At Merlette, the ability to create and connect inspires us, and we recognize that creation bears a huge responsibility. Here are some of the ways that we work to minimize our impact on the environment.
FABRIC PROGRAM
SUSTAINABLE COTTONS
We work primarily with Pima Cotton—over 70% of our collection is created from it. 100% Pima Cotton is more traceable than conventional cotton and more responsibly grown along with Better Cotton for our tumbled cotton fabrics.
OEKO-TEX® CERTIFIED
All our fabric has been tested and certified to be free from harmful levels of more than 100 substances.
HAND-WASHING
Our natural fibers can be hand washed or machine washed on a gentle cycle, allowing you to skip dry cleaning as much as possible.
MAXIMUM USAGE
By using our own proprietary cotton fabrications every season, we avoid excess fabric waste that often ends up in landfills or as deadstock fabric.
RESPONSIBLE MANUFACTURING
SLOW FASHION
We support the talented artisans that are a unique and irreplaceable part of this movement.
GOOD CONDITIONS
Our artisans are paid fair wages and work in safe areas, regularly visited by labor officers who inspect the manufacturing facilities and ensure proper working conditions are met.
RESPONSIBLE MANUFACTURERS
Merlette staff personally audits our manufacturers globally to ensure that our high standards are maintained.
MORE DETAILED INFORMATION -
SUSTAINABLE COTTONS
100% Pima Cotton, which is US-grown, is more traceable than conventional cotton and more responsibly grown along with Better Cotton for our tumbled cotton fabrics. Pima cotton is an extra-long staple (ELS) cotton which makes it stronger, more pill resistant, wrinkle resistant and longer lasting.
Better Cotton is produced by farmers who minimize the impact of cotton farming on the earth, practice water stewardship and promote fair working conditions.
The fabrications of lawn and poplin were developed custom for Merlette which allows us to reduce waste and use the fabric efficiently. As we pre-purchase greige fabric, we can then dye only what we need for samples and production. Using the same fabric for 70% of our collections allows us to drastically reduce waste and keep any excess fabric in stock in our repeat colors such as black, white and navy.
OEKO-TEX® CERTIFIED
All our fabric has been tested and certified to be free from harmful levels of more than 100 substances.
HAND-WASHING
Our natural fibers are able to be hand washed or machine washed on a gentle cycle, allowing you to skip dry cleaning as much as possible. This will give the garment a longer life also and allow the wearer to enjoy it for years to come.
MAXIMUM USAGE
By using our own proprietary cotton fabrications every season, we avoid excess fabric waste that often ends up in landfills or as deadstock fabric.
LINEN
Linen is a sustainable fiber due to its biodegradability, durability, and low water and pesticide requirements during cultivation.
GOTS CERTIFIED DENIM AND ORGANIC COTTON JERSEY
Our denim and organic cotton jersey are GOTS certified, ensuring they meet high standards for environmental and social responsibility.
OZONE WASHED DENIM
We use ozone washing for denim, which significantly reduces water usage compared to traditional methods. Our factory uses the latest washing machine technology and performs the wash in-house thereby reducing the use of energy, chemicals, water and stones.
HAND LOOM FABRICS
Our handloom fabrics in India are yarn-dyed and use 90% less water than mill-dyed fabrics. Handloom weaving also helps us to conserve resources as it does not require electricity or water in production and our woven products are created from natural fibers. Handloom products are made to order, ensuring we do not waste materials or overproduce.
TRACEABILITY
We ensure full traceability on all our fabrics, providing transparency from raw material to finished product. Merlette requires mill and source information from all of its factories and audits the suppliers of the raw materials.
NATURAL BUTTONS
We use buttons made from shell or natural corozo nut, reducing our reliance on synthetic materials.
PRIORITIZING NATURAL FIBERS
We prioritize natural fibers and do not use synthetics unless they are naturally derived, such as viscose, which is kept to a minimum.
SLOW FASHION
We support the talented artisans that are a unique and irreplaceable part of this movement.
GOOD CONDITIONS
Our artisans are paid fair wages and work in safe areas, regularly visited by labour officers in the countries where we produce which includes India, Turkey and Peru.
RESPONSIBLE MANUFACTURERS
Merlette personally audits our manufacturers globally by our staff to ensure that they meet the code of conduct and compliance, quality and responsibility standards outlined in our vendor guide.
RECYCLED SHIPPING MATERIALS
We use recycled boxes for shipping and are eliminating paper by using compostable bags and flatpack packaging to reduce our carbon footprint.
ARTISAN-MADE ACCESSORIES
Our accessories are made by artisans using sustainable fabrics and non-leather materials, promoting traditional craftsmanship and reducing environmental impact. We use women-supporting businesses that employ mostly women in factories in Peru for knitwear and embroidery in India.
NEW INITIATIVES
ELIMINATION OF PLASTIC HANGERS AND VIRGIN POLY BAGS
100% elimination of plastic hangers and virgin plastic poly bags, transitioning to a compostable flatpack bag for all items of clothing as of Pre Spring 2025 Season (shipping in November 2024). We have around 2000 units in stock in the warehouse on hangers still, and we anticipate this will be completely phased out by the end of 2025.
NEW FAIR TRADE PARTNERSHIPS
Exploring a new Fair Trade collaboration for our hand loom fabrics with Heritage Weavers and Sonica Sarna
