SUSTAINABILITY REPORT JUNE 2021
SENZATEMPOFASHION.COM | @SENZATEMPOSTYLE | CIAO@SENZATEMPOFASHION.COM
HOW WE DEFINE SUSTAINABILITY PRIORITIES DOMESTIC PRODUCTION QUALITY NOT QUANTITY DURABILITY LONGEVITY VERSATILITY
A BUSINESS MODEL THAT’S MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE BY DEFAULT NOT DESIGN High quality, versatile clothing in timeless styles guides Senza Tempo’s design philosophy, and enables customers to keep and wear the clothing longer. Domestic manufacturing along with a largely regionalized supply chain in the greater Los Angeles naturally lowers our overall carbon footprint. We believe this model is the most effective way to lower our overall environmental impact.
VERSATILE DESIGN Increases utilization
TIMELESS STYLES Items relevant longer
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION
QUALITY CONSTRUCTION
Shorter distance to travel
More durable longer lasting garment
MINIMIZES CARBON IMPACT
I. RESEARCH: GARMENT USE How many ways can you wear an item? Will the style and construction last? These are questions we ask when designing and before deciding to produce garments.
A 2019 study from Mistra Future Fashion of Swedish consumers showed that using garments twice as long before disposal lowers a garment’s carbon footprint by 49% — more than any other measure a producer can take.
II — RESEARCH: GARMENT LIFESPAN A 2020 study from the Oslo Metropolitan University identified several key factors that affect a garment’s lifespan: • Fiber content — silk and wool have the longest lifespans • The number of purchases in the last 12 months, every 10 items purchased reduces the lifespan of items by 5 months • Fit – the easier to alter or having stretch adds to the lifespan • Overall durability • Quality and ability to mend an item • Garment price
These findings dovetail with Senza Tempo’s quality not quantity philosophy
III – RESEARCH: UTILIZATION The average number of times a garment is worn before it ceases to be used has decreased by 36% according to the Ellen MacCarthur Foundation. They also estimate that customers lose $460 billion in value by throwing way clothes they could continue to wear, and some garments are thrown away after only 7 to 10 wears.
IV — RESEARCH: BUY LESS
We believe increasing clothing utilization is crucial to any credible sustainability strategy which is why we focus on quality, versatility and timeless styles.
A study out of the University of Arizona found that buying less is better than buying ”green” both for the planet and one’s personal happiness.
Green buying, unlike reduced consumption, still offers a way for materialists to fulfill their desire to accumulate new things.
AMERICAN PRODUCTION ETHICS, ENVIRONMENT & ECONOMICS Domestic production is central to our philosophy and helps us naturally reduce our overall carbon footprint. It is also about doing our part to contribute to the return of American manufacturing jobs. More information can be found on our website about why we chose domestic production. The atelier where Senza Tempo is made SENZATEMPOFASHION.COM/MADEINLA
LABOR STANDARDS Domestic production is about ethics and quality control that is simply not possible with overseas production as an American based brand. It enables us to stay in close contact with the atelier, where all of the work is done for Senza Tempo from sampling to production. We view the atelier, shown right, as our partner and extension of our team, not a vendor.
• Our atelier uses the most efficient methods to minimize waste during the cutting process • Leftover scraps used for upcycled accessories when possible
• We are transitioning our polybags to biodegradable versions • Non-biodegradable versions remain, but all new inventory uses biodegradable versions • We are looking to replace hangers with recyclable, or bamboo hangers that can be reused
Shipping
• Regional supply chain that uses deadstock fabric helps us order only what we need
Packaging
Fabric
WASTE REDUCTION STRATEGIES
• A supply chain centered around the greater L.A. area helps us naturally reduce our carbon footprint • We are searching for more eco-friendly shipping boxes and mailers that meets our requirements
THE TRADE-OFF: TRANSPARENCY VS. WASTE REDUCTION Using deadstock fabrics means giving up either transparency or traceability (or both) that you may be able to get when working directly with a mill, but does offer two environmental advantages:
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It saves on shipping and therefore carbon emissions since the fabric is already located in L.A.’s Garment District and does not have to be shipped. It also allows us to take existing fabric waste out of the system.
