The New Sportswear Brand That’s Big On Sustainability

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The New Sportswear Brand That’s Big On Sustainability

Words by Ms Molly Isabella Smith

6 February 2019

This sailing-inspired line is stylish – and ethical, too.

What’s in a name? Quite a bit, as it happens (sorry Juliet). Like picking an appellation for your offspring, deciding what to call your brand is tricky. It has to neatly encapsulate the many facets of its identity and, in particular for new labels, convince people to part with their cash. That’s especially true when you’re a fresh face in the high-end market, a niche mostly populated by storied designer houses with centuries of history behind them. Which is why, for their first independent venture, Messrs Franco and Giacomo Loro Piana, took their time picking a name. They wanted something that could transport you to the great  outdoors in one word. A single syllable that enticed you to get back to nature. In the end, they settled on Sease, a portmanteau of “sea” and “ease”. To them, sailing, surfing or swimming is like a sigh of relief for our cooped-up, office-bound bodies – a breath of fresh, salty air.

The first collection is a laid-back town-to-country uniform inspired by sailing. Their take on the much-loved wind and waterproof Storm System adds new technologies including bio-fabrics (natural materials such as virgin merino wool with a performance slant) and a 100 per cent recycled polyester made from plastic bottles. Which brings us to one facet that defines the brand perhaps more than any other: sustainability. Everything, from the waterproof trenches and gilets to the linen trousers, is made within a few hundred miles of Milan using waste and water-management systems, resulting in a substantially lower carbon footprint. For the brothers Loro Piana, their consciousness of consumption and its impact on the environment isn’t just lip service or a calculated marketing ploy, it’s a ceaseless endeavour to be better and do better. And if that’s what luxury means today, well, we’re very much here for it.

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