The Pétratex garment workshop is a highly reputable establishment located in Carvalhosa, Portugal. For many years, this workshop has been recognized for the quality of its products and its exceptional know-how in the field of clothing. It is a European leader who remains totally in line with our values.
Expertise, ecology and social
Production is the lifeblood of a textile brand. No efficient and reliable workshop, no products. No good products, no good customers... This is the most important link. We knew this from the beginning with our various experiences and today we collaborate with the most qualified of them in Europe. Its significant development has not obscured the human and social aspect as well as respect for the environment. They have almost all the labels that a workshop can have, GOTS OCS, GRS, etc. Pératex employees are experienced professionals, trained to guarantee an excellent level of quality at each stage of the manufacturing process. What we also particularly like is our relationship with Luisa, Angela and Sergio for production monitoring. It's always nice to spend time there with the teams.
Fashion, sports and outdoor
Pératex specializes in making clothing for the most demanding sports and outdoor brands. Thanks to its expertise and experience, the Pératex clothing workshop is able to produce superior quality clothing thanks to seamstresses trained for excellence. The workshop is equipped with innovative high-tech machinery.
Today's structural and economic challenges
We have plenty of challenges to take up, the rise in raw materials and energy. But not only that, we are also studying a just-in-time pre-order model, piece by piece. Together, all the changes necessary to make our production even more innovative and more ecological are easier to grasp.
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Q-nova is an extremely light and breathable material, which makes it ideal for sports socks. It allows air to circulate freely around the foot, reducing perspiration and leaving feet dry and comfortable. In addition, Q-nova is resistant to abrasion and wear , it is an ideal material for intensive sports activities.
Combine business with pleasure
Complementing its performance properties, Q-nova is also environmentally friendly. It's made from recycled materials, making it an eco-friendly choice for consumers who care about their impact on the environment. Obtained from regenerated nylon raw materials, it is an excellent substitute. Nylon being for its part very energy-intensive and in addition it degrades very slowly in our post-consumer environment.
A validated life-size test
It seemed interesting to us to use Q-nova in the creation of its sports socks. After 18 months of races by the whole community, it turns out that it is an ideal choice for demanding athletes who are looking for a comfortable, safe experience (who has not had sores on their feet raise their hands) and who also have an environmental conscience.
Over the course of races and training, we are amazed by the durability of this material.
A perfect marriage for sport
The mix of materials is a key element in the creation of high performance sportswear. Merino wool and tencel are two materials that, when combined, provide exceptional comfort and unique breathability and temperature regulating properties.
The properties of merino wool
Merino wool is a fine, soft wool that comes from the Merino breed of sheep. This wool has natural thermoregulating properties that make it ideal for sportswear. It allows the skin to breathe by allowing air to circulate, which helps maintain a comfortable body temperature during physical exercise. Merino wool is also naturally odor resistant.
Tencel, a very ecological material
Tencel is an ecological material made from poplar, eucalyptus, birch or oak wood pulp. It is soft to the touch and offers excellent breathability for our Salvan tongue sleeve. Tencel is also mildew and odor resistant, making it ideal for outdoor activities. In addition, this fiber uses 95% less water and emits half the carbon dioxide compared to traditional materials.
And the winner is...
The end result is a fine, silky and super light knit. About 100 grams for a size M. It is obviously a garment that you keep in "first layer", in contact with your skin. Its use goes beyond sports. This composition is very comfortable to wear, day and night.
At Spiridon, we have chosen to use environmentally friendly dyes, we explain why.
]]>At Spiridon, we have chosen to use environmentally friendly dyes, we explain why.
For centuries, textile dyes came mainly from plants. Of course, we were far from the bright colors that we can find today in fast fashion stores… The process was much more respectful of the environment. Things started to change at the beginning of the 19th century with industrialization.
“We can predict the next fashionable color, by looking at the color of the rivers in China”.
This chilling quote from Orsola de Casto, co-founder of fashion revolution, is close to reality. This is what we can see in the documentary RiverBlue , in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where the waters are hyper polluted, the aquatic biodiversity has been completely destroyed, because certain toxic products prevent the survival of any living species.
There are many examples like the one in Dhaka, India, China… The Li River in Xiantang, once dubbed "Pearl of China", due to the use of lead and mercury for dyeing jeans, today today, it is impossible to fish or to consume the water of the river.
Thousands of chemicals are used to make the dyes, sometimes they use tar derivatives or heavy metals. This necessarily and intrinsically has an impact on the health of the people who make these clothes and fabrics, with hormonal imbalances or even cancers. And if these products have a direct and obvious impact on workers, it also has an impact on consumer health.
Labor and environmental protection legislation in Asia is sometimes non-existent. It is for this reason that many fast fashion brands decide to manufacture in these countries, because “everything” is allowed there, to increase profits.
If some brands are not sensitive to these issues, it is unthinkable at Spiridon to offer sportswear that is dangerous for both people and the environment.
Faced with the challenges facing our society and our planet, we have chosen to favor mineral dye.
As you will have understood, the consequences of fast fashion are disastrous. Given the values we have held since the creation of Spiridon , it was impossible for us to create sportswear without respect for the environment and people.
When we looked for workshops to make our clothes, we discovered mineral dye at our partner Pératex.
This ancient technique was used mainly in Asia and Africa, the oldest clothes found and dyed with minerals date from the 6th century.
We have selected a workshop with a responsible practice that respects the life cycle of soils, uses natural materials such as clay, natural salts and earth minerals.
Compared to chemical dyeing techniques, mineral dyeing consumes much less water, energy and toxic products, and if certain chemicals are used, they are GOTS certified .
Also, mineral dye is much less dangerous for the planet and health, and we LOVE that!
Mineral dye has another advantage, it is resistant over time to washing, water, perspiration, friction and light...
Well, it was important for us to talk about this subject and to inform you about the impact of dyes. Alternatives exist, each brand can offer techniques and solutions, regardless of the size of the structure.
At Spiridon, we have decided to go even further in our ethical and eco-responsible brand objectives, which is why we have chosen mineral dye for our new cotton collection.
LAPIS-LAZULI: metamorphic rock composed of lazurite and calcite, it is one of the main sources of blue pigment.
AZURITE: high quality blue pigment. copper carbonate
CALCANTITE : high quality copper sulphate blue pigment.
HEMATITE: the ocher red color comes from this mineral.
CINABRIUM : less intense red pigments intense red pigments are obtained from this mineral
REALGAR : less intense red pigments intense red pigments are obtained from this mineral
MALAQUIT: one of the minerals used to obtain green dye.
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