Whether we use deadstock or fabric milled specifically for us, we only use high-quality fabrics that we believe will create the longest lasting garment.
FABRIC SUPPLIERS Collection Supply Source Deadstock 37.5% On-Demand Stock 43.75% Milled to Order 18.75%
Using existing fabric from suppliers located in the greater Los Angeles area has been part of the Senza Tempo strategy from the outset. We always try to use existing fabric whether it is deadstock or the on-demand stock from local suppliers. This strategy allows us to only order what we need. Our milled to order fabrics is never wasted due to their high cost and for sustainability reasons. These fabrics are the finest, most luxurious European fabrics from Italy and Switzerland. Everything is used.
FABRIC ORIGIN We use as many Los Angeles based suppliers as possible. The on-demand fabrics originally come from Korea and England. Our milled to order signature fabrics are ordered in large lots and shipped directly from the mills in Italy and Switzerland. Consolidating our shipments lowers the total cost and carbon emissions. We also source some cotton fabrics from a family owned Los Angeles based mill. A full list of suppliers can be found on our website. SENZATEMPOFASHION.COM/SUSTAINABILITY
A regionalized supply chain helps us minimize shipping which saves costs and carbon.
FABRICS WE USE Because one of Senza Tempo primary goals is to create seasonless collections from breathable materials, we only use natural or plant based fabrics. Natural fabrics such as wool, cotton and silk are biodegradable unless they are mixed with elastane, Spandex or Lycra under current technology. Silk and wool are two of the most durable fabrics, and have the longest lifespan in consumer’s closets according to academic research.
How our collection breaks down Silk = 28.13% Silk-Wool =18.75% Virgin Wool = 18.75% Cotton = 21.88% Micromodal = 12.5%
Collection Recyclability Breakdown Fabric without stretch (recyclable) 62.5% Fabric with stretch (non-recyclable) 37.5%
BIODEGRADABILITY Fabrics with spandex or stretch are typically made with Elastane or Lycra, which is a form of plastic. The addition of stretch to a fabric inhibits the biodegradability of the garment. Current technology does not allow for garments with stretch to be recycled. Having stretch in a fabric does does add to comfort which can add to the longevity and wearability of a garment by making it more adaptable over time.
COLLECTION FABRICS WOOL
SILK
Pros Strong and durable Breathable ● Good for hot and cold climates ● Naturally water resistant Dirt, dust, stain and odor resistant Renewable resource
Pros Durable, has tensile strength of steel Breathable Good for hot and cold climates Renewable resource Hypoallergenic
Cons Shrinks easily Can be itchy Often requires special care and dry cleaning Not vegan Impact on grasslands from sheep
Cons Expensive Often requires special care Can wrinkle easily Animal welfare concerns around the silkworms during production
COLLECTION FABRICS COTTON
MICROMODAL
Pros Durable and strong Good moisture absorption Biodegradable Hypoallergenic
Pros Very strong and durable Breathable Fiber yield per acre from beech trees is higher than cotton
Cons Water intensive Biggest need for pesticides if not organic Tendency to shrink Loses quality when recycled
Cons No guarantee of sustainable practices chemical usage or deforestation without certification from mills Chemical intensive to spin reconstituted cellulose from beech trees, though less chemical intensive than viscose
ACTIVISM: ACTION NOT JUST WORDS Senza Tempo’s founder, Kristen Fanarakis, believes that it is important to lead by example through our business model to create fewer longer lasting products, and broadly promote more sustainable consumption habits. She also believes it is her duty to actively promote the adoption of better policies through thought leadership and activism. She spends a portion of her time working with a university think tank in Washington, DC — the Center for Financial Policy at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, which has a track that focuses on climate change policies for financial markets. She also actively works with the Garment Workers Center in Los Angeles, has been a signatory to Politically in Fashion’s letters to regulators and the administration, and other activist organizations.
