We use sustainable fabrics that have as little impact on the planet as possible, natural and handwoven fabrics or surplus fabric from the luxury fashion industry that would otherwise go to landfill. Our makers are all local within a few miles of the studio.
Deadstock, or overstock is surplus fabric created by the fashion industry that is not needed and if not used would be disposed of in landfill. It can come a variety of sources, for example from mills who typically overrun by 10% on their fabric production or from fashion companies who have fabric left over after production. Using these fabrics avoids them ending up in landfill and helps to keep them in circulation – hence a circular fabric.
Deadstock or circular fabrics are better for the environment than using virgin new fabrics as they already exist and therefore have zero resource consumption and zero emissions.
We source most of our fabrics from the luxury fashion industry and some directly from British mills.
We use natural cottons which have been hand woven by artisans in their homes in rural India. Each fabric has been designed and woven by the artisan themselves, giving them creative agency, ownership of their work and recognising their skills as craftspeople.
We work with a cooperative based in the town of Maheshwar in India who are pioneering this alternative way of working to empower makers and preserve the traditional craft of hand weaving.
Much of the cotton we use is kala cotton, a cotton variety grown only in the arid region of Kutch. It is organic, indigenous, hand-spun and handwoven, making it one of the most sustainable fibres.
Our labels are made from natural organic cotton printed with water based, eco friendly inks.
We use a mixture of deadstock buttons and new buttons made from corozo. Corozo comes from the nut of the Tagua Palm which is harvested after it falls naturally from the tree. It is a completely natural, biodegradable and sustainable resource.
Our packaging is recycled and recyclable.
All of our trims, labels and packaging are sourced from UK businesses.
As a British brand, we’re committed to supporting British farmers by sourcing wool from our native sheep that has been processed and spun in the UK.
Our knitwear is made from British wool sourced at a fair price directly from farmers in North West England. Our first collection of sweaters and knitted vests is made from undyed, traceable wool from a single rare breed of sheep, Blue Faced Leicester. It is processed without chemicals, using only organic detergents and water and expertly spun in Yorkshire.
Blue Faced Leicester wool is known for its softness and lustre, a unique, fully traceable luxury yarn made from field to fibre within 150 miles.
Wool is 100% natural. Every year sheep will produce a new fleece, making wool a renewable fibre source. It’s naturally thermoregulating, making it comfortable to wear, and odour resistant so it doesn’t need washing regularly.
Wool is biodegradable. At the end of its life, wool can be returned to the soil, where it decomposes, releasing valuable nutrients back to the earth.
We work with a small, local knitting factory who are experts at producing very high quality knitwear for designer brands. A female founded business, they are a short bike ride from the ELWIN studio. We meet regularly to develop our collections and personally know all of the people who make our garments.
All of our knitwear is fully fashioned. This involves knitting each piece individually into shape, meaning there are no off cuts. The pieces are then linked together by hand, a highly skilled job. Any leftover yarn is used to knit our gloves.
Our woven garments are either handcrafted by us or by small manufacturers close to the studio, who share our values both environmentally and socially. All our seamstresses are paid a living wage and have fair working conditions.
