Innovation

Funyi revolutionises the fashion industry by creating sustainable and ethical products, including hats, pilusos, bags, tote bags and backpacks. Using recycled materials such as cotton and polyester, the company reduces the environmental impact of the textile industry. Funyi is distinguished by its collaboration with worker cooperatives, promoting fair trade and providing dignified employment to vulnerable sectors. This combination of high quality products, sustainable practices and social commitment redefines the way we produce and consume fashion.

Funyi's impact is significant. At the business level, it has positioned itself as a sustainable fashion brand, attracting conscious consumers and enhancing its reputation.

On a social level, in addition to generating decent employment, Funyi develops and offers training for the people and communities it works with, empowering their capacities and promoting a more equitable economic environment.

From an environmental perspective, by using recycled materials and promoting the circular economy, Funyi contributes to reducing textile waste and saving resources, reducing the negative impact of fashion on the environment.

Inspiration

As Juan Pablo said, "Funyi was born because with Diego, my partner, we wanted to set up a project that had a deeper meaning: to set up a company that could collaborate in some way with society, with the environment, and that at the same time could be profitable. That's why we thought of B Corp from the beginning. We want to generate profits, yes, but we also want to be conscious, to take care of the people who work with us, to have a regenerative look at our relationship with the environment, and an active and collaborative look at our social impact as a company. We started to think about all of Funyi's processes in order to be certified as a company that has these values from the beginning. Diego had a lot of experience in the textile world and production, and after having done many things in an unsustainable way, we decided to do a project together that could generate impact, that could make a difference. "

The name Funyi is related to their previous work, the manufacture of hats and, in turn, with a meaning related to the world of mushrooms. Their growth model depends on collaborative work with other actors such as cooperatives and the development of networks, as is the case with mycelium. The founders think of the organization as a network of invisible connections, which encompasses interpersonal relationships and how the economic production model is thought of in terms of the protection of ecosystems and the social groups involved.

Overall impact

The short to long term effects that Funyi generates are varied and apply to different economic, social and environmental aspects.

To begin with, Funyi is a 100% national brand (Argentinean industry). Its entire production circuit, from the elaboration of recycled fibres to the manufacturing and production of its garments, is in Argentinean territory, minimizing the carbon footprint and favoring local economic development.

It produces fashion accessories with recycled cotton and polyester fibers generated from waste to be subsequently recycled. This results in the reduction of textile waste generated in the industry and favors a more circular production ecosystem.

Funyi generates decent work, in a country where unfortunately it is very common for the fashion industry to be based on clandestine workshops and precarious jobs. Working with registered cooperatives generates decent work in vulnerable sectors, allowing people to access formal, registered work in decent conditions, but above all in a transparent manner.

Finally, economic profit is also important for this enterprise to be sustainable. With more than two years on the market, Funyi has shown itself to be a brand that, with a triple impact approach, can reach conscious consumers and customers.

Business benefit

Dedicated to producing fashion accessories with discarded and recycled material, it usually creates its designs from the pieces it obtains, so the different products it makes are adapted to the elements that are available. This innovation has allowed Funyi to position itself as a responsible and sustainable fashion brand, differentiating itself in the market and attracting consumers who are conscious of the environmental and social impact of their purchases.

Thanks to the commitment shown by the company, its vision and its predisposition to make its way of working visible, either through networks or through visits to the cooperative, the network of clients is progressively increasing, which allows them to increase their production, and with it, to look for new cooperatives with which to collaborate. In this way they train more workers and ensure better working conditions, giving dignity to the work they do. This approach has enhanced the company's reputation and strengthens its business model based on sustainability and social responsibility.

Social and environmental benefit

Funyi has its entire production circuit, from the development of recycled fibres, to the manufacture and production of its garments in Argentina, which minimises its carbon footprint.

At the same time, following the circular economy model, it takes advantage of discarded material and, with a very small addition of polyester, transforms it into fashion accessories. In this way, they contribute to reducing textile waste and saving natural resources, greatly reducing the negative impact of the fashion industry on the environment.

Furthermore, by including worker cooperatives in their production chain, they promote the reduction of inequalities among workers and decent employment. They create an equitable working community, bringing workers out of the underground and giving them dignity. By empowering people from vulnerable communities, they enable them to improve their living conditions.

Finally, we consider that this is an industry that involves mostly women, many of them mothers, for whom the cooperative model of work allows them to achieve an optimal work-life balance. By choosing to work with cooperatives made up mostly of women, Funyi is able to make a difference in terms of gender equality in the textile industry.

Interview

Juan Pablo Trzenko, Founder