Material matter
There is no hiding that the textile industry has become a huge environmental issue, and today the fashion industry alone is responsible for 10% of the world's carbon dioxide output. Part of the reason for this is the massive material waste. Synthetic materials like acrylic and polyester have made way for effective and cheap production of garments, resulting in more clothes and more waste. These materials, made from petroleum and plastic, result in micro plastics getting flushed out into the ocean when washing them.

Being a part of the fashion industry, we are painfully aware of the massive problem created by overproduction and waste. Our mission is to take a stand against the fast-paced world of fashion that constantly strives for newness and consumption, by making less – but better clothes.

Things with quality have no fear of time
Since day one – we have been making high quality garments from natural materials. We invest a lot of patience and handcraft in each product, and we value long-term and reliable relationships with responsible suppliers of material. Working with very few, carefully selected suppliers because it’s essential for us to know the provenance of the materials we use.

From Norwegian wool, and alpaca, to our customized merino wool and silk blend, to zippers and cast glass buttons: these are the ethics and aesthetics of our materials:

100% wool
Wool has always been at the heart of Oleana. Most often, we use merino wool of the highest quality, perfectly balanced between soft and robust. Wool is a breathable material that changes with your temperature, keeping you warm in the cold, and tempered in the heat. All types of wool is 100% biodegradable, and can be recycled without the use of chemicals. 

We have a few different suppliers for our merino wool: Zegna Baruffa, with spinning mills in Italy, and Südwolle group, with mills in Italy and Romania. Our yarns, from both theese suppliers, are certified with the Responsible Wool Standard. RWS guarantees the welfare of sheep and the land they graze on, as well as health and safety for worker through the whole production chain. For wool blankets and some special edition garments, Rauma Ullvarefabrikk is supplying us with 100% Norwegian lambswool.

Alpaca
The alpaca wool fiber is a soft, durable and silky natural fiber, with a distinctive shine to it. One of our favorite aspects of alpaca is that it dyes particularly well, really making colours pop.

The production of Alpaca has a very small environmental impact, and we have been using a Peruvian family business as our spinners for over 20 years. Our supplier, Michelle Group, have close connections with the local alpaca farmers, and are as well certified with the RWS certificate.

The unique Oleana blend
Since the early 2000’s, we have been using our own Oleana blend of fibers that fits our production and our consumers perfectly. It consists of 25% silk and 75% wool, spun exclusively for us in Italy. The combination of soft merino wool and smooth silk makes for a very light and tactile material. Breathable and tempered, it meets your skin like a hug from your latest crush. 

Buttons up
For trimmings and details, we aim to use natural materials from European suppliers. We source buttons mainly from Beads and buttons, a German supplier that specialize in casting glass buttons. And our newest edition in the button family - JIM KNOPF, supplies us with German made wood- and nut buttons.