Why be sustainable?
Camilla, founder and designer of Amorilla, has been engaged for years as a consumer and as an activist in the field of sustainable fashion.
When Camilla decided to create its fashion brand, the necessary and fundamental requirement was that the whole production process was eco-sustainable and ethical.
It is crucial, according to Camilla, that the fashion industry begins to come to terms with the catastrophic consequences it is producing.
Being sustainable is increasingly becoming a necessity rather than a personal choice.
Love story #1: India
The first Love Story of Amorilla is the India collection (SS 2018), born in New York and handmade in India, in the Rajasthan region.
Every aspect has been designed and produced according to eco-sustainable standards, also making sure that the fabrics used are 100% vegan.
Love story #2: Italy
The Italy collection (AW 2019), has been designed in New York and totally developed within Italy.
The whole production process reflects the effort to make this collection sustainable and ethical on every aspect: the fabric is made mixing very eco-friendly natural fibers such as hemp and yak wool.
Amorilla has also chosen to work with Italian partners and facilities that has gained Oeko tex Standard 100 Certification.
1. Handmade, by real people!
Each phase of Amorilla's collections was created by hand by real people.
The pattern making, the engraving of wooden molds, the printing on fabric, the washing of the fabric, the phases of cutting and sewing up to the packing and shipping: it can be said that each Amorilla dress is 100% proudly done by hand, with no hurry.
The factory in which the clothes of the India collection are made is family-run and relies on external laboratories for hand printing.
The small tailoring lab that created the Italy collection is in Verona and is composed by two women who had survived to cancer and decided to start their own sewing business to celebrate life.
2. The choice of fabric:
Camilla always puts attention to the fabric: it has to be totally natural and sustainable and preferably local, in order to support the local economy.
The choice made for Love Story "India" fell immediately on a type of cotton produced only in India and hand-spun: Khadi cotton.
Becoming famous thanks to Gandhi, who had made it the symbol of India's economic and industrial independence,
is a fabric made of 100% pure cotton fibers.
For Love Story "Italy" Camilla decided to mix two extremely eco-friendly natural fibers: hemp and yak wool.
Mixing hemp and yak wool has generated a luxury fabric, made to be durable and soft at the same time.
Both hemp and wool are very breathable and hypoallergenic fibers, that warms you up when you need it and keep you cool when it's hot!
3. Certifications
All the colors used to print Amorilla Love Story "India" products have obtained the
AZO Free certification,
which means that no toxic substances are present.
It is extremely important that the colors used in printing and dyeing do not contain toxic substances, because these would otherwise be released into the environment with every wash, even after years, causing a serious problem of pollution.
Furthermore, our skin, in continuous contact with toxic substances present in the dye of clothes, can develop allergies or even very serious diseases.
The dyeing and printing process for Love Story "Italy" taken place within Italy,
where very strict European regulations about chemicals and toxic substances are applied.
In particular, the whole dyeing process is a low environmental impact process, carried out at a maximum temperature of 30°, so that the power consumption is minimized.
In the finishing phase, after dyeing, some aloe vera based softeners are used in order to make the treated product fragrant and light.
The belts has been printed in an Italian Facility based in Alba, that has the Oeko-tex Standard 100 Certification, thanks to its great commitment to sustainability.
4. Handicraft products, slow production
In a world where fast fashion is king, proposing new garments and new collections coming out every week, deciding to produce entirely handmade items and without hurry, is a real test of courage.
Each Love Story signed by Amorilla tells of unique technical and tailoring skills,
passed down from generation to generation.
Carving wood to create blocks, hand-printing meters and yards of fabric and sewing tailor-made clothes, asking them for a careful and detail oriented production, takes time. The same time that, in fast fashion, is reduced to the bone, preferring quantity to quality.
The wealth of an artisan piece, created with care, is indescribable.
Only when you have it your hands can you fully appreciate it, even in its defects. Yes, because when man creates, there can also be some small errors that make the garment true, unique and "transparent".
5. Scraps and their reuse
From scraps or mistakes you can still create something beautiful and useful!
Using the material considered scrap is another example of sustainability.
Amorilla still lacked the packaging, so Camilla decided to just use the fabric parts that were either advanced from production or were discarded for some printing errors to make bags.
Amorilla bags have multiple functions: protect the dress, present it with care and can be reused in as many different ways as you can come up with.
Camilla uses them for traveling, for example, because they help keep a suitcase well organized and in order!
6. Eco-friendly mailers
To be sustainable even in the shipment phase, we decided to use packaging made from totally recycled materials with double seal.
In this way the same envelope can be used for a second shipment (as a possible return).
The material used is 100% Recycled Eco Friendly Poly.
