Founded in 2008 by professional snowboarder Frederik Kalbermatten, Atreebutes (pronounced attributes) is an eco friendly menswear collection based in the Swiss Alps’ town of Saas-Fee, Switzerland.
Kalbermatten’s goal was to not only find an organic supplier but to fully commit and hold ownership of Atreebutes’ supply chain from field to factory.
“As a small team, we knew we had to be impeccable with our resources to help us head in the right direction,” says Nicole Kalbermatter, Frederik’s wife and Atreebutes CEO.
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Asked what the biggest challenge of sourcing sustainable products, Kalbertmatten cited, simply, hope.
“You don’t have to get very deep into textile manufacturing, or any global manufacturing chains really, to be confronted with some very unsavory realities,” he admits. “I have a lot of hope that more companies will join Made in a Free World and start to take ownership of their supply chains, that consumers will demand products that are made ethically, that we can be proud of the future we are offering our children. But hope costs something on a personal level. It’s like falling in love, there is a lot of heart risk involved. “
For their FW16 collection, Kalbermatten embarked on a multi-stop train tour through India beginning at the source, the cotton field, and then continuing on to the ginner, mill, and factory. “I wanted to go there personally, check it out, learn about the whole process, and get to know the people who are working for us,” he explains.
Told in the past that clothes were organic, Kalbermatten was on a mission to prove it. “I don’t want to just make more stuff to be consumed, I want to do something that better’s the lives of the people who are working for us.”
To achieve their mission of sustainability, they utilized 100% organic cotton, coconut buttons, and pigment inks.
The result is a collection that includes hoodies, jackets, sweaters, cardigans and more, nothing of which is priced above $129.
Shop the entire FW16 collection at Atreebutes.com.
