Olistic: "Believing in a sustainable approach to fashion caring for people and the earth"

Sustainable fashion: A fashion respectful of the human and of the environment, based on ethics with two main concerns: social and environmental. Anchored in a philosophy of sustainability, it can take many forms: natural fashion, organic fashion, recycled fashion, ethical fashion, local fashion.

Eco responsibility: The desire to limit its impact on the environment by applying ecological know-how. Actual awareness of its own impact in fighting against pollution of water, air and land.

Impact: Impact generated by an organization that can take several dimensions: human, political, societal, environmental. The impact of an action or a project is the set of lasting changes that will occur whether they are positive or negative. Knowing your impact means following all the dimensions of your project, knowing the actions you have taken and the number of people you have reached.

Natural fibers: Natural fibers are 100% biodegradable, of animal or vegetable origin. The most used are cotton, linen, hemp, silk, wool, mohair etc.. The most innovative are algae, spider silk, wood fiber, coconut fiber, pineapple.

Silk of Peace Ahimsa: A natural protein fiber that was produced in an ethical way. The extraction of traditional silk usually involves boiling the silkworm. On the other hand, Olistic uses a humane silk manufacturing process that allows the silkworm to live.

Lyocell: This is an ecological fiber made from eucalyptus wood pulp in a closed circuit. The wood pulp used for lyocell production comes from trees planted specifically for its production. Eco-friendly, it is made in an environmentally friendly way, using non-toxic and recyclable solvents.

Leather leftovers: Olistic collects leathers leftovers from luxurious tanneries in France and Italy in order to create unique pieces. The goal is to use the existing one, which is very high quality, before producing again. The leather skins we used in the collection were destined to the food industry. We considerate leather leftovers a noble raw material that we should use not instead of burning or throwing away.

Transparency: This is a process aimed at providing consumers with a more comprehensive view on how the brand operates: key figures, purchasing raw materials suppliers, detailed explanation of the supply chain process, social and environmental impact.

Certifications: This is a pledge of quality to make sure that the product you are buying was produced with environmentally responsible materials that are not harmful to the environment. GOTS (Global Organic Textiles Standard), OEKO-TEX are textile certifications that allow you to trace the product throughout the supply chain from fiber to production.

Global Organic Textiles (GOTS): Certification that guarantees the biological quality of textiles from harvesting raw materials and from socially and environmentally responsible manufacturing, to labeling, in order to provide the customer with a reliable guarantee.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): This environmental label makes sure that the production of wood or a wood-based product complies with the procedures for sustainable forest management.

Genetically modified organism (GMO): A living organism whose genetic heritage was modified by human intervention. Often used in the food industry but also in the textile industry, GMOs are dangerous to the environment and the health of humans.

Chemicals & Toxicants used in the textile industry: Glyphosate, bleach, formaldehyde, PFC (perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals), NFE (nonylphenol ethoxylates and nonylphenol), ammonia, heavy metals (lead, chromium, VI, cadmium, antonomy), phthalates, plastisol.

Toxic: May cause death or serious damages to living organisms and the environment.

International Labor Organization (ILO): The UN specialized agency promotes rights at work, the creation of decent jobs, develops social protection and strengthens social dialogue in the workfield.

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE): The UNECE is part of the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, which was launched at the United Nations Environment Assembly. It aims at strengthening cooperation among United Nations agencies and programs on the social, environmental and economic dimensions of the fashion industry. The UNECE “Forest for Fashion“ initiative promotes the work of sustainable fashion designers who use wood fibers in their collections.

Forest Certification Recognition Program (PEFC): This private forest certification promotes sustainable forest management, especially for textile fibers.

UNECE Forest For Fashion: The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (Forest For Fashion) is part of the United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, launched at the Assembly of United Nations for the environment. It aims to strengthen cooperation between United Nations agencies and programs on the social, environmental and economic dimensions of the fashion industry. The UNECE Forest For Fashion supports the Olistic The Label collection made with wood fibers from sustainable forests.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 17 indicators established by UN Member States to meet 2030 targets

United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA): An assembly dependent on the United Nations Environment Program to which 193 member states have joined, UN agencies and intergovernmental organizations and civilians.
Olistic The Label participated in the United Nations assembly in Kenya in March 2019 and joined the alliance for sustainable fashion as a sustainable & activist brand.

The Sustainable Fashion Alliance: Launched in Nairobi, Kenya, the United Nations Sustainable Fashion Alliance is an organization bringing together institutions, industries and companies to commit to respectful fashion environment and people. The United Nations intends to take a leading role in the development of sustainable fashion with the 17 responsible objectives as indicators. Fashion having a significant economic and ecological weight, the alliance calls for concrete actions in the sector.

The Sustainable Fashion Alliance: The goal of the 2019 Climate Summit is to challenge states, regions, cities, businesses, investors and citizens to take action for energy transition, climate action financing and carbon pricing, industrial transition, local action and resilience

The Paris Agreement: The first universal agreement on climate / global warming. It followed negotiations held at the Paris 2015 Climate Change Conference (COP21) of the UN Convention.

COP 25: It was the 25th International Conference organized by the United Nations (December 2-13, 2019) in Madrid, Spain. This conference brought together the signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Fashion pact: This is a kind of coalition of fashion companies that united to take up on the biggest challenge of the sector: limit their impacts on climate, biodiversity and oceans by opting for the supply of sustainable materials or emissions offsets.

