Dario tells us about the need for a “gentle revolution” to counter the fast fashion model, in a context in which the economy shifts wealth from many to few without actually creating well-being for humanity. Slow Fiber wants to positively change the paradigm of production, consumption and, therefore, the perception of textiles. Today, in fact, we find ourselves immersed in a consumerist and fast-fashion lifestyle, as Dario states.

Slow Fiber uses a series of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to evaluate the companies that join its network. Each aspect of the project is accompanied by measurable criteria, divided into mandatory and optional. These KPIs focus on five pillars: “good”, “healthy”, “clean”, “fair” and “durable”. For example, the “good” criterion requires that companies maintain their original headquarters and do not relocate, while “healthy” refers to the rigorous control of the chemistry used in production. The idea is that no company can be considered in the network if it does not meet all the criteria of these five pillars.

Listen to the episode to find out how current legislation turns into a “rubber wall” for virtuous companies. Furthermore, the concept of Made in Italy is put under the lens in the episode, where it is stated that “it is worth little or nothing” if not accompanied by effective controls. The concern is that products can be labeled as Italian even without respecting quality standards since there are no adequate controls on imports. Fast fashion lobbies heavily influence regulations, making it difficult to protect Italian sustainable practices.

Explore the common ground between food and fashion, discussing localisms and fast consumption/production, and new economic approaches such as “post growth“, more necessary than ever for a sustainable future.

We also reveal how certifications, which certainly help, can be misleading and how powerful fast fashion lobbies resist necessary changes. The European Green Deal could risk turning into a certification label that does not really address environmental issues – and not only that (find out which other important aspect it does not address). The episode highlights how many legislative initiatives tend to preserve the current business model, rather than tearing down an industrial system deemed dangerous. In short, the Green Deal may seem like a positive step, but it could mask an unchanged reality rather than bring about substantial changes.

In this dialogue that invites reflection and action, Dario paints a frank picture of the sector, helps us better understand some dynamics and introduces us to a reality that intends to sow a new way of producing and consuming by involving producers and consumers.

Table of Contents

1. 1. Definition of Slow Fiber (0:36)
   2. The comparison between textiles and agricultural supply chains (1:02)
   3. Problems of the textile supply chain (1:50)
   4. Sustainability in fashion (2:28)
   5. Career change towards textiles (3:34)
   6. Selection of member companies (9:00)
   7. Sustainability criteria and KPIs (11:39)
   8. The paradox and weight of certifications (17:23)
   9. The Slow Fiber audit system (19:06)
   10. The extra something compared to the current legislative model that wants to save both goats and cabbages (21:54)
   11. The need for a slowdown in consumption and a new economic model (24.56)
   12. Awareness-raising activities and demonstrations (34:11)
   13. Greenwashing and regulations (40:25)
   14. Future prospects and innovation (48:11)
   15. AI, blockchain and traceability (50:37)
   16. Made in Italy (53.14)
   17. Values ​​and economic model (53:17)

If you want to learn more, we recommend the Slow Fiber website and Dario’s book:

(The episode is in Italian. In case you would like to have the transcription in English write to us)

Pinatex is an innovative fabric created as a sustainable alternative to both mass-produced leather and polluting synthetic materials. It is made from pineapple leaves by Ananas Anam, a UK-based B-corporation. For the SUMAS sustainable fashion management MBA, I prepared a detailed analysis to evaluate the biological and technical life cycle, to understand the advantages and disadvantages compared to the triple bottom line* model and the SDGs to which the material contributes. This article reports the theoretical contribution related to the analysis.

*While “bottom line” traditionally refers to an organization’s financial performance, the “triple bottom line” approach broadens this perspective to also include social and environmental impacts.

 Puoi ascoltare qui l’articolo: Audio-à-porter – Maeko

Incontro Cinzia (Vismara) negli uffici di Maeko a Milano, sede della vulcanica attività di questa azienda tessile tutta italiana. Resto subito travolta dall’energia e dall’entusiasmo che lei e il marito Mauro (Vismara) pongono in questo progetto in cui credono molto, a costo di andare contro tendenza nell’attuale contesto industriale.

Maeko produce dal 1998 tessuti naturali di alta qualità a filiera controllata, impegnandosi  nello sviluppo di un’economia sostenibile rispettosa dell’ambiente e dell’individuo. Etro, Vivienne Westwood, Ferragamo sono alcuni dei marchi che utilizzano i tessuti di Maeko per le loro creazioni. Canapa, ortica, soia, crabyon, bambù, lino, cotone biologico, seta tousac, filato di latte, lana di yak, lane di pecora, alpaca e capra italiane: gli occhi scintillano tra rotoli e campioni di questi meravigliosi tessuti, impossibile resistere alla tentazione di toccare con mano la morbidezza di gomitoli e stoppini (sottili bande di fibra tessile). La canapa qui è la regina, a lei dedicano una festa speciale ogni anno, da lei tutto è iniziato quando ha colpito con la sua bellezza Mauro e lo ha spinto verso un nuovo percorso professionale (era osteopata), affascinato dai tessuti indossati dalle persone provenienti dall’Oriente che incontrava. È con la canapa che comincia l’avventura sostenibile di Maeko, dalla ricerca dei filati orientali, perché nei pochi paesi dell’est europeo in cui sono disponibili sono più grossolani. Abbiamo infatti perso, soprattutto in Italia, macchinari, conoscenze e abilità che una volta ci facevano eccellere nella produzione di filati di canapa, oltre che nella coltivazione della canapa stessa a uso tessile, mi spiega Cinzia.

