Which materials are sustainable?

Sustainable materials are mainly natural materials, but recycled fabrics and dyeing methods do also play an important role in sustainable collections. In this context, sustainability not only stands for the sustainable quality of the garments, but also about all the energy which is required for the production and also the impact on our nature.

Not only the environment is satisfied with the ever-growing interest in sustainable fashion, but also our skin. Natural materials such as linen, hemp and organic cotton can score points for their high breathability. This makes garments made of natural fibres much less prone to sweat stains than synthetic fibres.

Are you curious what else the new yarn has to offer?
Here you will find everything you need to know about the most important durable materials at a glance:

Organic cotton

Compared to conventional cotton, organic cotton is produced in a much more ecological way. Instead of chemical pesticides, manure and compost are used as natural fertilizers during cultivation. This allows the soil to store more water, reducing water consumption by 91% (compared to conventional cotton). Genetically modified seeds are also strictly prohibited in organic farming.

You will also be pleased with the wearing comfort of organic cotton: the fabric is soft, thin, skin-friendly and very durable.

Linen

Linen, also called flax, is made from bast fibres from the plant called "flax". Thanks to the robustness of the plant, less pesticides and fertilizers are needed to grow the plant than in the cultivation of other materials such as cotton. The advantage of linen fibres is that they are very breathable, and it also can absorb a lot of moisture, which makes them very comfortable to wear especially in summer when it cools the skin down. The resistant material is also dirt-proof so, it gives every outfit a touch of casual elegance.

Lenzing EcoVero™ Viscose

The EcoVero™ Viscose is produced by the Austrian company Lenzing Fibers and is considered the most ecological and clean viscose that can be produced. The innovative fibres of wood and pulp are mainly supported by the ecological production process. The use of wood resources from sustainable forestry and 100% transparency in the supply chain are the main objectives during the process. The production of the environmentally friendly viscose results in a 50% less emissions and water pollution compared to normal viscose. Additionally, a closed cycle is created during production: Water and chemicals are recycled so that the environment is not getting polluted.

Hemp

Like linen, hemp consists very robust and temperature-regulating fibres that are comfortable to wear at any time of the year. The production of the long, shiny bast fibres requires little irrigation and energy. It is biodegradable and particularly skin friendly.

Our tip: Wash and wear your hemp clothes more, they become softer by every usage and washing!

Alpaca wool

Alpacas live in the South American Andes Mountains and produce one of the highest quality wool. The animals are sheared only every two years, which makes the yarn of the only about four million alpacas in the world a very precious material. A distinction is made between fibres from Huacaya alpacas and Suri alpacas. Both provide silky fibres that have temperature regulating properties. Therefore, the fashion of alpaca wool provides warmth in winter and pleasant airiness in summer.

Silk

The combination of high quality and durability are not mutually exclusive! The noble material silk is sustainably extracted from the protein fibres of silkworm cocoons. Sounds strange at first, but it is biodegradable.

A plus for the environmentally conscious silk: in summer, clothing made of the delicate material is particularly comfortable to wear because the supple fabric can absorb half its weight in moisture without feeling damp.

TENCEL™ Lyocell

Lyocell, produced by the Austrian Lenzing AG under the brand name Tencel, is a particularly durable cellulose fibre made from eucalyptus wood. The material is biodegradable, and production is even FSC-certified, which means that sustainability of the forest is guaranteed during production. Thus, only agricultural land that cannot be used for food production is cultivated.

Eucalyptus wood is a natural raw material, which means that much less chemicals and energy are needed for its production than for viscose clothing. Moreover, eucalyptus does not require artificial irrigation or fertilisation, which is reflected in the very low water consumption during production.

How is TENCEL™ Lyocell getting produced?

Do you know how eucalyptus wood is converted into fibres and ultimately into clothing? Here is a brief explanation: the production process starts with cutting the eucalyptus wood into pieces. These are then soaked to dissolve the pulp. The resulting mass is mixed with water and non-toxic solvents to form a pulp. This is getting heated to remove the water from the pulp. This dissolves the cellulose and creates a solution that still needs to be filtered and pressed. Finally, the natural fibres are produced in a spinning bath. In the course of this process, the process water is getting recycled so that 99% of the solvent can be returned to the production cycle and can be reused.

Durable Denim

The good old blue jeans are still the best-selling fashion item in the world, but the previous production processes were not very environmentally friendly. One pair of jeans requires about 8,000 litres of water, and most of it is used to irrigate the cotton fields.

However, the innovative Dry Indigo® process makes it possible to produce denim under sustainable circumstances in a resource-saving way. Instead of using aggressive dyeing methods, the yarns are dyed with foam to save water. As a result, approximately 99% less water, 89% less chemicals and 65% less energy is needed in the production process than in conventional denim production.