A couple of weeks ago (10 June 2023), the first Open Day dedicated to the rediscovery of textile hemp and the presentation of the new sustainable clothing collection, La Methode, was held in Cardano al Campo, at the company and production site of Produce Sinapsi.
Together with the founder of Produce Sinapsi, Bruno Mocchi, and his team, Rachele Invernizzi, entrepreneur and Deputy Director of Federcanapa, and Ruggero Giavini of Vesti la Natura also contributed to the event with an open dialogue. After a brief presentation of the project and questions from the audience, the discussion continued with a creative workshop and customisation of clothing with digital printing using natural pigments. But let us take a detailed look at the idea behind this new La Methode brand, which is decidedly innovative and oriented towards recycling and sustainability.
Discovering La Methode
Having been active in the high-quality weaving sector for years, Produce Sinapsi founder Bruno Mocchi and his team decided to give his company a conscious makeover. Starting from the data on pollution in the textile sector (European Commission and the Textile Strategy), Bruno and his team wanted to reduce pollution and waste from textile processing by introducing a new line of more sustainable, pre-consumer recycling-oriented fabrics. In particular, they started with the numbers, which were quite dramatic. 5.8 million tonnes of textiles thrown away. 11.3 kg of fabric per person, per year ending up as waste. An incredible 15 million tonnes of clothes that we no longer wear and textile waste end up in less developed countries, such as Chile and Africa. In addition, every weaving company has other waste, which is difficult to quantify, but which has the potential to be reused. In fact, Produce Sinapsi alone has accumulated, in the last 20 years of weaving, about 3 tonnes of textile waste. This happens because on each yarn cone, at least 0.2 kg of waste yarn remains after weaving. In order to revalue this waste, Produce Sinapsi has decided to reprocess these cones by creating a millerigue fabric that is used for the La Methode logo, which is present as a distinctive mark on each garment.
The aim of La Methode is to reduce textile pollution by using processing waste and sustainable natural fibres of the highest quality, such as hemp, but also nettle, pre-consumer recycled cotton or Supima-certified cotton.
In particular, hemp fabric is a sustainable fabric par excellence. Indeed, already in the cultivation phase, the hemp plant does not require the use of pesticides and consumes at least ⅓ less water than cotton (even organic cotton). On the production side, hemp fabric is also much more environmentally friendly than other natural fibres, because a special organic oil is used in the spinning phase (which takes place in the wet). In addition, hemp fabric is very durable, which is precisely why La Methode offers a 10-year guarantee for its garments. Finally, hemp fabric can be easily recycled, as once the end-of-life has been reached, the yarn can be regenerated and trimmed (even with the shorter fibres).
In connection with the pollution of the textile industry and the overproduction of garments, La Methode decided to produce its garments 'on demand'. This means that a garment is only put into production after the order has been placed, which reduces waste and produces only what is necessary (but don't worry, waiting times are not that long!). In this way, we are strengthened in the knowledge that the garment we are buying is really needed, we also reduce the possibility of returns (very polluting for both our environment and the companies), and above all, we have the certainty that the garment purchased will be part of our wardrobe for many, many seasons. A simple enough concept, which by the way was used up until a few decades ago, when high quality clothing was made by seamstresses and at the specific request of the customer and was then worn for several seasons.
In recent years, on the other hand, fast fashion has contributed to a decrease in the quality of individual fabrics. This is because the clothing collections offered by large medium and low-cost brands (they often launch more than 10 collections per year) are not made to last, but to last one season (or a few weeks). This behaviour, however, has fuelled the myth of waste as a low-quality fabric. Nothing could be more untrue, indeed. There are also high-quality scraps, small remnants (of a few hundred metres) that can have a new life. In fact, La Methode uses the highest quality leftovers in natural yarns and fabrics from traceable and sustainable production.
Natural yarns are definitely better for both the planet and our skin, which is in constant contact with these fabrics. Unlike synthetic yarns, such as polyester, their natural collection is made from yarns that come directly from nature in different colour shades that do not need to be chemically dyed. This also saves a considerable amount of water in the fabric production process.
