Eco-entrepreneur making ethical underwear from wood?

by Catherine Woods - Tuesday, 12th February 2008 - (2) comments - Business comment

Eco-entrepreneurs are a dime a dozen these days but, let’s face it, a story about a UK business selling lingerie made from wood is too good to pass up.

By Nature, which sells organic, recycled, Fair Trade and ethical products, has today announced it’s added a new collection to its range – so-called “sexy ethical lingerie” for men and women that's made from a fibre based on white pine tree clippings.

The novel products are created by French company g=9.8 (the name refers to the earth’s acceleration due to gravity) using a textile called Lenpu, which is created by combining the clippings with enzymes. According to g=9.8 designer Sophie Young, the underwear has the “feel of cashmere and the coolness of linen”.

Annabelle Randles launched By Nature in 2005 with her husband. She personally vouches for the feel of g=9.8’s products, saying they’re “extremely soft”. They’re also anti-bacterial, thermally regulated (Randles says the men’s boxer shorts are “particularly good for sport”), and are biodegradable (insert own joke here).

The reason the Randles added g=9.8’s collection to their range was because of the French company’s focus on sustainable development. “Less and less manufacturing is happening in Europe,” Annabelle says. “We like to work with people who choose to base their production here. But we liked the company as a whole. The concept is very eco-friendly – from the innovative use of fibre to production.”

What will they think of next?

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2 Comments

April 29, 2008 3:49am
Elaine Says:

The 'underwear' products is describes well, I get interested, bt no info is given re where or how it is sold??

February 14, 2008 11:35am
Beth Kay Says:

For some reason I can't help but think that wood fabric underwear doesn't sound very comfy! However, having recently graduated from a fashion degree at Leeds university I know that fabric technology is becoming more and more advanced and eco-fashion is on the uprise.