HOW ONE CANADIAN RETAILER IS COMMITTED TO REVIVING SUSTAINABLE, ETHICAL FASHION
Thanks to consumers who want to know where their clothes came from and how they were made, the fashion industry is undergoing a revolution.
At the heart of the return to an ethical way of living that respects the environment without compromising elegance or comfort is the fibre used in our clothing. To pull its weight in this new landscape of sustainable wear, it must be naturally and ethically grown, comfortable, and of superior quality that withstands the test of time.
“People have become aware of how they consume in every aspect of their lifestyle,” says Kinza Nasri, artistic director at ça va de
soi. “When you wear products made from natural fibres, in the finest microns possible, it’s like switching to organic food. You start feeling better.”
The Montreal-based clothing retailer, which has six stores across Ontario and Quebec, has championed sustainable wear for decades before it became fashionable. It recently caught the attention of Hollywood actress Sarah Gadon, who appears in their Spring/Summer 2017 campaign.
“We care about using natural fibres. Cotton is a big industry, and not all of them are comfortable or organic. What has been important to our family since we started more than 30 years ago is offering the highest grade wools, cottons and cashmeres in existence,” says Nasri, whose father, Antoine, immigrated from Syria as a teenager in 1970 and founded the company only 20 years later.
“While our yarn supplier also supply the high-end knitwear, it is our constant mission to offer value in the actual raw material; wools of the finest microns, and cottons of the longest staples. Demystifying luxury by respecting every human in each step of production gives us a reason to create and produce our collections. Slow fashion is the motto, we love to hear people say ‘I’ve had this sweater for more than seven years.’”
Among their offerings are a summer cotton that ventilates heat from the body, a thousand-wash cotton, socalled because it never pills and lasts a lifetime, and a silky, four-season cotton that keeps its wearer cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
But their pride and joy is the “white gold” of all cotton called Nilo, a blend of two of the rarest breeds in history that is grown exclusively in the Nile Delta. It is the first luxury Egyptian cotton that is also organic, and ça va
de soi is the only Canadian brand to showcase this cotton in their collection.
Considered one of the most valuable cottons in the world, Nilo is grown without the use of pesticides or other toxic chemicals; water use is limited and both the supply chain and industrial processes are monitored and certified by independent, internationally-recognised certification authorities. As a partnership between
ça va de soi’s Italian yarn supplier and the Egyptian government, the promotion and support of the Nilo variety is part of a five-year program called Cotton for life. It helps support local, small production farmers with their crops, while learning how community work gives back to nature by respecting and honouring organic practices.
“It’s a new way of giving back to local communities, instead of exploiting the people,” says Nasri. “The movement respects 17 different criteria built around the idea of sustainable fashion, and it honours the humans behind it, the nature and the water.”
Closer to home, in promoting less consumption, ça va de soi recently launched ça va bain , a spa for knitwear located at their Westmount boutique in Montreal. The spa employs techniques such as hand washing, blocking and combing with eco-friendly products to bring shirts and sweaters back to life again. Customers can drop off their items at any store for washing, repair and alterations, and receive their items wrapped in recycled tissue paper with anti-moth sachets of lavender and pepper, in a chic, 100 per cent cotton laundry bag.
“While we work with the last few ladies in Montreal and Quebec City who learned the rare and coveted craft of weaving knits to repair holes of any kind and give a second life to sweaters, we are starting partnerships with fashion and textile schools to join workshops and keep this workmanship alive and raise interest in the new generation. One of the ways we love to give back,” says Nasri.