Some of you may know by now that I love (double-certified) wood-based fabrics. (They are so soft!) I am grateful to have connected with an amazing woman, Leonie Meier, at the Forestry and Timber Section of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), who far out-nerds me when it comes to her depth of knowledge in regards to all things cellulosic wood-based fabric.
I’m not even sure where to start. Should I share that the UNECE and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have a Forests for Fashion campaign or dive into the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, which launched earlier this year in Nairobi, Kenya?
Two weeks prior to speaking with Leonie Meier, I was listening to the Wardrop Crisis Podcast (a must-listen). I genuinely felt like a bobblehead agreeing with so many of the points that Simone was making about the current global state of the fashion industry. He explained that it is just as important to support small businesses that utilize waste to make consumer goods as it is to support large companies that are currently seeking out sustainable fabric options and better manufacturing practices. Both have an impact.
In addition to LENZING™, TENCEL™, LENZING™ ECOVERO™, and VEOCEL™, Leonie Meier introduced me to the growing popularity of Naia, produced by the Eastman Chemical Company. Naia has a variety of fabric options for athleisure wear-weight knits and wovens, as well as intimate apparel. According to many sources, including Sourcing Journal, the current fabric-buying trend is for brands to seek out sustainable options. The hand, stretch, and drape for intimate apparel is very important when sourcing new fabric options. Based in the US, Naia is growing with its clients, listening to their needs, and matching them with innovative options including blends to create specific effects. And I can’t express enough my joy at these levels of certification that Naia has earned.
