Sustainable Fibre

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ORGANIC COTTON

Cotton grown free of toxic chemicals using biologically based and sustainable growing methods (such as crop rotation) rather than with highly synthetic and destructive fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides or pesticides. Certified organic cotton must adhere to a strict set of guidelines based on the scientific method of organic agriculture.

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BAMBOO

Bamboo is the fastest growing wooden plant in the world; it grows in many different countries and climates. Its quick growth (up to 3-4 feet a day) and its resistance to bugs and sickness make it an ideal eco crop. However, there is a lot of debate on whether the processing of the bamboo plant into fabric is truly sustainable. Bamboo fabric is made of 100% bamboo pulp fiber. The fabric is naturally antibacterial and eco-friendly. It breathes easier, is cooler than cotton in warm weather and has been said to feel like a cross between cashmere and silk.

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RAMIE 

Ramie is a bast fiber, similar to flax, taken from the stalk of a plant grown in China.

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HEMP

A long and very strong ‘base’ fiber, hemp fiber has been used for thousands of years to manufacture clothing. Its rapid growing qualities and resistance to most pests make it an ideal organic crop. Hemp has natural anti-mildew, UV protection and thermodynamic as well as hypoallergenic properties.

(© LOHAS COUTURE )

BANANA

Banana trees were widely used for making fabrics before cotton was affordable and readily available. Now “jusi” banana fabric is made in only a handful of places in Southeast Asia. The raw materials come from the stem that farmers leave in the garden after a banana harvest. The tree stalks and leaves are removed and processed into a pliable fibre. Different layers of the stem yield fibers for specific uses: the outer layer's fibers are generally used for tablecloths while the third layer makes the finest, silkiest fabric, suitable for kimonos and saris. Many Nepalese rugs are made from bleached and dried fibers of the banana plant that are hand-knotted into silk-like rugs.

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FLAX 

The plant from which cellulose linen fiber is obtained. Linen is used in apparel, accessories, draperies, upholstery, tablecloths, and towels.

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SOYA BEAN

An eco-friendly fabric made from a by-product of soybean oil production. It’s a sustainable textile fiber made from renewable and biodegradable resources. It’s part of an effort to move consumers away from petrochemical textile products and turn waste into useful products.

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JUTE

Jute is a bast fiber, chiefly from India, used primarily for gunny sacks, bags, cordage, and binding threads in carpets and rugs.

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KAPOK

Kapok is a short, lightweight, cotton-like, vegetable fiber found in the seed pods of the Bombocaceae tree. Because of its brittle quality, it is generally not spun. However, its buoyancy and moisture resistance makes it ideal for use in cushions, mattresses and life jackets.

(© AHIMSA SILK)

PEACE SILK

Conventional silk is made by boiling the intact cocoons and thereby killing the silk worms after which the single silk strand is unwound onto reels. Peace silk allows the silkworm to emerge from their cocoons to live out their full life cycle. The silk is degummed and spun like other fiber, instead of being reeled. The resulting yarn is soft, fluffy, and light like a cloud.

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PET

PET fabric is made out of recycled plastic bottles blended with cotton. Thanks to technological innovation, the combination of these fibers enables the creation of a knitted fabric that has just the same resistance, durability and fast colors as products made with conventional polyester.

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PINEAPPLE

Pineapple fiber or Piña is a strong white or creamy cobweb-like fiber drawn from tall leaves of an indigenous pineapple plant. The fiber is hand stripped from the leaves in lengths of about 18 inches to 3 feet, sun-bleached, hand knotted and spun. As piña fiber recovery is only about 1%, it can take six months to gather enough fiber to produce two pounds of spun piña. For more background info on fiber, read this blog.

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SISAL

A strong bast fiber that originates from the leaves of the Agave plant, which is found in the West Indies, Central America, and Africa.

TENCEL・LYOCELL

TENCEL・LYOCELL is naturally derived from cellulose which is extracted from managed trees. It is one of the softest and most elegant fibers available.

VISCOSE 

Viscose is the most common type of rayon, which is composed of regenerated cellulose. Derived from wood pulp, cotton linters, or other vegetable matter.

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LENPUR 

Lenpur is a novel textile fiber from a renewable resource: cellulose carefully selected from the branches of special trees. The main differences in Lenpur compared to other cellulose fibre is its softness, its absorption capacity, its ability to release dampness (as a yarn or fabric), its deodorant properties, and its absorption characteristics (due to its morphology). When mixed with other fibre, Lenpur is in "mechanical synergy" with them.