All of our materials are sustainably certified —the yarns, the care labels, the thread that label was sewn with, the paper-tags, the box your knits are resting in, and even the box that box arrived in. Because sustainable design is about making something that is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.
We source only sustainably certified, natural and recycled yarns. Below is a list of those certifications we look for when we source our yarn.
Organic Cotton: Our organic cotton is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) the Organic Content Standard (OCS), and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). This means that no pesticides were used on the crops, ensuring that biodiversity and micronutrients are left in the soil, so future crops can continue to flourish and most importantly the farmers who care for the land are kept safe from health harming chemicals.
Cashmere: Certified cashmere through The Good Cashmere Standard, the Sustainable Fiber Alliance (SFA) and the International Cooperation Committee of Animal Welfare (ICCAW). All three of these certifications ensure that our cashmere is good for the goats' welfare, the farmer’s trade, and the biodiversity of the land the goats are raised on.
Organic Silk: Thousands of moths are often boiled alive to harvest their silk. That's why we only buy Organic Peace Silk (Ahimsa Silk, or Non-Violent silk). Peace silk is gently harvested. The tree that they grow in is never treated by fungicides. The silk worm is allowed time to fully metamorphosize and when the time is ready, the top of their cocoons are carefully removed, so the fully-matured moths can flutter away freely. Their silk cocoons can then be processed into ethical, beautiful, silky yarn.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out directly: info@estherandrews.com
All of our manufacturing in done in the United States between our studio in Indiana and a small manufacturer in New York.
Knitwear is one of the most sustainable forms of fashion manufacturing. The yarn is knit to shape, leaving no excess cut fabric scraps to be discarded and the little that is left over is easily recycled.
Our papers are made from recycled cotton clothing and processed with rainwater. Our printing press, located in California, hand presses them piece by piece.
Our cedar box packaging are a protective ecosystem made by local woodworker, Dustin Case. He makes the boxes in his Indiana studio (just 15 minutes away from us) using wood certified by the Forrest Stewardship Counsil (FSC).
Inside our packaging is a protective eco-system of museum grade tissue paper that is acid free and safe for our textiles and protects the materials from yellowing over time.
Your package is shipped inside a box made from 100% recyled cardboard and eco friendly tape that was manufactured in New Jersey.
We will continue to evolve as new sustainability efforts are made. If you have any questions about our practices, or ideas of what we can do to improve, I would absolutely love to hear from you anytime at info@estherandrews.com
