WHAT ARE OUR CLOTHES MADE FROM?
What fabrics do you use?
We use almost exclusively organic cotton fabrics. Our stretch styles (which make
up the majority of our collections) are made from a blend of 95% GOTS certified organic cotton and 5% spandex for the stretch.
It took almost a year of research and building connections to track down and source this fabric directly from the manufacturer in Java, Indonesia. The raw cotton fibre, from a GOTS certified producer in India, is knitted for us following our custom specifications. The factory uses only Oeko-Tex approved chemicals in their finishing processes. You can read more about their sustainability credentials here.
Most of our non-stretch garments are made from a woven 100% organic cotton. Currently only a couple of our lines are not organic cotton, as I haven’t managed to find the fabric types needed in an organic fibre. I am always on the hunt for new organic fabrics, and encouraging our suppliers in Bali to stock more variety.
Why organic cotton?
• It’s a lovely breathable, soft, natural fibre to wear
• It is strong and hard-wearing
• Organic cotton uses less water and energy to produce than regular cotton
• It is grown without the use of GM seed or toxic chemical fertilisers
• It doesn’t release harmful micro plastics into our water supplies like polyester and acrylic fabrics do
What about the sequins?
In 2017, I switched from PVC to PET sequins. These are nearly twice the price
of their PVC equivalent, but not only are they more washable and hard-wearing,
they are also a better choice environmentally. PET is the most common type
of plastic. It is non-toxic, uses less energy to manufacture than PVC, and, unlike PVC, is the easiest type of plastic to recycle - like a regular plastic bottle.
A couple of years ago I attempted to source sequins made from recycled PET, without success. So I was very happy when I received an email from my sequin manufacturer a couple of months ago: she had been doing some more research on this for me, and had found out that in fact, the PET plastic film she had already been buying to make our sequins was very likely to be made of recycled material! This was news to her as well, and a great outcome. I am now working on getting some kind of certification or verification to officially confirm this.
Why don't you use biodegradable sequins?
There is some pioneering research being done into developing biodegradable sequins, however this is a very new area and they aren't yet commercially available. Whilst there are obvious benefits to biodegradable sequins, I also want to make sure that I am creating clothing that is long-lasting and will be worn for years and years, rather than being disposable. A lot of work goes into creating each piece, and as one customer said recently, “I am aiming for my Rosa Bloom pieces to become family heirlooms!"
For the time-being, my aim is to make garments slowly, carefully, and with a lot of attention to the quality of the materials, construction, and fit. I want to create timeless pieces that will be treasured. I have been wearing some of my own pieces for over 10 years and they're still going strong!
