Selection of Material

How does Maloja select and determine what material to use?

Whenever we discover a new, sustainable material that we can integrate in our collection, we jump at the opportunity to add it. Approximately 75% of our functional materials are certified by bluesign®. Our desire is to increase this percentage and eventually develop products that are 100% bluesign® certified.

Organic Cotton

Cotton has always been a major focus of ours, especially in our streetwear collection. With just a few exceptions, over the last few years we’ve switched to organic cotton that’s grown free from chemical fertilisers or pesticides and with less water compared to traditional growing methods. So it feels better for you, for us, for everyone. Plus, we’re working with Remei, a company based in Switzerland standing for some of the highest standards worldwide for organic fair-trade cotton. All bioRe products have a sewn-in QR code that consumers can use to follow the full journey of their piece of clothing from start to finish: from growing the cotton, through all stages of production, right up to the finished product. This ensures complete transparency of the full production and value-added chain.

Hemp

Hardly any other material has such a positive environmental impact while also having such great functional properties as hemp. One of the oldest usable crops, natural hemp is sweat and odour-resistant, regulates moisture, dries easily, cools in warm weather and is robust, abrasion-resistant and anti-bacterial. What’s more, this multi-purpose plant doesn’t just grow quickly – it grows almost anywhere. It also needs less water and no pesticides to grow. In short, hemp is one of our favourite materials. That’s why we use it in our collections in a wide range of combinations with other materials.

Merino

Everyone loves Merino, including us! This material has multiple functions in one: it warms when the weather gets colder and cools when the temperature rises. Merino manages this by being extremely breathable and able to absorb 30% of moisture without feeling wet to the touch. It’s also both anti-bacterial and odour-neutral. We use different qualities of Merino or combine it with other materials to optimise functionality for specific requirements. In doing so, we pay attention to Merino sheep welfare – we only work with certified businesses that guarantee mulesing-free sheep farming.

Thermal Stretch ECO / Bike Stretch ECO

Functional, high-quality clothing made from recycled waste – it might sound like a joke at first, but it makes complete sense. Our Italian partner Miti has been fully dedicated to developing environmentally friendly materials. And for the first time ever, with Thermal Stretch ECO, they’ve created a textured stretch material made from 100% reused raw materials: recycled nylon (83%) and recycled elastane (17%). This makes previously unusable waste from thread production – including carpets, packing materials and fishing nets, as well as pieces of clothing and fabric scraps – reusable. All raw materials are exclusively sourced and prepared in Europe and processed into new material in Italy. Certified by bluesign, the highest textile standard for environmental, work and consumer protection worldwide.

Down

Down feathers are 100% natural, insulate heat and are literally “feather-light”. Since 2019, we’ve exclusively been using down feathers from Re:Down so our jackets can also be worn guilt-free. Re:Down is the clever, sustainable idea of collecting old pillows, duvets and sleeping bags, cleaning their contents and grading the raw material. This gives high-quality down and feathers a new lease of life to provide you with warmth, for example, as a filling in our jackets. With that, the production cycle is complete and everything circles back round. All the down feathers we use are certified in accordance with the Global Recycle Standard.

For more information, visit: https://en.re-down.com

Primaloft-Bio

Our close collaboration with PrimaLoft for insulation has resulted in the addition of a valuable material: PrimaLoft Bio. It essentially utilises fibres that are fully biodegradable, with no negative impact on the waste cycle. As a result, the material is extremely robust and long-lasting to keep you feeling great for as long as possible.

For more information, visit: https://www.primaloft.com/de/bio-product-page/

Waterproofing

We’ve got good news regarding impregnation, also known as DWR (durable water-repellent) coating or waterproofing: since the end of 2018, all watertight and waterproof materials developed by us in collaboration with our suppliers are fully PFC-free and coated with an ECO finish. This is an important step for us that we’ve worked hard to achieve so that we can meet our product quality requirements.

One exception is Material Gore-Tex Pro which we use for our high-tech line. In this case, Gore is working urgently to change this and guarantees switch-over by 2023. For more information, visit https://www.gore-tex.de/technology/responsibility/pfc-goal

Polygiene

Following the mantra “Wear More, Wash Less”, products treated with polygiene can be worn more times before washing. This makes them last longer and saves the environment and your wallet. Polygiene is a skin-friendly coating that ensures clothing keeps feeling fresh for longer. The silver salt treatment inhibits the growth of odour-forming bacteria and mould and therefore protects against unwanted sweat odour.