PLASTIC USAGE & REDUCTION STRATEGIES Primary Plastic Usage Hangers Garment polybags
We are always looking for alternatives to plastics that suit our needs and budget so that we can reduce our plastic footprint without sacrificing our garment’s protection especially while in transit. Our hope is to find more reusable options.
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We hope to transition to reusable bamboo or recyclable hangers.
Shipping supplies
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to protect our garments.
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Zippers
We are in the process of transitioning to biodegradable polybags We are searching for more econ-friendly shipping supplies that meet our packaging requirements.
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We use invisible YKK zippers and do not have an alternative.
AFTERCARE Instructions on how to care for your Senza Tempo clothing has been on our website and social media since the outset of the brand. Proper care is essential to increasing the longevity of one’s clothing. Orders come with samples like, The Laundress Stain Solution, as a way to introduce customers to the suite of products and encourage better at home care.
SENZATEMPOFASHION.COM/CARETIPS
SUMMARY AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
WHERE WE DID WELL
PLASTICS
FABRICS
We are working to eliminate plastics from our supply chain in the form of packaging and shipping supplies and hope to meet this goal by Q2 2022.
We have always taken what we viewed as “common sense” approach to fabric sourcing and selection since inception that focuses on proven long-lived natural fabrics.
CARBON FOOTPRINT & WATER DATA We are actively pursuing this information and looking for alternative yet accurate ways in the absence of direct data from our suppliers to calculate our carbon footprint.
We were surprised when we calculated the source and origin of the fabric how well it ultimately aligned with our philosophy, and the latest academic research on garment lifespans.
LINKS TO RESEARCH I.
http://mistrafuturefashion.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/G.SandinEnvironmental-assessment-of-Swedish-clothingconsumption.MistraFutureFashionReport-2019.05.pdf
II.
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/21/9151
III. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/A-New-TextilesEconomy_Full-Report_Updated_1-12-17.pdf
IV. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191008155716.htm
DISCLOSURES In this report, we try to present information as objectively as possible in order to allow consumers to draw their own conclusions about whether our brand qualifies as “sustainable” from their perspective. Fashion is an unregulated industry where brands can make virtually any types of claims about their products, which is why we’ve always felt that quality is the best thing we can strive for in order to create a more sustainable product and that quality of our products should speak for themselves. That is the most transparent and sustainable thing we can do — provide a luxury quality, long-lasting garment. The majority of the figures provided about our collection’s composition can be verified from information available on our website. We have simply consolidated that information into a single report for ease. We present our approach to sustainability, along with recent science and research as it relates to sustainability in fashion. This will be a living document that evolves as research evolves. We do not have specific information from our suppliers regarding their carbon emissions, water intensity, and other key environmental data. We are actively gathering this data or reasonable estimates so that we can calculate our own carbon footprint. We do not believe in providing inaccurate estimates simply for the sake of providing a figure in order to satisfy marketing trends. The first rule of any statistics or data analytics course is — garbage in, garbage out. When we have faith in the data, we will disclose this information. We do, however, have common sense. The less we buy as consumers and the more use what we own, the lower our impact will be on the environment in the long run, which we hope this report shows.
5 RULES OF THUMB FOR SUSTAINABILITY CLAIMS I. Make clear what sustainability benefit the product offers II. Substantiate your sustainability claims with facts, and keep them up-to-date III. Comparisons with other products, services, or companies must be fair IV. Be honest and specific about your company’s efforts with regard to sustainability V. Make sure that visual claims and labels are useful to consumers, not confusing
These guidelines were recently published by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets. Though we are an American business, we find these guidelines to be useful as benchmark and will use them in future iterations of this report.
SENZATEMPOFASHION.COM | @SENZATEMPOSTYLE | CIAO@SENZATEMPOFASHION.COM