Know-how: The mastery of traditional or ancestral techniques that is part of the culture of a region, a territory. As an actual wealth, the silk tradition of peace must be preserved and perpetuated.

Crafts: All the goods designed and developed with heart and precision by a person who masters the entire production chain.

Wabi Sabi: Wabi refers to the fullness and modesty that can be experienced in the face of natural phenomena, and sabi, the feeling of things in which one can detect the work of time and the hand of Men.

Responsibility: Responsibility means the moral obligation to do what is right. This term when used by Olistic The Label means “made responsibly»: we refer to all the ethical and environmental considerations we have taken into account while manufacturing our garments.

Sustainability: A term used to summarize everything related to the sustainable subject. It is divided into three main pillars: social, environmental and economic. At Olistic The Label, we chose to use the three key pillars as follows : the human, the planet, the prosperity to build a rich and sustainable economy.

Sustainable: “sustainable” means to live in a sustainable way within the natural limits of our planet and the source of prosperity for all.

Ethics: Refers to what is morally right and wrong. In our diverse world of cultures, ethnicities and religions, there will always be differing opinions about what is right and wrong. For Olistic The Label, being ethical means being considerate, respectful of other sentient beings and ensuring their decency and freedom by treating every human being as an equal being.

Ethical: A product or material comes from people who are cared for, respected and paid fairly for their work and product. In the case of an animal product, the animal was also taken care of and was not mistreated.

Compostable: A material that can decompose in a compost into carbon, nitrogen, water and other natural elements, without leaving any toxic residue.

Biodegradable: A biodegradable product after use can be broken down (digested) naturally by living organisms (micro-organisms). As a natural substance, peace silk is biodegradable and therefore safe for the environment.

Decompose: The action of breaking down into carbon, nitrogen, water and other natural elements in an open environment or in a compost. Same as biodegradation.

Reuse: The action of reusing an object in the same purpose for which it was initially designed.

Refurbished: This means that an object is reused in a function for which it was not originally designed. The reuse of an object may involve some modifications of the original product. At Olistic, we use leather scraps that were destined to be destroyed to create unique pieces; also commonly called “circularity”.

Repaired: When an object or a material is reconditioned and is still functional by directly correcting the problem, for example, sewing a replacement button or applying a patch to a tear.

Upcycling: The action of recovering materials that we no longer use to give them a new life. Upcycling is part of the circular economy and re-employment movement.

Recycling: The act of giving a second life to used clothing by valuing the material by which waste is reprocessed into substances, materials or products for the purpose of their original function or for other purposes.

Mechanical recycling: It refers to a process of transformation of plastic waste into secondary or produced raw materials without significantly changing the chemical structure of the material. In the fashion industry, it is possible to turn plastic into a small pearl that will eventually be melted to create thread. Mechanical recycling is often used to create recycled polyester or cotton.

Chemical recycling: It refers to a much more recent technology and therefore still on a very limited scale. This involves the use of specific chemicals and machines to help breaking down a material at its molecular level. This process usually involves liquids that are then reused as ingredients for the manufacture of new materials. Chemical recycling is often used for wool and synthetic blends.

The Global Recycled Standard (GRS): certifies not only the recycled content of a product but also verifies its compliance with environmental and social criteria. Products labeled GRS contain at least 50% of recycled materials.

Circular economy: A circular economy is based on the principles of waste design and pollution while maintaining the use of products longer through reuse, repair and recycling in a closed-loop system. Any waste such as compost must become a regenerative resource for nature.

Regenerative: A process or impact, natural or man-made, that restores an environment or ecosystem in a better state is called regenerative. For example, plant trees to capture C02.

Carbon Offset: This is an organization that calculates the amount of carbon dioxide it is responsible for emitting into the atmosphere. Carbon offsetting consists of offsetting its own CO2 emissions by financing projects to reduce other emissions or sequester carbon. This is usually done by buying carbon credits.

Zero Carbon: A company that calculates the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) it emits, then buys the equivalent number of carbon credits to offset its emissions, is called carbon neutral. Sometimes also called carbon neutrality.

Sequestration: Simply put, it means reintroducing carbon into the soil. As plants grow, they absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and convert it into sugars (also known as sap and carbohydrates) through the process called photosynthesis. The plants carry these sugars into their roots and into the soil.

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs): This is a gas that absorbs and traps heat within the Earth’s atmosphere; it creates a greenhouse effect and ultimately warms the planet, causing global warming, which in turn changes the climate of the planet. The most harmful greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, ozone and water vapor.

Greenwashing: Greenwashing involves the incorrect use of sustainable development terms to mislead customers into thinking that a product or a service is better for the environment than it actually is. This entails the so-called “ecological” declarations of certain companies that are not keeping up in their actions. For example, claiming to be eco-responsible while pursuing mass production and lower costs to the detriment of the environment and workers.

Regenerative agriculture: This refers to all the methods of agriculture and grazing that, amongst other benefits, increase biodiversity and enrich the land with life and humus. While restoring organic matters and restoring the biodiversity of a degraded soil, they also store carbon in soils and vegetation and therefore reverse climate change.

Ecological dry cleaning: Ecological dry cleaning refers to any alternative method of dry cleaning that does not involve the use of perchloroethylene. This method is a wet cleaning, a softer version to wash your clothes without toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment and your body.

Sorting materials: Operation separating textile waste and / or their components and allowing their recycling for the purpose of obtaining new products or materials.