MATERIALS WITH A FEEL-GOOD GUARANTEE
WE LOVE PERFECT QUALITY AND WE LOVE THE WORLD WE LIVE IN
Our goal is to harmonise our high quality standards with other aspects of sustainability. An holistic sense of responsibility, without compromising on high quality and design – that is the basis of our actions.
QUALITY & DURABILITY ARE OUR TOP PRIORITY
A woman is at her most beautiful when she feels good. We do not want to compromise on what touches your skin. We want you to enjoy your favourite items for a long time. And enjoy a unique wearing comfort. That's why we put every material to the test in our in-house laboratory. In the laboratory, our materials are subjected to numerous tests, including for pilling behaviour, lightfastness, washfastness and rubfastness. Only if a material can meet our high quality standards will it be included in the Marc Cain range.
WE SET THE HIGHEST STANDARDS WITH OUR POLLUTANT MANAGEMENT
We have a so-called "Restricted Substances List" (RSL), which provides our suppliers with clear limits for the presence of chemical substances in the end product and is continuously increasing in demand. The manufacture of our more sustainable Rethink Together products must be compliant with the ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) MRSL. This means strict chemical guidelines are adhered to that go beyond legal requirements.
AS KNITTERS, WE TAKE SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
The materials we use
OUR PLANT MATERIALS
Plant-based materials include all fibres based on renewable, non-animal raw materials, such as linen and cotton. The fibres consist largely of cellulose, which is obtained from seeds, stems, fruits, leaves and their sap. One advantage of plant-based materials is that they can be used directly, i.e. they can be spun directly into yarn without industrial conversion processes. Articles made of cotton and linen are characterised by very good, light wearing comfort, especially at higher temperatures.
Our animal materials
These include the fibres, which consist of complex proteins and are of animal origin. Compared to synthetic fibres, merino, mohair, alpaka and co. are sustainable fibres: They are renewable, fully compostable and long-lasting in use - sustainability criteria that naturally need to be underpinned by a responsible and animal-free procurement process and environmentally friendly pasture management.
OUR SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
Synthetic materials also have their advantages. They are divided into two groups. One is elastane, polyester and polyamide, which are based on fossil raw materials. They give our products real added value in terms of fit and ease of care. On the other hand, cellulose fibres based on vegetable raw materials. They are particularly characterised by their airy loose fall and skin-friendliness. In both cases, the starting material is converted into a fibre with the aid of an industrial process.
OUR SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
We are aware that as a fashion company we have a very special responsibility. In order to conserve our earth's scarce resources and preserve the future viability of people, animals and nature, we are increasingly focusing on the use of sustainable materials that meet our high quality standards - such a valuable part of our DNA.
This goal goes hand in hand with our plan to continuously increase our share of more sustainable products, labelled as Rethink Together, continuously increase.
At Marc Cain, materials and fibres are considered sustainable if they actually have a lower environmental impact or better social impact than their conventional counterparts. The prerequisite for this is that the material is certified according to an internationally recognised sustainability standard that we accept.
OUR GOAL FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE COTTON
In 2021, we set a goal to source 50% more sustainable cotton by 2023. We have already achieved this goal in 2022. By more sustainable cotton we mean Better Cotton, Supreme Green Cotton®, organic cotton and recycled cotton. In addition, we regularly analyse human rights risks associated with the procurement of cotton. Based on this, we stipulate in our supplier contract that the cotton for our products must not come from the risk areas we have identified and take concrete steps to continuously increase transparency regarding cotton in our supply chain.
WE CREATE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT THE USE OF OUR SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
Since 2019, we have participated annually in the so-called "Material Change Index" of the Textile Exchange organisation. By participating, we are making our progress in switching to more sustainable materials visible to our end customer. At the same time, participation enables an industry comparison. The results of all participating companies can be viewed at the following https://mci.textileexchange.org/change-index/.
