Modal

SOSUME's BASE range is made from a luxurious blend of 85% Modal, 15% Silk. It is sourced from a high-end Japanese mill that specialises in luxury jersey- providing an outstanding quality, high durability and is also resistant to pilling. All fabric is exported to SOSUME's manufacturers in Melbourne where all garments are made.

Modal is a natural, man-made cellulose based fibre, created from the wood pulp of the beech tree. The process of creating the fibre is done in a closed-loop chemical cycle, eliminating hazardous runoffs.

Tencel & Lyocell

Lenzing Tencel® is a textile made from the pulp of eucalyptus trees and is rising in popularity due to its rayon-like feel and sustainable origins. Eucalyptus requires fewer pesticides and far less acreage and water to grow than cotton. Most of the wood pulp is Forest Stewardship Council-certified and of course carries the Oeko-Tex 100 certification. A competitor to viscose, Tencel is made by combining wood pulp with the nontoxic solvent amine oxide, 99.7% of which is recovered and reused, in a process known as closed-loop manufacturing. Lyocell is very similar- it is made by chipping wood, breaking down the wood fibres with the non-toxic chemical amine oxide, and then placing the material in a spinneret. The spinneret produces long fibres, which are then dried and woven into cloth. This makes it a natural fabric, and it is noted for its durability, strength, has a soft finish and packs light.

Cupro

Cupro is derived from cuprammonium. Cuprammonium is used to process the wood pulp or cotton linters which are the base material for Cupro. Like Tencel and Lyocell, the base material for Cupro is a regenerated cellulose fibre, and the fabric breathes like cotton, drapes beautifully, and feels like silk on your skin. It is a very elegant fabric. Cupro is not synthetic, nor is it a man-made fabric. It is considered a regenerated fibre, in other words, it is reclaimed from natural products.

Micro Modal

SOSUME's BASE collection is made from 100% Micro Modal. This particular Micro Modal is sourced from a mill in the south of France and is exported to SOSUME's manufacturers in Melbourne where all garments are made.

Modal is a natural, man-made cellulose based fibre, created from the wood pulp of the beech tree which grows throughout Central and Eastern Europe without the use of pesticides in managed tree farms. Modal is certified for the controlled use of substances by Oeko-Tex 100, meaning the process of creating the fibre is done in a closed-loop chemical cycle, eliminating hazardous runoffs. Due to the nature of this modal, there will be slight variations in the finish of each garment, adding to the uniqueness of each piece.

Modal is considered to be a superior fabric because:

• It is biodegradable, meaning that the end use of the product will reduce landfill - one of the single most important issues facing the fashion industry today
• It uses a tenth of the amount of water as cotton to make the same garment
• Its yield is ten times greater than cotton
• It is resistant to pilling
• It is considered to be one of the world’s most breathable fabrics
• It holds its shape twice as long as cotton.
• It holds its colour twice as long as cotton.

Organic Wool

SOSUME's Organic Wool, certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), is sourced from Uruguay and is used in the Autumn/Winter 2010 and 2011 Collections. It abides by all requirements outlined by GOTS including how the sheep are fed, cared for and shorn. There are no pesticides used in the creation and development of this wool. Ships were used to import this fabric in order to minimise pollutants.

In order for wool to be certified as "organic," it must be produced in accordance with standards for organic livestock production. In the USA for instance, Federal requirements for organic livestock production include:

• Livestock feed and forage used from the last third of gestation must be certified organic;
• Use of synthetic hormones and genetic engineering is prohibited;
• Use of synthetic pesticides (internal, external, and on pastures) is prohibited, and
• Producers must encourage livestock health through good cultural and management practices.

Organic livestock management is different from non-organic management in at least two major ways:

• Sheep cannot be dipped in insecticides to control external parasites such as ticks and lice, and
• Organic livestock producers are required to ensure that they do not exceed the natural carrying capacity of the land on which their animals graze.

Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. The Organic Trade Association has developed standards that apply to the processing of organic wool.