NETTLE-BASED CLOTHES AND SHIRTS
Dresses that look like they're made of silk. And yet, the product is based on...nettle, a plant widely used both in cooking and for physiotherapeutic purposes. The project of Orthic, a clothing company founded in Fanano, in the province of Modena, in 2019, is very ambitious. And its garments are also sold abroad. Ortika has become the leader of a true mini-nettle district, with an entire supply chain, established in Emilia-Romagna. This has a major advantage in terms of waste reduction: the production of nettle clothing uses 75 percent less water than the cotton cycle.
ORTICA
The fiber of nettle, Completely natural and well-known in this area of Modena, where hemp, flax, and nettle were grown until the 1950s, it has several qualities: antibacterial, breathable, durable, and silky-shiny. The best, as confirmed by studies at the Roville Agricultural School in Alsace, is black nettle, which produces a 35 percent higher yield than other species of this plant.
NETTLE DRESSES
Ortika is a revolutionary project, where revolution doesn't mean destroying and then rebuilding, but rather returning to a starting point enriched by new skills and experiences. Ortika therefore aims to represent a revolution in the fashion industry by overhauling the very concept of marginality. Today it produces clothing in natural fibers, starting from the humblest of plants, the nettle, with the aim of bringing the entire production chain within the local area: from the cultivation of raw materials to the creation of the yarn, from the spinning of the garments to their marketing. In full compliance with the circular economyNothing is wasted in this process; and that's why no part of the plant is discarded; the stem is used to make textile fiber, and the leaves are used to make herbal teas and skincare products. In fact, we often waste what nature gives us. Like the nettle that is uprooted and thrown away, we squander—that is, we fail to value—infinite opportunities available in abundance, due to prejudices that often stem from ignorance. How many prejudices about this humble yet noble plant have limited its appreciation! Our journey of non-waste begins here, at the origins, at the beginning, and ends with the collection of the clothes the customer no longer wants to use, which we will give new life to.
Ortika also wants to enhance the territory and, with this in mind, theOrtika Fashion Lab, a community atelier where technical cutting tools (sewing machines, overlock machines, cutting tables) will be made available to local artisans and, above all, it is a space designed to encourage the birth and recovery of new skills through the courses that will be organized.
Finally, Ortika is a community cooperative, a human company where the person is placed at the centre and their personal talent is recognised and valued, a great wealth that, if not recognised, is often wasted.
The images are taken from the Facebook page of Ortika clothing
SUSTAINABLE FASHION: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PROJECTS
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- Muskin, a vegetable-tanned leather made from mushrooms. Water-repellent, non-toxic, and resembling suede.
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