We are very excited to share with you the exciting experience we had at the first Open Day at La Methode Laboratory.
The event was held with great participation on 10 June 2023 at our headquarters in Cardano al Campo and we are grateful to all those who participated in this special day for us.
From the very first moment, we realised that we were in front of a very attentive and aware audience, interested not only in understanding how to improve their approach to shopping, but also keen to understand what lies behind the production of clothing and what could be possible scenarios that could be used to reduce the impact of our lives on the planet.
The open day began with a guided tour led by the La Methode team; during this introduction, each guest was able to see and visualise the stages and production processes involved in transforming our raw materials (yarns) into semi-finished and finished fabrics, culminating in the creation of a garment.
However short, this supply chain can, if poorly managed, contribute to unjustified as well as harmful waste and social compression.
In fact, our mission starts right here; from the desire to preserve and propose a quality product, meaning both product and process; thus reducing pollution and waste.
The journey continued with an analysis of knitted fabrics made from the highest quality natural fibres, such as hemp, nettle, pre-consumer recycled cotton and Supima® certified cotton; we explored how hemp can be a decidedly sustainable fibre that can be cultivated on Italian soil (as it has been in the past millennia) and which, besides generating employment, would be decidedly environmentally friendly, requiring zero water and chemical inputs.
Rachele Invernizzi, CEO of South Hemp Technology and vice-president of FedercanapaHe explained how the cultivation of these fibres does not require the use of pesticides, favouring biodiversity and the regeneration of soils, which, if properly amended and with the right degree of moisture, do not require external inputs for the plant to grow healthy and strong.
Hemp is considered environmentally friendly from the growing stage, making it an environmentally friendly choice for the textile world, which still regards it with reserve and prejudice.
In addition to undisputed environmental benefits, the hemp plant enables the extraction of strong, durable and easily recyclable textile fibres. The products made from it contribute greatly to our commitment to creating a virtuous life cycle for the garments we produce.
We reproduce the audio extract of the speeches of the two speakers.
The difficulties and shortcomings of an extremely fragmented Italian hemp sector in which skills are rapidly disappearing and there is a profound need to network as well as to find serious investors to acquire the missing machinery also emerged.
The dialogue with Rachele ends with a big question... a big why.
Why are these fibres being abandoned when they should be pushed and promoted to an increasingly educated and conscientious public?
The answer lies in politics and knowledge.
Hemp was present in everyone's lives until the 1960s-70s and many remember its merits and durability, then it was ousted. It is up to us to make it known and bring it back to the market so that we can finally free fashion from trends, which are as fast as they are destructive.
Afterwards, we moved to the Creative Workshop and the floor was passed to Ruggero Giavini, a great textile technician who, besides having travelled and seen with his own eyes many realities around the globe, is also the promoter and founder of the community Vesti La Natura.
With him, we addressed the issues of fashion ethics and traceability in textile production, passing through certifications and subtle practices that, in addition to the now widespread "green-washing"allow us to understand when companies really adopt sustainable and responsible practices at every stage of the textile production process.
It is not easy. Very often, certifications are the document one relies on to prove quality and ethics, this happens in Italy and abroad. Unfortunately, however, a document is not enough to evolve and prove a certain direction.
Such certificates often contain nonsense and do not guarantee the quality, let alone the ethics of the products.
How, then, to navigate wisely?
Accustoming as well as educating to awareness and responsibility; starting with young people and showing them what are the most correct paths for the future; in this case the experience of those who have been in the industry for a lifetime becomes useful, necessary.
Accustoming as well as educating to awareness and responsibility; starting with young people and showing them what are the most correct paths for the future; in this case the experience of those who have been in the industry for a lifetime becomes useful, necessary.
In other words a shared commitment to ensuring that every material used is traceable and sustainably sourced, by companies and customers alike.
The open day then continued with a particularly significant and exciting moment for us, namely the recounting of the recently concluded project with Liceo Terragni, Centro Studi Casnati and the students of the fourth fashion address.
We will not tell you the whole project, you can read more about it in this article we have dedicated to them: Be the new Methode.
Working with the students was a rewarding experience as we saw their talent and creativity blossom in the creation of versatile and stylish garments.
The involvement of young people gave us hope for a future in which sustainable fashion becomes more and more a reality, driven by awareness and innovation.
Lastly, we went on to share why, and the mission of La Methode and our strong choices, which went against the market trend, such as the 'on-demand' approach, which, although encountering not a few difficulties on the digital side, aroused much interest and widespread understanding among the public.
Made-to-order production is the tool to avoid waste and to produce only the garments needed and requested by our customers. It sounds trivial but this is one of the decisive choices to combat the huge problem of overproduction, a subject to which we will devote an article in the coming weeks.
Making a product for a customer, carefully selecting raw materials, light manufacturing and finishing processes (see natural and unbleached fabrics) helps us to drastically reduce the environmental impact of our textile products, encouraging a more conscious and sustainable fashion.
We devote the utmost care and attention to the creation of each garment, with the aim of making it a valuable and lasting addition to the wardrobe of the wearer, encouraging reuse, repair and gifting.
The dense morning ended with a moment of free sharing in which each guest was able to engage in more intimate and precise discussions.
There was no shortage of time for testing the garments and ordering them, which gave us the feeling that we were on the right track despite the path presenting many difficulties.
Some customers were able to purchase the latest prototypes, which, thanks to the numbered hologram and customised packaging, were highly appreciated and gave the moment an even more special and unique aura.
These days, this confrontation and exchange of visions is decisive in creating a community around ideals and values which, only if shared, can lead to the affirmation of a project.
We realised that this approach was highly appreciated by our customers, giving value to people and products is what we believe makes the most sense to pursue.
In conclusion, we are grateful to all those who attended our Open Day and started supporting our mission of ethical and sustainable fashion.
Methode is more than just a clothing brand; it is a project and a commitment to a better future for fashion and our planet.
Thanks again to all participants for being part of this wonderful sustainable adventure with us!
Let's not forget Anna and her beautiful article dedicated to the Open Day.
See you in September for the next appointments in Milan and in autumn for the second open day.
