Material selection & sourcing Cotton

The materials we choose are a direct response to our design approach. We select durable fibres and fabrics to make garments that last - minimising harm to the environment and best serving our customers. We would rather make a garment that can be worn for a decade or more, than a more short-term “sustainable” alternative that might break down after two or three years, creating waste and driving consumption.

Alongside this, we are constantly testing and experimenting, working with leading partners and certification bodies - ready to explore the newest and the best options on the market that deliver high performance and least impact.

As a company, we are really open to innovation and this approach has served us well; gathering information from experience overtime.

55% of the SS22 collections are made with preferred materials (43% in 2021)

We are committed to working with respected suppliers that deliver outstanding quality, sourcing materials that are certified and traceable wherever possible. We are actively expanding our use of preferred materials, including organic, natural materials, recycled and PFA-free fabrics.

Our ambition is to be transparent with our customers about our raw materials and their origins, and in 2024 we are investing in material data systems to unlock greater insights and measurements to enable more detailed reporting. This will form the database for our customer product labelling to ensure we are in step with legislative changes in the area.

What is a preferred material?

A fibre or raw material that delivers reduced impacts and increased benefits for climate, nature, and people against the conventional equivalent.

All of our cotton styles are made with organic Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton.

95-100% of the cotton we use is grown in India, and the remainder comes from Turkey. Since 2014, all of our cotton production is carried out in Porto, Portugal.

(GOTS) is an international processing standard which means that it regulates the manufacturing stages of the textile supply chain such as the ginning, spinning, knitting/weaving, cut, make & trim for traders and retailers. The standard stipulates requirements for both ecological and labour conditions in addition to ensuring the integrity of organically produced raw materials.

Why organic farming is better for people and the planet?

Organic farming builds healthy soils which sequester carbon and helps to mitigate climate change. Healthy soils act like a sponge, soaking up water during floods and holding it for longer in times of drought. Hazardous synthetic pesticides and fertilisers are banned in organic farming, so rivers, lakes and drinking water are kept cleaner too.

Organic farmers always grow other crops alongside their cotton, which encourages wildlife and protects topsoil, as well as delivering social benefits for cotton farmers, providing more stable, accessible and abundant food supply and income for their families and communities.

Conventional cotton alone is responsible for 16% of all insecticides sold worldwide that damages ecosystems, poisons waterways and endangers workers. Organic farmers use natural methods like crop rotation to control pests and diseases. Genetically modified (GM) seeds are banned, so organic farmers are not reliant on powerful GM companies. Instead, they use their seeds year after year, working with the environment in a long-term, enriching way.