We don’t use..

FEATHERS

Quagga does not use and will never use feathers forits padding. The soft, warm, and lightweight down jackets and coats that the fashion industry presents to us as a “must” for the winter season actuallyconceal a horrifying the truth: intensive breeding farms, geese that at two months of age are hung by their necks and immobilized for their firstdefeathering inflicted by personnel, paid by the job, who cannot afford to work gently, so sometimes pieces of meat are also removed with the feathers. Those that survive through the pain and shockundergo a second defeathering after two months, then a third, and a fourth, until they are decapitated and slaughtered. The less fortunate stay alive, and their ordeal involves being force fed through a gavage tube that reaches the stomach, until their livers become huge and ailing and thus suitable for the productionof foie gras pâté.

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WOOL

Unfortunately, non-EU wools that are better suited forshuttle-woven processes, in order to obtain fine orsuperfine fabrics (those which we could have used to manufacture our clothes), are bought at international auctions and, therefore, impossible to identify the breeding farms from which they derive, with the risk of contributing to the development of companiesengaged in invasive, brutal, and painful procedures on animals. These include the filing of teeth to thepulp, castration without anaesthesia, and the terriblemulesing (pictured left), a procedure that consists inskinning the perineal area and the tail of the animalto prevent the fleece from becoming soiled withexcrement, and also to deter flies from laying theireggs in the wool. The flesh remains raw and bleeding, and many animals do not survive from the pain and from infection. Therefore, until we are able to find a national wool fabric manufactured under ethical conditions and with the sought-after characteristics of fineness and finish (tactile quality) appropriate for ourproduction, we have decided not to use wool in our collections.

FUR

Through effective public awareness campaigns, garments manufactured entirely with animal fur are no longer appreciated by the female consumer, however, this does not mean that producers and exporters of this product have directed their businesses elsewhere. Actually, fur decorations, trims, inlays, and accessories are still consideredprestigious elements that are essential in luxury collections, forgetting that this leads to terrible andunnecessary suffering for millions of animals kept inunspeakable conditions, beaten, and often skinnedwhen they are still alive. This is criminal behaviour that Quagga has decided to oppose with all the energies available to it by actively supporting a number of important initiatives for the termination of this terrible market of death.  

SILK

This is a natural fabric with excellent characteristics, especially for the inner linings of garments. However,1500 silkworms must die by immersion in boilingwater just to make 100 grams of silk. Is it worth it?

ARTIFICIAL FIBRES

Artificial fibres are obtained through the extrusion ofcellulose (from wood, cotton, corn and other plants)or protein (milk casein treated in a solution of causticsoda or lye). The most known are viscose (or Rayon), cupro (or Bemberg), Modal, and Lyocell. Although the process for producing them is not veryenvironmentally friendly, these fibres arebiodegradable and can be considered a sufficiently sustainable alternative to natural fabrics, since they were generated from renewable raw materials. FromNovember 2009, until late spring of 2010, along withthe technicians of the Zeta Esse Ti Company (Vercelli), we carried out detailed lab research through carefully testing and treating some wovenartificial fabrics using waterproofing aids, but the results were not encouraging. These fabrics that, due to their remarkable silkiness, are generally suitable for manufacturing dresses, shirts, scarves, underwear, andinner linings, instead demonstrated their poor suitability for use in protective outerwear, especially for theirlimited resistance to abrasion and mechanical stress and their inadequate dimensional stability in environments with a high degree of humidity.

SYNTHETIC FIBRES

These are fibres produced from polymers, which are obtained from compounds that derive frompetroleum. Synthetic fabrics (nylon or polyamide, acrylic, and polyester) are by far the most commonly used in the technical-sports sector: they are very inexpensive, with excellent protective characteristicsand are available on the market in an infinite variety of styles and textures. Unfortunately, their stabilityand resistance are such that they are destined to pollute the landfills of the world for centuries to come. They are also composed of chemicals that do not exist in nature but are synthesized from scratch, so the reactions that they may cause to the organismsof animals and plants can only be established one ortwo generations from now, along with their effect on the human organism: many studies attribute reactions and allergies to the substances and dyes used.

RIBBONS, SEQUINS, BEADS, AND OTHERUSELESS ACCESSORIES

The fierce competition between brands, and thegrowing range of accessories offered originating from the East at bargain prices, contributes to the massivedissemination of the various “bells and whistle” andgadgets that embellish and complete fashion collections. These customizations, which are almost always unnecessary, are created for being elements of distinction, in order to enhance brand recognition, prove a tendency towards seeking and paying attention to details and, finally, to encourage consumer purchases. The result is guaranteed: in fact, many consumers are unable to escape themagnetic appeal of sparkling Chinese sequins andglitter, Korean Swarovski, and Indian beads. The thriving market of “coquettish” accessories, however, has consequences that should be considered, given that these products are almost always manufactured in contexts devoid of social justice, under unhealthy working conditions that are harmful to humans and the environment. In a global economy, which can no longer afford to unnecessarily use important raw materials, new aesthetic standards should be established, realizing that traditional fashion is no longer fashionable.
This is why we’ve designed our new collection abandoning useless embellishments, reducing waste, reducing the manufacturing process, and optimizing resources: the Responsible Fashion in which we believe implies simplicity, innovation, reduction, and content.