The art of not being wasteful
Eco Statement
Embracing slow fashion
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair and Respect resonates right with the current zeitgeist. For us at Norwegian Rain, it has always been our mantra. No negative footprints, if we can help it. Our garments highlights just that. Creating objects of desire is a cornerstone of human evolution. It enriches our lives and connects the patrons to the artisans. Sometimes though we tend to go overboard. Our collections are all about the appreciation of life through functionally beautiful things on one side and the conservation of nature by making the right choices during this process. We are reducing our consumption by reusing and recycling existing stocks to respectfully aid in the repair of our environment.
A 15-Year Journey
By teaming up with leading eco conscious suppliers in the hi-tech industry, we’ve pursued the most environmentally friendly solutions throughout our production process to date. The sum of the above steps plus our small production runs, our no discount/ sale reduction policies, our slow fashion mentality ensures that our eco and sustainability journey stays unflawed
Eco was a key focus when we initiated our journey back in 2007. A time when ‘being eco’ wasn’t trendy. It’s satisfying to mention that we haven’t budged an inch from that initial focus.
Sustainable materials & challenges
Our technical fabrics are composed of 70-100% recycled polyester, with 95% being Bluesign certified. This ensures harmful substances are eliminated, natural resources are managed responsibly, and our ecological footprint is minimized.
All our tech fabrics are Oeko-Tex certified, guaranteeing they are free from harmful substances. We are working towards the same standards for all our trimmings.
We also abstained from using PFOA before we launched, which is 7 years ahead of most of players in the high-performance outdoor industry. We have one challenge though. All new outer fabrics we are developing together with our Japanese fabric supplier are now delivered with a repellency free of fluorocarbons (C0). C0 is better for the environment when it comes to not spreading any potential harmful fluorocarbons into nature. However, the water and especially stain repellency in C0 is much poorer than C6 and will lead to a shorter life cycle span when garments are permanently stained. Knowing that doubling the usage for a garment will reduce the climate footprint with 49% (Mistra Future Fashion) makes it a difficult choice. Today’s available technology is not ideal. We need a better solution.
Battling overproduction
Choosing materials is only a small part of the eco equation. Overconsumption and overproduction are among the main challenges of today. Norwegian Rain was established with the intention of battling this.
This ambition is constantly pushing us to evolve and innovate the traditional sales model we are all a part of. Or aim is to push the industry and our own operation in a direction where overproduction is not a factor. Our Compact Store Initiative enables retailers to sell our products without the risk of surplus stock. Aim: One bought equals one produced.
Reduce, reuse, repair, recycle
All Norwegian Rain products are designed with durability and a long life span in mind. Should however functionality diminish, we offer repair services. Drop by one of our flagship stores in Bergen , Oslo, Tokyo or Paris, or get in touch with online customer support.
As we continue our eco journey, we invite you to watch for new innovations designed to further reduce overproduction and enhance sustainability. Join us in making a lasting positive impact on the environment.
“the label has redefined functional fashion”
Icon Magazine
