Meet CARCEL: The Danish Fashion Brand Revolutionizing The Future Of Retail

In the past couple of years, sustainability has had a huge impact in the fashion industry. Several brands come up with different solutions to make their products more eco-friendly. From designing collections out of recycled garments, to introducing a sustainability committee in their business model, we have seen everything. But no company has nailed environmental responsibility like CARCEL. The Danish label offers a new vision for the future of retail, a future where fashion is no longer as we know it. But better.

“Through this eco-friendly and socially responsible approach, the Danish label brings transparent and unique ideas to an industry that seems to move backwards instead of forwards.”

Founded by Veronica D’Souza and Louise Van Hauen in 2016, CARCEL is not your typical clothing company. Although their design team is located in Denmark, their manufacture department is spread out in Thailand and Peru, where it’s handled by imprisoned women, who are mostly single moms incarcerated for poverty-related crimes . Employees are offered training and support to rebuild their lives, and get the chance to have a better and brighter future to support their families. Additionally, each piece of clothing is crafted from locally sourced natural materials–such as silk and alpaca fur– prioritising long-lasting quality, as well as environmental responsibility. Through this eco-friendly and socially responsible approach, the Danish label brings transparent and unique ideas into an industry that seems to move backwards instead of forwards.

CARCEL’s ScanShop launch at Wood Wood in Copenhagen, Denmark

But CARCEL’s empowering plans do not stop there. ScanShop is CARCEL’s latest innovation which tackles the waste, overproduction and inefficiency of clothing pieces that is quite present in the fashion industry. A new mobile shop system built without stock, seasons, and sales. The concept is simple and clear: customers have to scan the QR code of the item that they are interested in with their phone camera, pick a size and a colour of their preference, and buy it directly online. Free same day delivery is available. And that’s it! A new future for retail that breaks the big contrasts of current fashion brands. CARCEL’s first intuitive collection can be found at Wood Wood– a contemporary fashion and lifestyle brand that is based in Copenhagen– but will hopefully expand and become accessible in other retailers, providing a convenient and safe fashion experience to all fashion enthusiasts.

Growing up in a world that is dominated by powerful commercial industries, it is very easy to be fooled by the idea that “more is better”. That is how the majority of us end up spending hundreds of dollars on fast fashion pieces that will most likely last only a year. Unfortunately, the concept of buying sustainable clothes is still quite “niche”. The majority of fashion consumers tend to opt for brands that offer cheaper prices, completely ignoring the fact that they still contribute to the degradation of the environment, as well as the exploitation of innocent workers. Building a wardrobe that completely matches your identity, and that is full of beautiful long lasting, sustainable pieces, sounds like a dream. And thanks to CARCEL, it can come true.

I believe that the introduction of CARCEL’s ScanShop is just the beginning of an efficient, eco-conscious system, that will save the fashion industry from the overproduction of goods that still dominates the majority companies. It will help fast-fashion-obsessed consumers realise that the beauty behind fashion is not about buying pieces in bulk, but being mindful about them and their production. I am looking forward to seeing retailers carry the same idea that CARCEL does; providing smart and convenient shopping experiences to their consumers. A new future for retail.

In order to discover more about CARCEL and their story, visit their website here.