KuSan is a knitted hat and accessories brand with the philosophy - 100% wool, 100% designed, 100% handmade in Nepal. KuSan joined MADEBY in January 2010.

Social Conditions in Factories
In 2010 KuSan and MADE-BY started a social improvement project with their key supplier in Nepal. The aim was to improve working conditions and to get the factory socially certified. Areas of focus included: health & safety, hours and wages. This has been a major challenge in Nepal in the context of political turmoil, widespread poverty and regular power outages. As many of the accessories are hand-knitted outside of the factory, KuSan has also developed a project with a local charity HBWCSN to organise 400 homeworkers into cooperatives, improve pay and raise awareness of their rights.

Environmental Impact of Raw Materials
All KuSan’s accessories are made with New Zealand wool and some product lines have polyester linings. In 2010, KuSan explored the possibility of including some recycled wool and recycled polyester in their collection for Winter 2011-12. This is a challenge due to the cost of recycled fabrics in a period when the commodity price for wool was at a 20 year high and the need for the factory to keep the recycled product segregated from the rest of the fabrics. KuSan remains committed to finding a way to include recycled fibres in their collection. Recycled wool is in the design samples for 2011-12.