Non si fermano alla produzione di tessuti e qualche anno fa acquistano una piccola e ben avviata tintoria industriale a Bregnano (Como), per fornire anche tutti i servizi tintoriali necessari per completare i processi utili alla produzione di tessuti finiti.

Dal 1998 la tessitura rientra nelle attività di Maeko, con l’affitto di telai, e da allora non si sono mai fermati. “Era un momento tristissimo per il settore, abbiamo rimesso i telai a funzionare per la tessitura della canapa e da quasi vent’anni lavorano per Maeko”, dice Cinzia.

Nel 2014 parte il progetto ambizioso RIFILOC, volto alla produzione del filato di canapa: insieme a due soci, l’agronomo Alessandro Mondello e l’agricoltore Andrea Cocca, Maeko aspira con passione e determinazione a far ripartire la storica produzione di canapa per uso tessile in Italia. A San Mauro Pascoli è infatti avviata la coltivazione biologica di circa 40 ettari di questa pianta e in parte di ortica.

In un instancabile vortice di energie e con un enorme entusiasmo nei progetti in cui credono fortemente, quest’anno compiono un passo ulteriore: hanno acquistato un’azienda di filatura a Biella. L’idea è di impegnarsi in una filiera produttiva integrata con cura, trasparente, avendo tutto in casa (al momento acquistano fibre da filare anche dall’esterno), dalla coltivazione alla fibra al filato al tessuto alla tintura, “per garantire un’agricoltura consapevole, una tessitura cosciente e capace in un prodotto completamente Made in Italy”, racconta Cinzia. “Ma l’acquisto aveva anche l’obiettivo di salvare l’attività portata avanti con maestria da una famiglia che da due generazioni vi lavora come se fosse un’oreficeria”, consentendo così al personale e al figlio del proprietario di continuare a lavorare senza interrompere la tradizione familiare.

Dalla cardatura delle lane nascono nastri, nastri fiammati, nastri con bottoni. Dalla ripettinatura, effettuata in un laboratorio esterno, sono creati prodotti come agugliati e stoppini, ma anche alcuni sottoprodotti tra cui imbottiti, isolanti e concime biologico, “ottenuto dal gruppo Giovani ingegneri torinesi, sciogliendo gli scarti inutilizzabili e sporchi della lana in una gigantesca pentola a pressione”, descrive Cinzia. “Non si butta via niente!”, esclamo. “Non c’è niente da buttare!”, mi corregge. Dalla filatura pettinata delle altre fibre nascono filati vegetali, animali e artificiali (per esempio dal nylon o dal poliestere riciclato usato nella mischia intima). Ogni tessuto riporta la precisa composizione, indicando anche percentuali minime (3-4%) di poliestere riciclato in ottica di totale trasparenza.

“Non c’era niente, anni fa su questo tavolo su cui stiamo parlando non avevamo nulla, solo dei pezzetti di tessuto e oggi possiamo acquistare un’azienda di filatura, salvandola. In tutte le cose che facciamo ci crediamo, a costo di rimanere in mutande. Abbiamo lo stesso coraggio e la stessa determinazione del primo giorno. E anche la stessa incoscienza!“, mi spiega con orgoglio Cinzia, guardando intorno ciò che hanno creato. Quando le chiedo se ci sono altre novità in vista, mi risponde a ragione: “Più di così?”, ma la guardo e capisco che non si fermano mai. Sono infatti alla ricerca di soci, disposti a imparare riguardo tutto il processo, dall’inizio alla fine, entrando a far parte come un tassello che completa il mosaico intero, “dove tutti gli attori hanno uguale importanza e fanno parte dello stesso progetto”, precisa Cinzia. In questo momento cercano anche allevatori di animali da lana, in particolare in Sardegna, da aggiungere a quelli con cui già lavorano in diverse zone d’Italia (Val d’Aosta, Lombardia, Toscana, Marche e Puglia), che dovranno garantire precisi criteri di tosatura, di cernita della lana e anche di alimentazione degli animali.

La sua straordinaria energia mi ha contagiata, non solo attraverso il racconto dell’impegno di Maeko e l’affascinante descrizione dei filati, ma anche coinvolgendomi in un interessante confronto su altri temi: con lei parli di tutto, di episodi di vita, di cibo, di viaggi. Accanto a noi Giovanna, amica e compagna di lavoro di Cinzia da tanto tempo, lavora senza sosta preparando con cura i campioni da spedire. Grazie per l’accoglienza e seguiremo i vostri progetti!

