The fashion industry is at a crossroads. While it brings creativity and self-expression to our lives, it’s also one of the world’s largest polluters.
Sustainability in fashion isn’t just a trend—it’s a necessity for the health of our planet and the future of the industry itself.
From water pollution and textile waste to labor issues and carbon emissions, the challenges are significant. However, innovative solutions are emerging, offering hope for a more sustainable and ethical fashion future.

Viscose, along with cotton, is one of the world’s most popular fabrics. The soft, smooth feeling on the skin is simply incomparable. Unfortunately, its production is quite problematic. It harms both the environment and people. Fortunately, there are sustainable alternatives. One of the alternatives is Lenzing fabric.

For our Fall 2024 jackets we have designed a chic comfortable hooded jacket made with the sustainable Lenzing fabric and more designs are in the process.

What is Lenzing fabric?

One of the new innovative solutions in sustainability in fashion is Lenzing Fabric. Lenzing fabric refers to a range of sustainable textiles produced by the Austrian company Lenzing AG. We derive these fabrics from cellulosic fibers made from renewable wood sources, primarily beech and eucalyptus trees. The most well-known Lenzing products include:

1. TENCEL™ Lyocell: A soft, breathable fabric with excellent moisture management.
2. TENCEL™ Modal: Known for its softness and resistance to shrinkage.
3. LENZING™ ECOVERO™: A type of viscose with a lower environmental impact.

We celebrate Lenzing Fabrics for their eco-friendly production processes, biodegradability, and reduced water and chemical usage compared to conventional textiles. They’re increasingly used in sustainable fashion lines due to their environmental benefits and performance characteristics.

Behind this word lies an innovative viscose fiber: It flows lightly around your body. On the skin, it feels like the conventional viscose you already know. But with Lenzing fibers, you don’t need to have a guilty shopping conscience.

What we find particularly good: The fabric can be tracked. Anyone examining the product can clearly recognize whether it is indeed a Lenzing fiber. This also applies if the garment includes a fiber blend, such as cotton.

Advantages of Lenzing

The manufacturer has developed an environmentally friendly circular process that produces this super-soft fabric from wood.

Transparent supply chain

We produce Lenzing fibers in Austria with a completely transparent supply chain.

The Lenzing Group is a globally operating company that produces fibers from wood raw material. The origin of every Lenzing fiber is cellulose, the natural building block of the renewable raw material wood. Characteristic of cellulose is its biodegradability: At the end of the lifecycle, the fibers can become part of the ecosystem again. They are the soil on which new plants grow.

What are Lenzing fibers made from?

Wood is the basis. Lenzing fibers are made from a renewable raw material. However, it does not count as natural fibers, but as man-made fibers (chemical fibers), more specifically natural polymers. Their starting materials come from nature. Despite being heavily modified in the manufacturing process, Lenzing fibers contribute significantly to sustainability in fashion, reflecting their commitment to eco-friendly practices. The fiber that comes out of the machine has only a few characteristics of a piece of wood.

Is Lenzing fiber a natural fiber?

Even though Lenzing fiber is not a natural fiber: The producer uses a valuable resource from nature that you can give back to it. The fabric is fully biodegradable. Lenzing states that a T-shirt made of Lenzing fibers decomposes in three months. In comparison: A T-shirt made of polyester takes 200 years to decompose. Due to the manufacturing process, however, this fabric is not certified, as it is not an organic textile.

Lenzing states that a T-shirt made of Lenzing fibers biodegrades in three months.

In comparison: A T-shirt made of polyester takes 200 years to decompose

What are the differences?

Lenzing fibers vs. conventional viscose.

Imagine: In one hand you’re holding a skirt made of Lenzing fibers, in the other one made of conventional viscose. Both fabrics are smooth and don’t scratch. However, their paths to your hands reflect significant differences in sustainability in fashion.

The raw material is still the same: cellulose from wood. With conventional viscose, you rarely know where it comes from. The wood for Lenzing fiber comes from forests where sustainable forestry is practiced: It is either FSC (FSC® “Forest Stewardship Council®”)- or PEFC (“Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes”)-certified.

Fashion sustainability – Lenzing production:

Lenzing fibers cause 50 percent less wastewater and emission pollution than conventional viscose.

Lenzing cites the production of a T-shirt made from Lenzing fibers as an example: Conventional viscose would use 12.5 liters more water for the same T-shirt. With conventional cotton, even 210 liters! This is one of the reasons why we use organic cotton.

Conventional viscose not only consumes a lot of energy but also releases many harmful chemicals into the environment as vapor or liquid. These chemicals harm nature and people, affecting workers who handle the viscose directly and those living near the production site.

