Sustainable Fabrics

FABRICS

FABRICS

'QUALITY AND CONSCIOUS CHOICES MAKE A DIFFERENCE '

The choice of fabrics for a new collection involves a complex process and a constant balancing between different sustainability
aspects such as blended fabrics’ characteristics vs. recyclability, the footprint of natural vs. synthetic fabrics, and many more.

We focus on lower-impact materials made from sustainably grown fibre crops and recycled materials. We seek to increase the share of sustainable fabrics continuously. Our Preferred Fibres and Materials Standard guides us on this journey.

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ON FOREST DERIVED FABRICS

Many of our beloved fabrics such as viscose, modal, lyocell and acetate, are actually made from wood pulp, bamboo or cotton linters. We are fully aware of the major impacts they can have on the world's forests as well as the risks posed by the chemicals used in their manufacturing process. Yet, these cellulose-based fabrics can be produced in a responsible way and we are strongly committed to doing our part to shape the industry towards this goal. Therefore, we joined the Canopy Style initiative. Together with the Canadian forest protection organisation Canopy, we developed our Forest Derived Materials Policy.

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FABRIC SUPPLIERS

In order to produce garments of the highest quality with the least impact on the environment, we choose fabric suppliers that match our high standards. Our fabrics are produced in Italy, Turkey, Portugal and China. We’ve been working with many of the leading European suppliers from day one and are proud of the relationships we’ve built with them throughout the years.

ANIMAL WELFARE

It is never acceptable to harm animals for the manufacturing of products. We are strongly committed to the internationally recognised Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare.  

Our most used animal-derived fibre is wool, which is 100% mulesing-free. We have been fur-free from the beginning, and we are a proud member of the Fur Free Alliance. We also never use angora, exotic animal skins, down, feathers, pashmina, llama, shashtoosh, karakul, vicuna, bone and coral, and do not allow any materials that are derived from vulnerable or endangered species. We have never used any mohair in our collections and are glad to see that the market reacted to the troubling animal welfare NGO reports surrounding Angora goat farms of the past years.  

Leather is a tricky one and we had some heated discussion about it. On the one hand it is a highly durable and long-lasting material and develops a fine patina over time. With the right care, it can last a lifetime and be passed on to the next generation. On the other hand it is linked to the meat industry and the tanning process involves a lot of hazardous and damaging chemicals. We only use chrome-free tanned leather that we can trace back along the supply chain through to the farm region, that is a by-product from meat production and from a tannery with a Leather Working Group (LWG) certificate. 

We've used very little alpaca in our collections so far. Most of the world’s alpaca comes from Peru where the animals live free-range usually belonging to smallholders. Alpaca is considered to have a lower environmental footprint than other wool fibres because alpaca have padded feet (not hooves) that are gentle to the soil, they do not damage root systems when grazing, and require less water and food. Alpaca fibre does not contain lanolin or grease and therefore does not need chemical baths to remove it.

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