Producing in a short circuit allows us to guarantee respect for workers and the living beings, while limiting our dependence on fossil fuels.
Only frugal and natural fibres
To achieve this, we have selected materials that are naturally ecological, of a higher quality than conventional materials, and whose production and transformation are the least energy-consuming in the textile industry.
We work with vegetable fibres such as hemp and European linen and experiment with Belgian wools. All of our materials are spun the nearest from Belgium (England, Lituania and Tunisia for example). In 90, all of spinning mills was delocated, that’s why we sourced our materials outside of Belgium but we make sure that our suppliers share the same values as we do. However, we are always looking for spinning mills closer to our studio.
Hemp, an ancient material of the future
Hemp grows without irrigation and without pesticides, it is even totally forbidden to spray on hemp throughout Europe! It is a carbon sink, it absorbs more carbon than some forests do in 1 year in only 3 months!
Boycotted by the paper, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries since the 1920s, it is time to reappropriate the know-how, uses and virtues of hemp, a plant with undeniable applications.
Flax, a vegetable fibre grown in Europe
Flax is grown from the south of Holland to the north of France, via Belgium. Flax cultivation requires few: it grows without irrigation, and need low or no pesticides. It’s fiber is obtained solely by natural and mechanical transformations; retting and scutching.
Retting: the invisible work of microorganisms
Microorganisms are microscopic living things. Bacteria, microalgae and many fungi such as yeast are among the microorganisms.
It is thanks to their detritivorous action, combined with summer temperatures, morning dew and the work of farmers (flax growers) who regularly turn over the swaths of flax to ensure even and controlled drying and degradation, that flax (and hemp) fibres are obtained.
After pulling up the flax, flax growers line the plants up horizontally on the ground, so that they are exposed to the sun.
This is when the soil microorganisms come into play! These then develop on the plants and devour the pectin, the plant’s natural cement that holds the cellulose fibres together.
This decomposition action will therefore release the fibres naturally present in the plant, which is known as retting.
In other words, retting consists of leaving fibre plants to rot on the ground, controlling the process so as to obtain and maintain solid fibres. This process is just as frugal as the cultivation of the plant itself, and is in line with current environmental issues, compared to the resources needed to produce cotton, synthetic fibres or viscose, such as bamboo, which is a major contributor to deforestation.
Scutching: a mechanical process without chemical treatments
Scutching is a mechanical action. It consists of separating the bast fibres (textiles) from the woody fibres of the plant by crushing and beating in order to obtain tow (unspun fibre cell).
During this process, there is no waste, as the smallest particles, also known as shives, are then used for the manufacture of chipboard or as bedding.
Traceable materials
Our linen and hemp come from the last European spinning mills that are Oeko-tex certified and respect both workers’ rights and the environment.
Our linens are also certified Masters of linen: this means that they have been entirely produced (seeds), cultivated and spun in Europe.
Local Wool project
We are also working on the relocation of the processing of Belgian wool and we are doing research into sheep wool from rustic Walloon breeds. They come from small farms that respect the environment and animal welfare from lambing to shearing.
Our wools come from farms dedicated to preserving endangered breeds of sheep and nature reserves with rare fauna and flora in Belgium that are favoured by pastoralism.
To date, we have developed 3 different types of Belgian wool yarns, the characteristics of which we are now evaluating.
Want to know more about the processing of wool from nature reserves in Belgium?
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