About us
(Plese scroll down for the english version)
Yo Digga - Hi mein Freund, wie gehts? / Hi Buddy what’s up?
Quality and Style driven by passion - Profit made for Social Impact
Yo Digga - Hi my friend, how are you? / Hi Buddy what's up?
Quality and Style driven by passion - Profit made for Social Impact
The Yo Digga Fashion Story was created during the Corona Lockdown in fall 2020, initially as a father-son project idea for a cool 8 year old student who wanted to turn his own shirt ideas into reality. And while he was choosing fabrics, colors, the logo, and accessories, he also wanted to know how the shirts were made. This led to long discussions with his father about design and the variety of models.
But then he asked other questions: about the entire life cycle of clothing and materials and also about social standards, including production, sustainability, social society and working conditions. Okay, he had phrased this a bit kids-liker, but meant it no less seriously. He wanted to learn more about all this and give the shirts to other kids as well.
His mother was not only a wonderful first supporter of this project, but encouraged him to keep at it. When asked what he would call such a product, he immediately came up with "Yo Digga," spontaneously posing as the logo stands today. With the photo we went to a graphic designer and told her about our lockdown project. The designer doubted at first, because she wasn't sure if it was just a fix idea, but she was enthusiastic about it.
Two weeks later, today's logo was ready. Thank you, dear Nicola, great job. Luka wanted a short-sleeve and a long-sleeve T-shirt, a hoodie, a jacket and a cap. No sooner said than done and the joint search for material, colors and manufacturer began. The goal was to have some shirts produced as their own cool clothing series. Nothing more. For personal use. A quick look at father Guido and soon it was clear that he also had to have a series produced. The lockdown freed up time for research and found the Diggas the GOTS standard.
The GOTS is a textile seal, with which since 2008 such products can be marked, whose entire production meets certain ecological and social standards. At the very least, the criteria of the International Labor Organization (ILO) must be met. This means no child- or forced-labor, the payment of customary minimum wages and acceptable working conditions such as occupational health and safety measures. From an environmental point of view, at least 90% of the textile fibers used must be made from so-called natural fibers, of which at least 70% must come from organic cultivation. The majority of the clothing is only from sustainable operating manufacturers and is to be gradually increased to 100%, from A to Z.
Interesting were the first inquiries with manufacturers: the story was smiled at, the inquired quantity was dismissed as a waste of time, as a disturbing, yes obviously a fix idea. The father was able to gather impulses thanks to some advisors. After several, partly strange and unfriendly experiences as a naive fashion start-up team, the search was successful after all, although very bumpy. Only the way was not as short as described here. Only taken seriously by the first friendly little manufacturing partner, we have then nevertheless a first series of 200 (!) pieces made. Way too many, as it quickly turned out. Of course, we also found something cool for the wonderful mom and ordered as a surprise.
Of course we embroidered, that not only looks nicer, it also is higher quality. Only the embroidery price... well... what can we say? Learning-phase. So we included embroidery and printing in the offer. The pieces arrived and the student was thrilled to have his own fashion line. Beautiful fabrics, great colors, nice style. Mom and Dad were also exctied with "their stuff". Was that it? Nope. After the student had given shirts to some friends, we got a great feedback and it was clear to us: we start a company. The "Familien GbR" was born. Only: The effort became bigger and a father-son-mother project got bigger and the need for support grew as well.
A company was born, a real supply chain was designed and a team was tuned into a successful implementation.
A brand was born.
With Rico Pospiech and Tina Eisner from Druckstoff in Hamburg, we found a great partner which liked the story, wich clearly and honestly put their ideas into practice, and which became a suitable starting partner. Thank you both.
And the best for the end:
The idea of Social Impact: After the project became a company, it was quickly clear to the "founder" and the team that with our profit we want to initiate and accompany social projects. To the question of the "founder" why we won‘t donate the whole companies' profit, there was only one spontaneous answer: then let's do it that way. In short: Yo Digga donates all it‘s companies' profit to social projects for children. Our customers are invited to send in project ideas and thru this have the chance to direct the donations.
A brand was born, a social star was set.
Thank you.... dear Nicola Hieber for the great collaboration for the logo. Thanks to Michael Kamm from Triumph and Peter Reinschmidt from Hyphen for your time and advice, which was more valuable than you think, and to Hans "Hacky" Merten for editing our texts.
Yo Digga - Your Team