Materials
Cotton
We do our very best to pick the best quality cottons for our pieces and they are always 100% cotton. Most of our cottons are Oeko-Tex certified and are hand woven in India. At Vidou we encourage the use of natural fibres for a variety of reasons, amongst those, feel, quality and circularity. Our dresses are fully biodegradable, as are our trousers. Unfortunately, our zippers are not but they are recyclable.
Linen
Flax is a strong plant best grown in northern Europe. It needs little or no fertilisers and due to the local climate, little extra water. It doesn’t really require many pesticides either as it can grow in poor quality soil. The Advisory Commission Report to the European Parliament stated that flax cultivation has positive effects on eco-system diversity as it allows for an “environmental pause”. One hectare of flax can retain 3.7 tonnes of CO2. Every part of the plant is used, what isn’t used to produce linen can be used to make linseed oil, paper, cattle feed or even soap.
Linen is therefore almost naturally organic. It is completely biodegradable, recyclable and due to its natural absorbency, it requires less dye than cotton. Linen therefore scores high on the ecological chart. Our linens are also dyed with AZO-free dyes and are Oeko-Tex certified.
Deadstock
As much as we would love to say that our entire collection is biodegradable, we would be lying and also missing out on using some fun and exciting fabrics that shimmer, sparkle and help create shape. To keep our promise to the world, we ensure that our fabrics are deadstock and never create more garments than is necessary, making your unique piece one of very few ever made.
Haberdashery
Our sustainability trickles even into our magical collection of haberdashery. All of our buttons are biodegradable and made out of agoya shell or corozo seeds, also known as vegetable ivory. Our zippers are YKK Natulon eco-friendly zippers made from recycled PET bottles. They can also be re-recycled.
Suppliers
At Vidou we are committed to working with materials and fabrics that contribute to the care of this planet. Sourcing good quality fabric made of 100% natural fibres where possible so that we are confident in the full circularity of the product and making sure that it will decompose without adding to the ever-growing mountain of textiles on our planet. When materials used cannot be compostable, deadstock fabrics are used instead and will be stated on the label.
Full transparency within the textile industry is not easily found as the process is long, hard and involves multiple different disciplines to manufacture. It can be grown in one country, woven in another and dyed in another, crossing the world by the time it reaches a shop floor. We actively do our best to question provenance of fibres, where it was woven, dyed and printed, as well as purchase fabrics straight from the mill thus cutting down transport. When visiting fashion production exhibitions, we are constantly keeping an eye out for producers of fabrics and trimmings that have ethics and sustainability as a core value.
We purchase our fabrics from reputable sources, including:
Merchant and Mills
A wonderful family-owned business based in Rye, that works tirelessly to provide fabrics that are ethical and sustainable and most of all good quality. They focus on natural fibres, mainly linen but also offering a range of cottons and deadstock fabric sourced from India and Japan amongst others. Merchant and Mills sell their own clothing patterns as well as hosting sewing lessons both online and in person.
Ray Stitch
Is a small company based out of Islington, striving to offer London an array of beautiful sustainable fabrics sourced and designed with care. Their certified organic cotton comes from a family run producer in India, their bamboo silk from an organic farm in China and their linen is from Europe. They also offer a lovely selection of haberdashery items and sewing lessons to encourage people to learn about making their own clothing and the processes required.
MANUFACTURING
B Fashion Studio
Most of our production run is made with our wonderful atelier based in Greenwich. With over 20 years of experience in the luxury fashion industry they guarantee the utmost quality and craftsmanship. It is comprised of a wonderful team of women, headed by Giedre, who runs the factory impeccably, following a rigorous ethical and sustainable code of conduct. They champion domestic production, working hand in hand with local suppliers and working with university students to empower young designers to look towards more sustainable techniques and materials.
Nessie, Emily and Nicola
Also, part of our team are our tailors, Nessie, Emily and Nicola who we work with closely when experimenting and developing our limited-edition pieces. Based all over the UK, they are very talented and a treasured part of our team.
