The textile industry consumes 100 billion cubic meters of water per year. That's around 4% of the planet's drinking water resources. That's the equivalent of 37 million Olympic-sized swimming pools every year.
The Environmental Impact of Materials
Over 70% of the fashion industry's emissions come from upstream operations in the supply chain*. This mainly concerns the production of materials: cultivation or breeding and transformation processes. That's where we've chosen to start and focus our efforts.
*McKinsey & Company 2020 Report in partnership with the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA)
Noble and sustainable fibers
At Maison Montagut, we choose our yarns with the greatest care to knit our collections. Cashmere and merino wool in winter, cotton and linen in summer, these natural materials of animal and vegetable origin are renewable and biodegradable, and we favor long, high-quality fibers that are naturally more resistant and less pilling.
More eco-responsible materials
To continue improving our practices and limit our impact on the environment, we have set ourselves a target of 50% eco-responsible products in our AH24 and PE25 collections by 2024.
A product will be counted as eco-responsible if it is made from at least 70% responsible materials (with a lower environmental impact). For recycled fibers, we have set the threshold at 40%.
Coton
Since 2019, 100% of our cotton is of organic origin. It is grown without GMOs, pesticides, insecticides or synthetic chemical fertilizers. Its cultivation based on natural compost preserves the richness of the earth and halves water consumption compared to conventional cotton.
MERINO WOOL
All our 100% wool products are knitted from merino wool and our Italian yarn is RWS certified. Made from the finest, most regular wool fibers, this soft yarn is naturally thermo-regulating and offers excellent resistance to pilling and washing thanks to its tight knitting.
Recycled cashmere
Since 2022, our autumn-winter collections have included a selection of pieces made from 97% recycled cashmere. Extremely soft and resistant, this fiber is derived from textiles that have had a first life. A conscious choice that enables us to limit the use of virgin resources.
LINEN
Fine and resistant, plant-based and biodegradable, produced in short circuits in Europe, linen is a flagship material for our spring-summer collections. Requiring very little water and pesticides, this fiber is said to be zero-waste, as all the co-products of its transformation find a specific use, such as the production of reinforcements for composite materials.
Safe Textiles
All our dyes, unique and respectful of human health and the environment, are developed in our own factory and approved in Europe according to the REACH standard.
Our linen and cotton yarns are certified to OEKO-TEX® standard 100, a quality label that uses rigorous tests to guarantee the absence of harmful chemical substances in textile products, and therefore the safety of the materials used in the production process, above and beyond European regulatory requirements.
Our product certifications
The independent certifications associated with our products reflect our demand for transparency while helping our customers to make informed choices.
As of September 2023, we are working with Ecocert, a certification body for sustainable practices, to have our workshop in Portugal and our headquarters in Ardèche audited in order to obtain GOTS, GRS and RWS certification for our spring-summer 2024 collection.
Some of our yarns are already GOTS certified (100% of our cotton) or RWS certified (part of our merino wool), but for our products to be GOTS or RWS certified, the entire value chain must be audited and certified each year by an independent third-party organization.
GOTS
(Global Organic Textile Standard)
This is the most robust international standard for ensuring the organic composition of textiles (at least 95% organic fibers), from the harvesting of raw materials through to labeling. It also includes compliance with social and environmental criteria, as well as product safety.
RWS
(Responsible Wool Standard)
This standard guarantees respect for the principles of animal welfare, a ban on mulesing, proper management of pastures to respect the soil and local biodiversity, and traceability throughout the supply chain.
GRS
(Global Recycled Standard)
This standard certifies the composition and traceability of textiles made from fibers or materials of recycled origin. To be certified, a product must contain at least 50% recycled materials. GRS certification also includes compliance with social and environmental criteria.
Animal welfare
At Maison Montagut, we've always believed that responsible fashion is also cruelty-free fashion. The noblest animal fibers are at the heart of our model. That's why we pay particular attention to the practices used to raise the animals from which they come. All our Merino wool is certified mulesing free, which ensures that the animal is well treated during shearing.
