 17, we both moved abroad to undertake studies in fields related to sustainability. Coming fresh out of university, we started R4 in our early 20s.
OUR VALUES
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is at the core of the brand: we implement sustainable practices across the whole life cycle of our garments.
ETHICS
Ethics and sustainability go hand in hand: we ensure to be socially and ethically responsible with our suppliers and manufacturers.
AESTHETICS
Sustainable fashion should and must be as cool and trendy, if not cooler and trendier, than conventional or fast fashion.
QUALITY
We believe in quality over quantity, by creating high standard and long-lasting garments.
INCLUSION
We design unisex and timeless garments to target as wide an audience as possible - sustainable fashion should not be exclusive.
POSITIVITY
Our existence is fueled by ambition, hard work, dedication, passion, honesty, and most importantly, by a positive mindset.
THE MANIFEST
We live in a world where people are unprecedentedly disconnected from reality. 21st-century global challenges come in numbers: climate change, food insecurity, public health, inequality, conflict - the list goes on. Whilst every era undergoes turbulence, it seems as if we are facing an environmental crisis that will lead to a world end. Whether it be the world’s sixth mass extinction, oceans filled with plastic, or [any catastrophe, really], the planet and its every living being are essentially f***ed.
Coming out of university having studied various fields of sustainability, we ask ourselves: how can we make an impact as efficiently as possible? We learn about the top industries damaging the planet - fashion ranks in the top 4 along with energy, transport, and agriculture. Renewable energies, electric transport, and a change in diets are now well underway - but sustainable fashion is still lagging. The magnitude of the problem is enormous, but there’s another problem: no one f***ing knows about it.
We are a sustainable clothing brand aiming to rebuild lost connections between people, nature, and fashion. First and foremost, we want you to know why what we are doing is important. People can’t exist without nature. Fashion is currently damaging nature. People wear fashion. And so, we want to educate on the importance of sustainability in fashion, for the planet, and for you. We want to give meaning to your clothes: in a world where we’ve become so disconnected from one another, your appearance reflects who you are - you are what you wear.
We aspire to create sustainable wardrobe essentials, for all. We aim to implement sustainability across the whole life cycle of our garments. The variety of fabrics allows to demonstrate the beauty and diversity of sustainable fashion, and enables you to select that which suits you best while following you through the seasons. Designed to be unisex, minimalistic, and trendy, our collections are crafted to be all-inclusive and used for any occasion.
We want to challenge the status quo. We want to become pioneers of ambitious change, disrupting the currently flawed fast-fashion industry. We want to stimulate current and future generations and inspire you to make a change. We don’t ask you to buy less, wear the same, or become a radical minimalist - or anything really. We exist because we want to give you the opportunity and a choice to do better.
We endeavour to build a movement with a community of sustainable actors. We value the strength in diversity, and therefore, welcome anyone who understands and appreciates our purpose, mission, and values. In a world of crises, we see opportunity. We don’t believe in entitlement, but in accomplishment stemming from dedication, hard work, passion, and honesty. We want to take pride in what we create.
We dream of becoming a leading educational institution for the normalisation of sustainability in the fashion industry. Whether you like it or not, sustainability is the future. Change is happening across all sectors - and we are tackling fashion. New technologies are on the rise, and countless opportunities are yet to be explored. If we can make sustainable fashion a standard, we believe the world will be a better place.
We are R4, a sustainable clothing brand that will always be about people and nature. We continuously strive to become better, providing transparency along our journey. We want to spread our movement across the continents and inspire all generations with our spirit. We want to be known for challenging the status quo and for being a leader in the transition to sustainable fashion.
ANGELO & TINO - CO-FOUNDERS OF R4