Lenzing fibers differ because the company creates them using a circular process. Lenzing continues to use the chemicals that are necessary to turn wood into fiber. They don’t get outside.

The EU Ecolabel awards Lenzing fibers for meeting high environmental standards throughout their life cycle. For certification, manufacturers must comply with high environmental standards. And this throughout the entire life cycle of the product, from the forest to the sewing machine to disposal.

Other sustainable fabrics

Consumers are increasingly looking for clothing options that align with their sustainable values.

This trend is expected to lead to an increase in fabrics made from organic, recycled, and biodegradable materials. Organic fabrics, referring to natural fibers such as cotton, hemp, or bamboo, are grown without harmful chemicals and are therefore environmentally friendly and biodegradable.

On the other hand, recycled fabrics are obtained from post-consumer waste such as plastic bottles or discarded clothing items, reducing the burden on landfills and conserving resources.

Biodegradable fabrics decompose naturally without harming the environment, offering a sustainable solution for the end-of-life of fashion products.

As more consumers prefer environmentally conscious choices, brands in the clothing industry are likely to emphasize the use of sustainable fabrics to meet these growing demands and contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.

Sustainability in fashion – Which fabrics are environmentally friendly?

Sustainable action has long since arrived in fashion and in relation to textiles. Instead of “fast fashion”, more and more people are placing value on “fair fashion”. No wonder, considering that fabrics come into contact with our skin daily. But what makes sustainable fabrics? How can you recognize them and what advantages do these textiles offer? Read more about how practical fashion integrates these principles

What are the differences of sustainable textiles?

Sustainable textiles, a key component of sustainability in fashion, prove to be more environmentally friendly than conventional fabrics in terms of production and other aspects. For example, the cultivation of environmentally friendly fabrics avoids the use of chemicals and acts according to organic guidelines. Furthermore, these fabrics pay attention to the consumption of resources such as water, as well as environmentally compatible transport and animal welfare, think here of the keeping of sheep.

Sustainable textiles are therefore made from natural raw materials that are grown and processed under the strictest guidelines. The colors are heavy metal-free and non-toxic. Gentle methods are used when dyeing sustainable fabrics. Processed zippers, rivets, and buttons in sustainable textiles are nickel-free. Social aspects such as respect for the health of all employees, fair wages, no child or forced labor, and no discrimination also play a role in sustainably produced fabrics. Environmentally friendly fabrics may only call themselves “organic” if they are certified by an external testing body.

Excursus: Is viscose sustainable?

Viscose is the oldest industrially produced fiber and is known as artificial silk. It was first produced in the 19th century and is now part of numerous garments. Viscose is even used for hygiene products and tea bags. The basis of viscose is cellulose, which is obtained from wood. However, the production requires a lot of energy and the use of chemicals, which does not make viscose sustainable per se. However, some viscose productions have specialized in meeting ecological standards and use processes that pollute the environment less by recovering chemicals, which does not align with the principles of sustainability in fashion.

A truly sustainable viscose is lyocell. On the one hand, the cellulose comes from wood obtained from sustainable forestry, and on the other hand, 99% of the solvents used in production are returned to the process. This even earned the company the European Environment Award. Modal, another sustainable viscose, derives from beech fibers.

How can sustainability in textiles be recognized?

Which fabrics are environmentally friendly? Sustainability in fashion & textiles must be recognizable at first glance. No one protects or precisely defines the terminology. So that consumers still know when they are dealing with real sustainable fabrics, there are special seals. Clothing items labeled with these seals qualify as 100% sustainable textiles. These include seals such as Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Fairtrade seal for cotton, IVN Best, Cotton made in Africa, the Fair Wear Foundation, and Green Button.

Well-known sustainable fabrics include, among others:

• Bamboo fibers
• Organic cotton
• Organic linen
• Lyocell/Tencel or Modal
• Recycled polyester

Sustainable fabrics aren’t always organic; they can also include partially industrially produced materials. The most important thing about textiles, however, is that the cultivation, production, and all downstream steps in the value chain do not burden the environment.

Why choose environmentally friendly and sustainable fabrics?

Sustainable fabrics are not only good for the environment and burden it less, but also affect our well-being. They reduce the allergy potential and cause less irritation, which is particularly important for sensitive skin. Environmentally friendly fabrics have a long lifespan and are easy to care for.

Likewise, you can enjoy very comfortable wear and high fabric quality with sustainable textiles. Today, sustainability in fashion looks visually sophisticated and has long since shed its ‘eco-image’. Whether leisure or business look, the selection of it-pieces has consistently increased in recent years and so sustainable fabrics are enjoying increasing popularity among young generations.