Founded by Maria Borromeo, ClHu launched earlier this month to cater to the Gen Z audience. The purpose of the brand is to answer “What can a brand be today beyond the products it creates?”

“This generation is so absolutely free. And this freedom exists in a way that isn’t rebellious. It’s just inherently who they are,” explained Maria Borromeo. “There’s an acceptance and a fluidity to their language that is awe-inspiring to witness as a parent. I wanted to build a brand that represents the best of this; that removes the labeling and restrictive language around gender and sizing and allows this generation to continue to exist and grow; to just be”

ClHu, an acronym for Clothes for Humans and pronounced “clue,” is an all-gender, direct to consumer brand and resale platform. It aims to inform the new generation of consumers on ways to consume in a better and smarter manner, creating a universe that aims to tear down the fast fashion culture of throwing pieces away. The platform allows communication, content sharing, tracing the entire lifecycle of your garments, and to continue the life of goods with re-commerce.

Created with community and storytelling at its core, it also focuses on connecting a generation with the pieces they are wearing and is dedicated to sharing the message that being yourself is 100% ok, advocating for radical inclusivity and self-expression.

To cater to real user needs and wants, the brand has worked with SharpEnd, a connected clothing specialist, in order to bring pieces to life. This led to the integration of digital experiences through the use of QR codes. Each piece has its own individual ID, and once scanned the QR code leads customers to the beginning of their ClHu journey. Here they can add content and incorporate their own story within the digital history of each piece.

This opens up a direct line between the brand and customers. It also adds value to the piece and promotes its use, since when it goes to be resold the next wearer can learn about the life the piece has already had. It can also be a great way to gather inspiration on how to wear the piece. Finding new ways to style it can inspire shoppers to wear it more often and in multiple different ways, helping sustain the longevity of the piece in their wardrobe.

“It’s been a fun journey to work with Maria and the team, placing connected experience at the heart of ClHu,” explained Cameron Worth, founder of SharpEnd, about the connected experience. “Being led by experience makes a big difference to a ‘tech first’ approach and ends up with a more meaningful, impactful and rewarding engagement with users. We’re proud to support ClHu in bringing products to life in a way that starts with product scan and goes on forever – with content, memories and services that celebrate circularity and community.”

To help customers part with their pieces once they no longer serve them, ClHu has incorporated a peer-to-peer resale platform, ClHu Redo, within its universe. This system gives buyers the opportunity to acquire pre-owned items and one-of-a-kind pieces from previous ClHu collections. The transactions are carried out directly between members and provide credit for their next ClHu purchase.

When developing the collection the brand focused on quality in order to appeal to reduced consumption. It also re-imagined the traditional sizing system, swapping numbered sizing for a color-based sizing method. With this move, the brand aims to eliminate gender and body expectations simultaneously.

The collection launched with seven color-coded sizes that range from a typical youth 10/12 to an adult XXL. The brand’s pieces have no indication on them of traditional sizing, which allows customers to approach buying the clothing based on how they want the piece to fit rather than the size they think they’re supposed to be.

While the clothing is mostly made from cotton, which no one is claiming to be the epitome of sustainable practices, the motivation with which the team at ClHu approached the development of the brand’s whole universe is a great example of how sustainability can be approached in more than one way.

Focusing on the long-term impact of the products you’re developing as a brand is a fundamental aspect of considering the sustainable impact they have. By creating a dedicated system that makes the process of re-homing pieces easier for the consumer, the brand has increased the probability of pieces having a longer, more valuable life through this process as opposed to simply being disposed of.

Head over to ClHu.com to shop the inaugural collection now.