Our Materials

Approximately 73% of a garment's ecological footprint is produced during production, with the remaining 28% produced in transport, warehousing, and washing (Mckinsey.com - refashioning-clothings-environmental-impact) which is why we use sustainable fabrics and components in all our products. 

We mindfully select materials that have a minimal environmental impact to conserve the planet's resources. Additionally, our designs prioritise durability, circularity, and comfort, emphasising reuse, upcycling, and the use of recycled materials. (Refer to the Mwali section for details on our waste reduction and circularity initiatives.).

THE MATERIALS WE USE

All our material choices are selected based on a lifecycle approach, with natural resource conservation and circularity as top priorities. We follow the Preferred Fibre and Material Matrix (PFMM)* as a benchmarking tool during our product development process to assess various sustainability certifications and initiatives and their impact on people and the planet.

*Tool developed by Gap Inc. in 2020 further developed by Textile Exchange

FABRICS

We do not use virgin fiber or components derived from petroleum. Any synthetics used are either recycled or upcycled.

    Viscose  Lenzing Ecovero™ - Clothing

    •  Accounts for  82% of our fabric.
    • A certified and sustainable fabric made from renewable wood sources uses 50% less water and energy than conventional viscose during production.
    • Responsible stewardship of the land used to grow trees for MMCFs (Man-Made Cellulosic Fibers) which is why we will exclusively use Ecovero  Viscose.
    • Biodegradable under the right conditions of temperature, moisture and microorganisms
    • Used as a monofiber
    • Our supplier is based in Bursa, Turkey

    Cotton - Clothing
    • Accounts for 18% of our range
    • Is a versatile, strong, breathable, natural, and renewable fibre.
    • Is traceable to the fibre source
    • Biodegradable under the right conditions of temperature, moisture and microorganisms
    • Used as a monofiber
    • Our supplier is based in Denizli, Turkey
      
    Wool - Knitwear
    • A natural, breathable, and resilient fibre, used as a blend with organic cotton for our knitwear ranges.
    • Requires little washing and therefore is a saves energy and water.
    • We only use RWS wool that is non museled
    • Biodegaradbale under the right conditions of temperature, moisture and microorganisms
    • Used as a blend with cotton (70% Organic Cotton 30% RWS Wool)
    Printing Technology
    • 100% of our fabric is digitally printed. 
    • All our plain fabrics are dyed using  a low liquor ratio, to minimise water and energy usage.
    • Our dyes comply with REACH and are OEKO-TEX® 100 compliant dyes as they are non-carcinogenic and better for the environment.
    • All our fabric mills comply to local laws on waste management, including the discharge of effluence into waterways.

    Interlining

    • We never used virgin synthetic fibre in any of our products.
    • Our interlining supplier is Permess International. Netherlands 

      Recycled Polyester - Sewing thread and zip tapes

      • We never used virgin synthetic fibre in any of our products.
      • Our zip tapes are recycled and sourced from YKK  and are certified by Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
      • Our sewing threads are sourced from COATS, made from 100% recycled plastic waste and certified by Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
      • Mono fibre
      Tagua Palm - Buttons
      • We exclusively use buttons sourced from the tagua palm in Ecuador's rainforests, eliminating the use of plastic buttons. The tagua nut is renewable, durable, and versatile and is derived from nuts that naturally fall off the tree, ensuring no harm to the tree's natural cycle through harvesting practices.
      • We occasionally use coloured buttons, which are dyed in small dye vats using eco dyes and are REACH and OEKO-TEX®100 compliant. 
      • Biodegradable under the right conditions of temperature, moisture and temperature
      • Our button supplier is Courtney & Co, U.K
      Sugar cane  - Individual garment packaging bags
      • All our polythene bags have been produced using green ethanol made from renewable sugar cane with a low carbon footprint

      • (95% renewable bio-based carbon content (ASTMD6866))

      • Are fully recyclable

      • Biodegradable under the right conditions of temperature, moisture and microorganisms

      Recycled e-comm bags - E-com packaging

      • Our e-comm bags are made from Recycled polythene and are recyclable

      Swing tags - Labeling

      • Our swing tags are FSC, printed using non-toxic ink with an organic cotton string
      • Biodegradable under the right conditions of temperature, moisture and microorganisms

      Care Labels - Labelling

      • 100% recycled polyester printed using a thermal printer
      • Recyclable
      • Mono fibre
      MATERIALS WE DO NOT USE
      • Real or faux fur
      • Shells, coral, pearls or any materials harvested from the sea
      • Any synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon (derived from petrochemicals and non-biodegradable)
      • Any dyes and treatments that release toxins into the environment and do not comply to REACH.
      •  Buttons or surface decorations that cannot be recycled and are not from a renewable source e.g polypearl buttons, plastic sequins, toggles, fasteners, etc 
      •  Excessive packaging e.g non essential tissue or multiple layers of packaging
      • Silica sachets in any of our packaging.
      • Packaging board and clips (metal or plastic).