For us, sustainability goes beyond environmental impact. It’s about local economic sustainability too. Our values begin with the protection and development of people and communities, placing them at the center of our decisions.
OUR VALUES
We believe the best thing we can do for the environment is to make small numbers of quality products that last a long time. A good product that is looked after is likely to have an extended life, which means we don’t need to make as many of them.
Carlota Barrera shapes its business model to be as ethical a brand as possible by going the extra mile to positively impact the environment. The best practices represent Carlota Barrera’s identity:
Using Recycled materials
Using natural materials
Redesigning
Reusing
Reducing
Made to order system
Creating circularity
Rerouting: Planning & Logistics
At Carlota Barrera we are committed to sustainability as one of the strategic drivers of our philosophy. An approach that has not been limited to mere production but has embraced related issues, more humane and ethical, close to the company. For us, sustainability goes beyond environmental impact. It’s about local economic sustainability too, which is why we feel it’s really important to support small businesses. We produce all our products close to home, in small workshops that are mainly family owned in Spain, Italy, Portugal and UK. This means we keep close contact with our partners while also lowering the carbon footprint.
Our values begin with the protection and development of people, placing them at the center of our decisions. We seek to guarantee work environments where human labor rights are respected and promoted, identifying the needs of workers in the areas where we operate.
We avoid over-production and over-stocking with with a Core Collection based on timeless pieces and a Made to Order System. Our view of luxury is one that centres on quality, comfort, durability and timeless elegance – the Core Collection is the best encapsulation of these values, and the foundation of our sustainable approach. It is quintessential thoughtful design that transcends seasons and puts the wearer first.
At a time when we are all being asked to consider what is really essential, this perspective feels more relevant than ever.
NOBLE MATERIALS
We use what we call noble materials as much as possible. We believe these age better, are less harmful to the environment and kinder to the skin.
All our linings are made from sustainable cupro, a plant-based material made from cotton waste, teeny tiny silky cotton fibres known as linter. Lint fibers are usually discarded in cotton production because they are too small to spin. Cupro is also known as vegan silk because it is soft and smooth and contains no animal by-products. Hypoallergenic, antistatic, stretch resistant, extremely durable and temperature controlled.
TENCEL™ branded lyocell and modal fibers are produced by environmentally responsible processes from the sustainably sourced natural raw material wood.
TENCEL™ Modal fibers are known for being exquisitely soft and pleasant to the skin, offering a range of features: botanic origin, sustainable production, gentle on skin, long-lasting softness, contributes to breathability, color retention and biodegradability.
REPURPOSED LEATHER
We appreciate the quality and durability of leather and we want to create exceptional garments participating in an alternative leather industry. Our production process involves sourcing pre-owned leather garments and carefully unpicking every piece to treat and nurture the leather. After that, we re-cut the pieces to fit our pattern, adding a sustainable cupro lining for comfort. The garment is hand-cut and entirely subject to the size of the leather pieces available, therefore the composition (panel sizes and seam placement) is unique to each piece. This allows us to create a circular process in which we re-use durable materials and turn them into a high quality garment that is meant to be either for life, or repurposed again.
DEADSTOCK
Minimising waste is at the core of our design process. We work with deadstock materials and end of roll fabrics and give them a second life. We are part of a textile buying and selling community that reduces the problem of textile waste and minimises the environmental impact of the fashion industry, fighting fashion’s waste problem and helping spread the message of circularity. This circular model is better for the environment than other sustainable certified fabric: zero resource consumption, zero emissions, zero disposal, and minimal energy use.
