Our materials

At Alchemist we prefer natural materials. The materials we use are sustainably produced and are always certified. In the production of our clothing we do not use azo dyes , plasticizers and nonylphenol ethoxylates. In addition, we use natural artificial fibers and a number of synthetic fibers. We only use these synthetic fibers to reinforce other materials.

Natural materials

Cotton

One of our favorite fabrics to use in our collections is cotton. This natural material feels soft on the skin, is breathable and is one of the world's most widely used textile fabrics. Unfortunately, conventional cotton is a very polluting crop with many negative consequences for the environment. Some of these consequences include: soil erosion and degradation, water and soil pollution through extensive use of pesticides and herbicides, excessive water consumption. [source: WWF] We currently use three different types of certified cotton in our collections.

Gots - certified organic cotton

The Global Organic Textile Standard is the world’s leading textile processing standard for organic fibres. Their aim is to set a global standard that can guarantee the organic status of textiles, from harvesting to environmentally and socially responsible production. GOTS sets strict requirements for working conditions in cotton farms and factories. Their social criteria form the basis for ethical labour and include freely chosen work, freedom of association, standard working hours and a fixed minimum wage. When growing GOTS certified organic cotton, less water and energy is used because the crops are given more time to grow. The land is given more time to recover after harvesting, so that the soil does not become depleted. No harsh fertilisers and pesticides are used and organic fibres are separated from conventional fibres.

OCS 100 - certified organic cotton

The Organic Content Standard verifies the presence of organic material in a final product. This certificate can only be given to products that contain 95-100% organic material, and follows the process from manufacturing to distribution of a product. This certificate is also used as a tool for companies to ensure that they receive the substance exactly as they ordered it.

BCI - certified cotton

The Better Cotton Initiative is the world’s largest cotton sustainability program, providing training in more sustainable farming practices to over 2.3 million cotton farmers in 23 countries. In 2018-2019, their BCI farmers produced approximately 22% of the world’s cotton production. Better Cotton cannot be considered organic, but their goal is to guide as many farmers as possible towards sustainable practices. Their 7 principles and criteria are designed to improve cotton production for the environment and farming communities, which they do at scale with their 1800+ members.

Overview

Of all the cotton used in our SS20 collection, 77.4% was GOTS/OCS 100 certified organic cotton. We also used BCI certified cotton – 21.3%. The remaining 1.3% was conventional cotton. In our AW20 collection, approximately 61% was GOTS/OCS 100 certified organic cotton, 25% was BCI certified cotton and the remaining 14% was conventional cotton. Most of the conventional cotton we used was purchased for previous collections. We used up this stock in our AW20 collection. We aim to remove all conventional cotton from our collections in the future.

Linen

Linen is a natural material made from the flax plant. The material is very strong and heat-resistant. It absorbs well and breathes, making it a nice fabric for the summer. The production of linen is sustainable because flax can be grown very efficiently. Flax can grow on poor soil with much less water than cotton. The flax plant also produces many useful by-products, such as linseed, so that nothing from the plants is lost during production.

Animal friendly wool

In some of our collections we use wool such as alpaca and merino. We buy this wool from suppliers who are certified and where the animals do not have to suffer for their wool. As of 2020 we will no longer use mohair in our collections. Merino sheep have deep folds in their skin where flies want to lay their eggs. These larvae penetrate the skin and cause myiasis, a painful infectious disease that can lead to death. To prevent this, sheep farmers cut away the skin around the sheep's buttocks, which is usually done painfully. This is called mulesing. We only use non-mulesing merino wool. The sheep farmers we work with do everything they can to prevent infections, such as using different feed, medication and thoroughly inspecting the animals. The sheep are also bred to have shallower folds so that flies cannot lay their eggs there.

Natural synthetic fibers

Tencel

Tencel is a brand of Lenzing that sustainably produces Lyocell and Modal. Lyocell and Modal are man-made and based on wood. The fibers are biodegradable and can be used as compost. At the moment, almost 13% of our collection consists of materials produced by Tencel. Tencel Lyocell is made from eucalyptus wood from forests with an FSC quality mark. The production process is environmentally friendly because the required solvent and water are reused again and again in a closed circuit. We like to use the fabric because it feels silky soft, absorbs moisture better than cotton and feels even cooler than linen. Ideal if you choose comfort. Tencel Modal is made from Austrian beech wood. The artificially made fiber is very smooth and uses little energy in further processing, such as dyeing or spinning. Modal falls very smoothly and feels silky soft. The production of Modal is so sustainable that the company has received the EU Ecolabel. Lenzing Ecovero is a sustainable version of viscose, made from wood pulp from FSC-certified forests in Europe. The chemicals used to dissolve the wood are reused and the bleaching of the fibres is 100% chlorine-free. Ecovero is colourfast, which makes the material long-lasting.

Viscose

Viscose is a semi-synthetic fibre made from wood pulp from fast-growing trees such as eucalyptus and beech. It is dissolved in a chemical solution that often ends up in the air and waterways. All the viscose we use is made from FSC certified forests. We aim to use only Ecovero in the future. That is why we keep track of all developments and where possible we swap regular viscose for Ecovero. In our SS20 collection we used 21.9% viscose. In our AW20 collection we were able to swap a large part of that for Ecovero. We now only use 7.3% viscose and 31.3% Ecovero.

Synthetic fibers

In order to maintain the quality of different garments, we sometimes blend our yarns with synthetic fibers such as acrylic, polyamide and polyester. Where possible, we choose regenerated or recycled fibers. The reason why we still use these fibers is that we want our clothes to last. Knitwear can be quite delicate if it is not blended with synthetic yarns, which increases the chance of pilling and stretching.

Learn

Since 2019 we have stopped using genuine leather in our collections. Instead we use a vegan alternative made of non-chemically treated PU by Leathertex.

recycled materials

In some cases we choose recycled materials. Reusing textiles is a sustainable option because we don’t need any extra raw materials or water. This way we can save energy and have a much lower impact on the environment. Recently we started using Ecotec fibres, a process that was developed exclusively for Marchi & Fildi, one of our textile suppliers. So far we have worked with Ecotec cotton and Ecotec polyester. These yarns save up to:

• 46.6% on greenhouse effect,
• 46.9% energy saving,
• 61.6% in water consumption throughout the process.

Ecotec products have the following certifications:

• BCI,
• GRS certificate by ICEA,
• Oeko-Tex 100,
• Certified Quality System Company ISO 9001:2015,
• TF,
• Tessile & Salute.

In our SS20 collection approximately 10% is made from recycled fibres. In our AW20 collection it was approximately 3.6%

Denim

All our jeans are made from at least 95% organic or recycled cotton and have only a small amount of elastane. The elastane makes the denim fit well and comfortable, but the high % of cotton makes the denim strong and durable. Our denim partner is Tejidos Royo, a Spanish company founded in 1903. They are a leader in the textile industry in Europe. This company strives to be 360° sustainable and covers social, economic, labor and environmental issues. Tejidos Royo has the following certificates:

• Oeko-Tex Standard 100 & STEP Certified by Oeko Tex,
• Textile Exchange BCI member,
• Signatory of the UN Global Compact,
• GRS & OCS certificate by ICEA,
• AMFORI Audit Social Program (BSCI).

Dry indigo / dry black

At Tejidos Royo they have managed to modify the process of indigo dyeing and create a unique dyeing process that dyes indigo without water in a smaller space. This technology, called Dry Indigo, is certified under the Eco-Technology certificate by AITEX.