La Methode's garments are made in Italian artisan workshops, and each seam is done carefully and with the aim of producing garments that are beautiful to look at but also long-lasting. Being a made-to-order concept, La Methode does not have, and will not have, a seasonal or annual collection, but a choice of basic garments, many also genderless and with a good fit, which can be combined with each other (and here we return to the concept of the capsule collection which I have already mentioned in this article - ed.)
One collaboration presented in this vein is the clothing project created with the Liceo artistico Terragni C.S. Casnati in Como. The students were given very precise guidelines: to create a garment with a special fabric made of 80% hemp and 20% cotton where the chemical finishing process was completely eliminated, garments that were non-gender (where possible) and versatile, and that used upcycled cotton inserts representing the La Methode logo. The result is versatile designs, unique in style that can be easily combined with other clothes. The participants of the open day had the opportunity to vote for two garments they thought were the most beautiful, which La Methode will then include in its collection. I really liked the maxi cardigan and the trousers.
Finally, the delivery of the product is also very special, because, as on this Open Day, La Methode invites all those interested to drop by in person and pick up their garment, also so that they can appreciate the production process and the removal of the fabric. Obviously, if this is not possible (especially for customers living outside the Milan area), shipping is provided. The packaging (and labels) are designed to reduce waste and to be reusable, and are handmade and printed with natural water-based inks and packaged by hand.
A sustainable and indigenous reality: Italian textile hemp
Rachele Invernizzi, entrepreneur and Vice President of Federcanapa, the Italian industrial hemp association, gave an overview of the hemp plant and its potential in the industrial sector. In particular, the 'from plant to fabric' process was described, i.e. the entire production process from sowing to harvesting and first processing. With regard to textiles in particular, the focus is on the length of the fibres, which can be short, and is then preferred for technical fibre, used for example in the automotive sector, while for clothing textiles it is preferable to use a longer fibre, with a diameter of 10-12 centimetres. Once the fibre of this length has been obtained, it is wet spun, i.e. the fibres are immersed in water where it is processed. However, apart from a few smaller projects, Europe still lacks a proper first production plant for the creation of hemp fabric, which means that almost all the yarn used in Europe comes from China.
On the seed plant side, hemp can be sown in rotation, as can other cereals, it makes soils very soft and does not require any chemicals during the cultivation process. In fact, it is also used for phytoremediation, a process that helps expel heavy metals from the soil (but then the question arises of how and where to use this hemp).
Ethical fashion: boundaries of reality
In conclusion, during the open day Ruggero Giavini, co-founder of Vesti la Natura, also spoke about the so-called greenwashing and the word sustainability, but also about the entire production process. An interesting example (and business for certification bodies) is certainly that linked to certifications, and unfortunately not always, having a certification really equates to a sustainable production process. In fact, a couple of years ago it was discovered that in India, the famous GOTS certificate was falsified by several companies. To confirm the quality of the yarn or fabric that we are going to purchase, we should always contact a qualified laboratory, a practice that obviously the simple consumer is not able to do. The discussion continued with new unsustainable production techniques, such as boats equipped like a packaging factory, where workers traveling from China to Europe work on sewing machines to optimize transport time. Obviously, in our opinion, this is an undignified treatment, but the point always remains that of traceability, and therefore a simple consumer does not even have the tools to verify these aspects. A further very important and difficult topic to address is child labour, which despite being officially banned in many countries, de facto takes place behind closed doors, often in family environments. Here it becomes even more important to trace the entire textile production chain and purchase from brands that truly control the production process, with a strong ethical appeal that far surpasses the pure interest of profit.
In conclusion, all those present had the opportunity to try on La Methode garments but also to customise bags, made from off-cuts, with digital printing using natural pigments. I personally fell in love with the women's shirt, both in the classic version and in the version with a mandarin collar, a garment of decidedly timeless quality that can be worn in different seasons and can last a really long time, as it is created from 100% hemp fabric. But La Methode is much more, and to see all the products, as well as in their showroom and factory, you can visit their website and follow them on their social channels.
Photo:
La Methode, Hemp-Style
Translated with Linguana