Location

Losone, Switzerland

Founded

2017

Price range

€90 – €120

Shipping

Worldwide

Rafael Kouto

Independent brand — verified
About

Rafael Kouto is a Swiss upcycling and community couture label, founded in Losone, Switzerland, in 2017 by designer Rafael Kouto. Swiss with Togolese origins, he studied fashion design at FHNW-HGK in Basel, earned an MA in Fashion Matters from the Sandberg Instituut in Amsterdam, and worked at Alexander McQueen, Maison Martin Margiela, Carven and the Ethical Fashion Initiative. His gender-fluid garments have a visionary, hybrid aesthetic merging West African and Swiss culture. The label creates upcycled clothing and accessories and runs upcycling workshops with various institutions, with a particular focus on open source design and craftsmanship. Every piece is remade in Switzerland using local manufacturing and traditional, artisanal couture techniques. The brand works exclusively with pre- and post-consumer upcycling and sustainable fabrics, turning textile waste, deadstock, cotton, wool, denim and leather into new garments. Kouto won the Lotto Sport and Diesel International Talents Support Award in 2019 and the Swiss Design Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2023. The label has collaborated with Lotto Sport, Mode Suisse, the Zürich Silk Association and Bernina Switzerland, and has been featured in Vogue UK, Vogue Italia and Dazed.

Brand Details

Switzerland
Upcycled Textiles
Cotton
Wool
Denim
Leather
Last reviewed
Oct 2026
Independent brand
Verified
R
Rafael Kouto

Corrections

How we review brands

More like this

From other labels in the directory.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of clothing does Rafael Kouto make?
Rafael Kouto is a Swiss upcycling and community couture brand known for gender-fluid garments with a hybrid aesthetic merging West African and Swiss culture. It works exclusively with pre- and post-consumer upcycling and sustainable fabrics.
What products does Rafael Kouto sell?
Rafael Kouto sells upcycled clothing and accessories, and runs upcycling workshops with various institutions. It has collaborated with Lotto Sport, Mode Suisse, the Zürich Silk Association and Bernina Switzerland.
How much does Rafael Kouto cost?
Rafael Kouto is a mid-range brand, with products priced from about €90 to €120 EUR. Its online shop currently has no items listed.
Where is Rafael Kouto located?
Rafael Kouto is based in Losone, Switzerland.
Who founded Rafael Kouto?
Rafael Kouto was founded in 2017 by designer Rafael Kouto.
Who owns Rafael Kouto?
Rafael Kouto is an independent brand led by its founder, Rafael Kouto.
Where is Rafael Kouto made?
Rafael Kouto remakes all of its pieces in Switzerland using local manufacturing and traditional, artisanal couture techniques. It uses upcycled textiles, cotton, wool, denim and leather.

Ready to shop?

Visit Rafael Kouto

You May Also Like

Discover more brands you might be interested in

UNNA featured image

UNNA

Sweden · Est. 2022 · Mid-range

UNNA is a European activewear label for women and men, founded in Stockholm in 2022 by John-Ruben Holtback. Holtback previously founded the menswear label L'HOMME ROUGE, named brand of the year at Nordiska Kompaniet and a winner of the International Woolmark Prize, and created UNNA after a health scare showed him how much exercise matters for body and mind. The name is a Swedish term for treating yourself, and the brand's "Finish in a Good Place" motto puts joy and well-being ahead of performance. The collection covers running shorts, tights, sports bras, T-shirts, tanks, long-sleeve tops, jackets, trousers, hoodies, socks and accessories, combining sportswear function with fashion-led silhouettes, colours and prints. Production takes place in trusted factories within the European Union. Material science sits at the centre of product development. UNNA uses ECONYL regenerated nylon made from waste such as fishing nets, recycled polyester from PET bottles, TENCEL lyocell and modal, GOTS-certified organic cotton for all its cotton products, and RWS-certified, mulesing-free wool. Highsnobiety profiled UNNA in its Under the Radar series, presenting it as part of a new wave of "anti-performance" running brands.

The Garment featured image

The Garment

Denmark · Est. 2020 · Luxury

The Garment is a minimalist European designer clothing label for women, founded in Copenhagen in 2020 by Sophia Roe and Charlotte Eskildsen. Eskildsen, who founded the Danish brand Designers Remix, brought many years of design and craft experience, while Roe, a fashion influencer, brought a digital approach to fashion. Together they set out to make "closet heroes": the perfect suit, the white shirt, well-fitting dresses and other wardrobe staples designed outside of seasons for long-term wear. The collection covers blazers, trousers, shirts, dresses, skirts, knitwear, coats, jackets and accessories, with a focus on impeccable knitwear and precise tailoring in a monochrome palette. Clothing is made in China, and the brand's affection for vintage garments shapes collections that draw on decades of inspiration. The Garment encourages mindful buying, promoting investment in well-made, durable pieces over impulsive trends, using materials such as organic cotton, merino wool, lyocell and recycled polyester. Its first collection, Chapter One: Wall Street, launched in September 2020 at The Frankie Shop, and the brand has been featured by LuisaViaRoma's LVRSustainable. Roe stepped back from the business in 2024, and the brand continues under Eskildsen's creative direction.

SIZ featured image

SIZ

Portugal · Est. 2016 · Mid-range

SIZ is an ethical, sustainable European designer clothing label for women, founded in Sesimbra, Portugal in 2016 by twin sisters Raquel Rodrigues and Sofia Rodrigues. The sisters studied fashion together at the University of Lisbon's Faculty of Architecture and launched the brand after their internships, wanting to prove that sustainable fashion could be creative, colourful and fun. Its style pairs "clean and crafty" in an urban, casual look. The collection includes dresses, tops, shirts, trousers, skirts, jackets, jumpsuits and coordinated sets. Signature pieces include striped sets introduced in 2020 and a thin-strap summer dress reinterpreted every year. Garments are made in Portugal: the sisters design, make patterns, cut and sew in their Sesimbra atelier, working with local seamstresses in small batches produced to the rhythm of sales. Each yearly collection is built around an environmental or social cause, from climate change to ocean pollution and overconsumption. Much of the clothing uses deadstock fabrics, with organic and natural fibres used when deadstock runs short, while a take-back programme keeps garments out of landfill. SIZ has been profiled by the Portuguese magazine NiT and A Sustainable Closet, and in 2026 opened a two-month pop-up in Lisbon.

From The Labels is not officially associated with the brands, designers, or individuals mentioned on this page. Information is curated from public sources, and brand owners can update or verify their listings by contacting support@fromthelabels.com.