Materials

We carefully select our textiles with comfort, quality, and impact in mind. We use natural fibers, deadstock fabric, and recycled materials. The materials we use is one of the biggest impacts we can have and a cornerstone of our design process.

WHAT WE DO USE

These materials have already been produced by a mill, but remain unsold. We prioritize using materials that already exist over creating something new. We may not be able to trace it back to its origin as we could with a custom textile, but can guarantee we will always seek high quality textiles.

We’ll always prioritize natural fibers. There’s many reasons, but it really comes down to biodegradable versus non-biodegradable. We all know by now that plastic doesn’t leave this earth and it continues to pollute waterways with microplastics.

Using recycled materials recaptures the value of what is already in existence. We have partnered with mills and producers, like Manteco, who specialize in creating high quality recycled textiles.

Wool is a natural animal fiber usually referring to sheep. It is made of keratin, the same protein as human hair and grows the same. It’s renewable, biodegradable, and part of the natural carbon cycle. Wool is naturally odour and stain resistant meaning it can be washed less frequently. Wool renews itself best in fresh air and when washed in short low temperature cycles so you can reduce the impacts of laundry.

Silk is a natural protein fiber produced by the larvae of a moth. It is the only natural filament fiber — a filament is a long fiber and is often manufactured. Long fibers yield smooth, strong, fabrics. That’s why a filament fiber is valued in textiles, and silk remains among the best. Silk is one of the oldest textiles originating in China and contributed to the beginning of trade. It’s renewable and biodegradable. While the production process may use more energy and water than some of the other natural fibers, it remains one of the most luxurious natural fibers.

Cotton is a natural seed fiber derived from the cotton plant. it’s the most common fiber used today after Polyester. It’s renewable and biodegradable. Conventional cotton uses chemicals and pesticides, and because cotton requires a lot of water in growing and processing, the damage to the soil and water can be extensive. We use GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) or OCS (Organic Content Standard) certified cotton. This means the cotton is not genetically modified and produced without the use of harmful synthetic chemicals.

Lyocell is a strong, soft cellulose fiber created from wood pulp. It’s known for its natural silk-like drape, feel, and lustrous sheen. We use Tencel™ lycoell rather than generic lyocell because of Lenzing’s responsible sourcing and production. Unlike its conventional counterparts Tencel™ lycoell is sourced from sustainably managed forests and produced using a closed-loop process that recovers and reuses the solvents meaning it doesn’t contribute to deforestation and minimizes chemical waste.

Flax is another one of the oldest fibers known to be used by humans dating back to 8000 BCE. Flax isn’t a ‘thirsty’ crop meaning it requires much less water than cotton for example, and is fast growing. Linen is known to be hypo-allergenic and anti-bacterial. It’s naturally thermo regulating, helping to keep you cool during warm weather or warm in cool weather.

As a non-renewable and non-biodegradable material polyester is a prime candidate for recycling. Recycled polyester requires significantly less energy to produce and creates less environmental pollution than virgin polyester. Because in any form it’s still a non-biodegradable synthetic we use it sparingly when it’s lightweight, durability is required, like the elastic we use in our waistbands.

WHAT WE DON'T USE

Conventional cotton uses chemicals, pesticides, insecticides. Because cotton requires a lot of water in growing and processing, the damage to the soil and water can be extensive. Growers use more than 10% of the world’s pesticides and nearly 25% of the insecticides. Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate. Organophosphate is a neurotoxin the German military developed in World War II. This insecticide is one of the most widely used in the U.S. Exposure can be direct or indirect and the impact is a domino effect that have long term consequences on our health and environment.

Polyester is an oil derived synthetic, making it non-renewable, and is known to contribute to the microplastics found in our waterways. The clothing and textile industry is responsible for 35% of the microplastics making it one of the biggest offenders. It can take between 20 and 200 years for polyester to decompose. The bottom line is the plastics we create today will outlive us. It doesn’t breathe the way a natural fiber does. Still polyester has some benefits - it’s durable and lightweight. We may use it sparingly when other materials don’t match its performance, and when we do it will be recycled.