Organic and Natural Cotton Color
Sustainable fashion from Brazil presents showroom in Milan
Paraíba’s organic color cotton is at The Ethical and Sustainable Showroom, a project by the World Sustainability Organization (WSO) broadcaster of the Friends of the Earth certificate. The space that was opened in February is in one of the busiest fashion areas in Europe, Galleria Passarella, around the Milan Cathedral. The showroom has attracted buyers, journalists, influencers, and students. The idea is to consolidate the offer of clothing and accessories produced with sustainable materials and with attention to workers’ rights and social development. At the inauguration of Showroom, WSO offered the Webinar “Sustainable Cotton Production and Certification” held with Rreze Masha, from the Friend of the Earth Department of Sciences, and designer Naomi Enetomhe, from Sustainable. The presentation was Natural Cotton Color, with a lecture by brands consultant Elis Janoville.
The Showroom, which opened in Milan Fashion Week, is set to become the “Sustainable Friends” flagship.
International Fashion Market Opening
For Francisca Vieira, CEO of Natural Cotton Color, the exhibition in Milan should ensure the brand’s commercial expansion in the international market in a more segmented way. “It is already part of the company to participate in global fashion fairs with booths and even parades. However, the acquired contacts are made post-event from Brazil. In the case of Showroom, in addition to the exclusive highlight for sustainable fashion, there is a continuity with personnel specialized in the Italian fashion market. This helps to raise awareness of our work that is based on the commitment to the cotton production chain, ”she explains. It is noteworthy that organic colored cotton is cultivated in the Paraíba semiarid with a purchase contract guaranteed with the Family Farmers Association. Cotton fiber is already growing in shades of beige, brown and green without chemical additives and have an international organic product certificate. According to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (Embrapa), because it does not use culture irrigation or tissue dyeing, color cotton saves up to 87.5% water compared to a similar product produced by the industry.
Paolo Bray, director of WSO, agrees that the narrative is important in this segment. “We are the first and only certification in the main hub of fashion. It is a challenge that is being much appreciated by consumers, who show interest and curiosity about certifications and are enthusiastic about listening to the story behind the exposed fashion pieces.”
Natural Cotton Color is accompanied by six other companies that produce parts made with sustainable and verified materials and processes. There are brands from Switzerland and Italy, as well as three other Brazilian brands: Celeste, Ateliê and Tropicca. Two of them also produce pieces with Paraíba’s organic colored cotton.
Winter Collection was developed with innovative fabrics such as colored Denim, but without dyeing, and Jacquard. The pieces also have natural wool produced in a sustainable way in the south of Brazil.
The importance of the sustainable fashion segment
According to United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) estimates, the global fashion industry, valued at almost $ 3 trillion, accounts for about 8% of world greenhouse gas emissions. The director of WSO points out that textile products in the conventional fashion industry consume approximately 215,000 billion liters of water annually, with chemicals released during production and consumption. In addition, polyester, an oil -derived plastic, surpassed cotton as the basis of textile production causing immense contamination of microplastics in the oceans and landfills. “The search for alternative polyester tissues should therefore become a practice between companies and designers. In this sense, the Friend of the Earth bets on recognizing and giving visibility to brands that have already begun to think about the subject and bet on both sustainable production techniques and the choice of innovative raw materials”, says Bray.
The Showroom is set to become the “Sustainable Friends” flagship. Part of the proceeds from the activity will go primarily to WSO conservation projects and campaigns. Each year, the WSO dedicates an increasing portion of its margin (over 35% last year) to selected and certified conservation projects in over 40 countries.
Showroom in Milan
Consumer Sale: Gallery Passarella, 1 | San Babila | CEP 20122
Shopkeepers: via cappuccini, 8 | Lecture | CEP 20122