Our materials
The choice of materials used in the design of a collection is crucial in reducing the impact on the environment. Indeed, the materials used in the clothes we wear are water and energy intensive and require extensive processing which may involve the use of chemicals.
In order to produce responsible, stylish and beautiful clothing, we select our materials according to several criteria and categories.
Surplus fabrics
Using existing resources avoids the production of new fabrics, consuming raw materials, pollutants and a lot of energy.
Thousands of metres of fabric are put aside each year by brands because they are ordered in larger quantities than necessary, cancelled in collections or slightly imperfect.
Valuing these dormant stocks reduces the waste generated by the fashion industry and the environmental impact of overproduction.
What we love about it
Limited quantities of fabric also mean limited editions and therefore the assurance of not wearing the same thing as hundreds of people. A 25m roll of a sublime camel wool sheet will only produce 8 coats, a limited edition that we will not be able to reproduce in the same material.
Hand weaving
Hand weaving is an ancestral skill in India. It is also an endangered activity in the face of faster and cheaper industrial production, which is destroying the handicraft market and the many jobs that go with it. Using handloom is a way of encouraging craftsmanship and preserving this know-how. It also shows solidarity by supporting the employment of thousands of people in rural areas and weaving communities.
The other aspect that makes handloom eco-friendly is its production process. Where a machine requires up to 126 kwh - which represents 93 kg of CO2 emissions for the production of the fabric - handloom, which is entirely manual, does not emit CO2. In addition, our partner in India, Khaloom, promotes not only handloom, but also recycled fibres (another category of material discussed below).
What we love about it
Each fabric is unique, reflecting the hours of work of the craftsman - an invisible but very present value. In an increasingly fast-paced and industrialised society, luxury is wearing a garment made entirely by hand and with care. When we say slow fashion, we mean it literally!
Organic cotton
Being a natural material, cotton is biodegradable. It is also and above all one of the most widely used materials for producing clothing, as it has all the advantages: versatile, soft, breathable, comfortable and resistant. But its cultivation is strongly criticised, and rightly so, for its disastrous consequences on the environment. Cotton is grown intensively, destroying the soil, requiring huge amounts of water to grow in areas that are often already dry, and using dangerous pesticides and insecticides.
It is therefore essential to choose organic cotton, as it has almost half the environmental impact of conventional cotton (Source: HIGG Material Sustainability Index).
We select our fabrics from Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified suppliers. The GOTS label has strict criteria to ensure the protection of the environment and workers. This certification guarantees that the cotton is not derived from genetically modified seeds and that it has not been grown using pesticides and insecticides. It also promises the use of more environmentally friendly production and processing methods, the banning of substances that are hazardous to health, and the respect and improvement of working conditions throughout the production chain.
We would like to be able to track the exact origin of our suppliers' cotton so that we can assure our customers that every criterion is met. Unfortunately, our small quantities do not allow us to do this at the moment. This shortcoming is one of our main objectives to improve for the coming seasons. Our dream, in the long term, would be to join other brands in a "seed to stitch" project to ensure traceability from the cotton fields to the fabrics, and thus guarantee a total ethics on the production chain of the cotton used for our clothes.
Recycled fabrics
By recycling existing materials, we avoid creating new ones and drawing on the earth's resources. Producing a "new" fabric, from the cultivation of the fibre to its final processing, requires a lot of water, energy, pesticides and other chemicals. The environmental consequences are severe.
By recycling textiles that were destined for incineration or landfill, waste becomes the raw material. This is the principle of the circular economy. The impact on the environment is doubly reduced, less resources are used to produce the fabric and less waste is produced at the end of the cycle.
There are two sources of textile fibre recycling:
The "pre-consumer" sector, which uses all the textile off-cuts created during the production of garments, in workshops and factories, when the pieces are cut before being sewn.
The "post-consumer" sector, which uses textiles once they have been worn and used, at the end of the cycle. Textiles are sorted by type and colour before being shredded, broken down into fibres, processed into yarn and then woven into new fabrics. The addition of virgin fibres to the recycled fibres is sometimes necessary to make the fabric stronger.
Old clothes become new clothes and the circle is complete.
Other materials
We make sure to be the more responsible in every detail, from buttons to packaging! Unfortunately, some supplies, such as zips, are not yet available locally and in small quantities in recycled or sustainable materials.
Bias
The piping used to cover the inside of our clothes and the piping on our pyjamas are made from GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic cotton. They are made in France.
Labels
Our labels are woven from recycled polyester, as are our composition and care labels. Our labels are produced in Italy and France.
Buttons
To avoid animal materials - such as horn - and synthetic materials derived from petroleum - such as plastic - we turn to more eco-responsible alternatives such as:
Corozo : A natural material from a small nut, grown in South America. It produces quality buttons that we like for their natural and sober look. These are made in France.
Eco-Gala, also known as Galalithe: A biodegradable polymer - or bioplastic - obtained from milk casein. It produces buttons that imitate horn, with irregular spots. The raw material comes from Italy and the buttons are made in France.
Mother of pearl: For our shirts and pyjamas, we use mother of pearl buttons, discarded by their previous owner for slight defects. No waste with such a beautiful material!
Packaging
The cardboard and tissue paper of our shipments, as well as the card and price and information label of our garments, are all made of recycled paper. Even the tape is paper and recyclable, to ensure that you can easily sort your parcel once it has been opened.
Unlike the usual branded model, our garments are not individually wrapped in plastic blister packs when delivered from our manufacturers. This eliminates a significant amount of plastic waste.