The Story of Valdone Au
The 21st century can be described as an era in which human activity has the biggest impact on the whole planet. Mass consumption, the way we produce and discard items in most cases negatively affects the environment and people. For example, enormous amounts of toxic chemicals are being used in textile factories to dye cloth, which then pollutes the local ecosystems and subsequently, every one of us. Furthermore, people are still being exploited in manufacturing companies strategically located in third world countries. Fast – fashion items end up in landfills sometimes sooner than after one season, which makes the fashion industry the second largest polluter in the world after the oil industry.
‘Fashion shouldn’t cost the earth’
– Mary Creagh
Fashion should not cost people’s well-being either.
The problems listed above sparked the idea of creating a completely different business model, based on key values such as social equality and transparency, and would exploit nothing and nobody.
‘Fashion shouldn’t cost the earth’
– Mary Creagh
The RGU Accelerator Programme
The co-founder and Creative Director, Valdone Auksoriute graduated in Fashion Design from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, in 2019. Valdone developed her own design aesthetic based on a minimalistic and timeless look. While collaborating with a communication designer and fashion photographer Kajetan Swiecki, together they came up with an idea for a sustainable fashion brand. The business plan got shortlisted for the RGU Start Up Accelerator Programme, where the initial proposition came to fruition.
‘TO FOCUS ON BUILDING GRADUATE COLLECTION, WRITING MY DISSERTATION, AND DEVELOPING BUSINESS WHILE WORKING PART-TIME WAS VERY CHALLENGING. NEVERTHELESS, I WOULD ALWAYS REMIND MYSELF THAT I AM WORKING FOR A REASON AND THAT IT WILL PAY OFF IN THE END. I MUST ADMIT THAT THE ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME WAS ONE OF THE MOST BENEFICIAL PARTS OF MY STUDIES.’
–V. AUKSORIUTE
The Accelerator Programme provided VALDONE Au with a Start-Up grant, mentoring, evening and weekend workshops, which covered a huge variety of entrepreneurship subjects: from legal, finance, to marketing, storytelling and social media workshops, and many more. This helped the team to refine the idea and start developing the brand.
The hard work paid off. Valdone finished her academic year with the 1st degree certificate in (BA Hons) Fashion and Textiles Design and a registered Limited company in the same same year.
‘The most important aspect of the RGU Accelerator Programme was the mentorship. We have received a lot of valuable advice from our mentor Sally Charles, which we could not thank her enough for. Sally has been more than just a mentor to us. She would always find the time in her busy schedule and walk that extra mile to answer our questions and share a great deal of insight. Her knowledge and expertise would always help to move our ideas forward.’
– The Founders
Sustainable Luxury Fashion
Understanding the problem of waste in the fashion industry and the unsustainable way in which the majority of fashion brands work, the founders came up with a unique business idea.
Lithuanian born fashion designer Valdone Auksoriute and Polish designer and fashion photographer- Kajetan Swiecki founded VALDONE Au Limited in July 2019.
While focussing on slow couture fashion, making made-to-measure garments after the order is placed, the brand promotes a different approach to fashion focussed on timelessness and craftsmanship.
‘We offer the exclusive service of Made-To-Measure Couture garments which are designed and hand-crafted in our atelier. This allows us the full flexibility in terms of fulfilling every client’s needs. We are able to easily adjust the size, customise or design a fully bespoke garment for an individual if requested.’
– Valdone Auksoriute
‘Be one of a kind, then one in a million’
– Anonymous