Link: https://www.maekotessuti.com

English – A whole Italian story: We met Maeko to find out more on sustainable fabrics and their ambitious project

I met Cinzia (Vismara) in the offices of Maeko in Milan, headquarter of the volcanic activity of this whole Italian textile company. I am immediately overwhelmed by the energy and enthusiasm that she and her husband Mauro (Vismara) place in this project in which they believe a lot, at the cost of going against the trend in the current industrial context.

Maeko has been producing high quality natural fabrics with a controlled supply chain since 1998, engaging in the development of a sustainable economy that respects the environment and the individual. Etro, Vivienne Westwood, Ferragamo are some of the brands that use Maeko fabrics for their creations. Hemp, nettle, soy, crabyon, bamboo, linen, organic cotton, tousac silk, milk yarn, yak, Italian sheep, alpaca and goat wool: the eyes sparkle between rolls and samples of these wonderful fabrics, it’s impossible to resist the temptation to touch the softness of wool balls and roving (thin bands of textile fiber). The hemp here is the queen, they dedicate a special party to her every year, from her it all started when she struck Mauro with her beauty and pushed him towards a new professional path (he was an osteopath), fascinated by the fabrics worn by people coming from the East he met. It is with hemp that the sustainable adventure of Maeko begins, from the search for oriental yarns, because in the few Eastern European countries in which they are available they are rougher. In fact we have lost, especially in Italy, machinery, knowledge and skills that once made us excel in the production of hemp yarns, as well as in the cultivation of hemp itself for textile use, Cinzia explains.

They did not stop at the production of fabrics and a few years ago they bought a small and well-established industrial dye-works in Bregnano (Como), in order to provide also all the dyeing services necessary to complete the processes useful for the production of finished fabrics.

Since 1998, weaving is part of Maeko’s activities, with the rental of looms, and since then they have never stopped. “It was a very sad moment for the sector, we put the looms back to work for weaving hemp and for almost twenty years they have been working for Maeko,” says Cinzia.

In 2014, the ambitious project RIFILOC, aimed at the production of hemp yarn, starts: together with two partners, the agronomist Alessandro Mondello and the farmer Andrea Cocca, Maeko aspires with passion and determination to restart the historical production of hemp for textile use in Italy. In San Mauro Pascoli the biological cultivation of about 40 hectares of this plant and partly of nettle has started.

In a tireless whirlwind of energies and with enormous enthusiasm in the projects in which they strongly believe, this year they took a further step: they bought a spinning company in Biella. The idea is to engage in a carefully integrated, transparent production chain, having everything internally (at the moment they buy fibers to be spun also from the outside), from cultivation to fiber to yarn to fabric to dyeing, “To ensure an aware agriculture, and a conscious and capable weaving in a completely Made in Italy product”, says Cinzia. “But the purchase also had the objective of saving the activity carried out with mastery by a family, that for two generations has been working there as if it were a goldsmith”, thus allowing the owner’s personnel and his son to continue working without interrupting the family tradition.

Ribbons, slub ribbons and ribbons with buttons are born from wool carding. From recombing, carried out in an external laboratory, products such as needle-punched felt and wool roving are created, but also some by-products including padded and insulating materials and also biological fertilizer, “Obtained by the group Giovani ingegneri torinesi (Young Turin engineers), by dissolving unusable and dirty wool waste in a giant pressure cooker”, describes Cinzia. “Nothing is thrown away!”, I exclaim. “There’s nothing to throw away!”, she corrects me. From the combed spinning of the other fibres, vegetable, animal and artificial (for example from nylon or recycled polyester used in intimate mixes) yarns are born. Each fabric has the precise composition, also indicating minimum percentages (3-4%) of recycled polyester with a view to total transparency.

“There was nothing, years ago on this table we are talking beside, we had nothing, only bits of fabric and today we can buy a spinning company, rescuing it. In all the things we do we believe in it, at the cost of losing our shirt. We have the same courage and the same determination as the first day. And also the same thoughtlessness!“, Cinzia proudly explains, looking around at what they have created. When I ask her if there are other news arriving, she rightly replies: “More than this?”, but I look at her and I understand that they never stop. They are in fact looking for partners, willing to learn about the whole process, from the beginning to the end, joining as a piece that completes the entire mosaic, “Where all the actors have equal importance and are part of the same project”, specifies Cinzia. At this moment they are also looking for breeders of wool animals, particularly in Sardinia, to be added to those with whom they already work in different areas of Italy (Val d’Aosta, Lombardy, Tuscany, Marche and Puglia), which will have to guarantee precise criteria of shearing, sorting of wool and also feeding of animals. Her extraordinary energy has infected me, not only through the story of Maeko’s commitment and the fascinating description of the yarns, but also by involving me in an interesting comparison on other topics: with her you talk about everything, about life episodes, about food , of travel. Alongside us, Giovanna, Cinzia’s friend and colleague for a long time, is tirelessly working preparing carefully the samples to be sent. Thanks for the welcome and we will follow your projects!

Link: https://www.maekotessuti.com

(Pictures: from Maeko’s Instagram profile)