Costo is a combination of experience in handicrafts and materials, a vision of style and a strive for ecological, lasting solutions. All of this is wrapped up in an all-encompassing idea of quality, which guides everything we do.
Our Story
Costo is a creation of three Finnish designers combining their visions and skills to make something new and unprecedented in the field of design. We started in 2006, in a basement room, with lots of passion, but not much money to mention. Previously we had studied fashion, design and handicrafts. With nothing much to create from, we started to buy industrial leftover materials to ease our appetite for creating environmentally sustainable and good-looking designs. The concept proved worthy, and we started retailing and opened our own webstore in 2008. Today, after 10-years in business, the first Costo Concept Store was opened at Yrjönkatu 34, Helsinki Finland.
Products & Sustainability
Costo products combine three important aspects: quality, ecology and style. All of them have to be of the best caliber. Our demands are based on proper skills in handicrafts, that being the whole basis of our design. This knowledge enables us to master the whole production process so that the quality of production is always in control. Using the leftover materials we make sure our products do not add up to deplete natural resources. Inspired by our adventures to Papua during 2007, we have named all our products after Papuan islands, tribes & towns.
We strive to make timeless products that stay fashionable regardless the period in question. As well as we do not pigeonhole time into narrow trends and seasons, we also do not segment people into narrow genres and age groups. It goes against the prevailing throw-away-mentality, where things are made only for a moment´s pleasure. Costo is not a servant to any genre or time. We strive for style without borders. For us at Costo, style, ecology and lasting quality go hand in hand.
Kombai was named after the tribe we met during our travels in West Papua
Fakfak was one of the first duffel bag designs.
Bowtie made of 100% Recycled Denim & fishskin
Handcrafted collection celebrates Costo 10th Year Anniversary.
Handcrafted leather wallet
Costo x Johanna Gullichsen 7-panel cap
Materials
The fabrics & leathers we use are truly particular. Not only in quality and style, but also because we are committed to make ecological decisions. This is how: we search and buy carefully selected small leftover quantities of branded, European design fabrics & leathers from companies that serve furniture and fashion industry, to name a few.
We use only mulesing free South African merino wool by Filivivi. The organic cotton by Gebrueder Otto is GOTS-certified. All of our yarn suppliers comply with ISO standards and have the Ökotex certificate.
The fabric of your Costo item is not used before you wear it, but it would all the same end up in trash without companies like us. Not only is this all ecological, and very inspiring to work with, this also enables us to make very small series of hats, and keep our collections fresh without being fast fashion.
Fabric from Europe's leading design textile manufacturer Kvadrat
Fabric from Finnish textile designer, Johanna Gullichsen
100% Recyled Denim from Pure Waste Textiles
Locality & Production
We personally know who sews your Costo, and for all the prototype models, we make them ourselves. We want to keep the production as local as possible. Our products are manufactured in Finland and in Estonia (80 km from Helsinki) in respected factories. All the materials come from within EU, mostly from Finland, Denmark and Italy.
