Italian apparel brand OVS is extending its partnership with Swiss product traceability firm Haelixa.
For a second year, OVS will use Haelixa’s DNA marking technology to trace cotton grown in Italy.
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The partnership is a key part of OVS Cotone Italiano, the retailer’s mission to support domestic cotton cultivation. OVS is sourcing long-staple cotton with high resistance from Palermo, Sicily. Haelixa’s patented marker is applied to the cotton at the gin close to the farm to record the “fingerprint” of the raw material.
The fibers are tested during the entire manufacturing process, ensuring that the cotton used in this OVS collection is ethically and sustainably sourced.
OVS introduced a collection of T-shirts made with the cotton last April. Simone Colombo, OVS head of corporate sustainability, said the company’s goal is to source 5 percent of its cotton requirements from Italian farmers within a few years.
By partnering with Haelixa, OVS is meeting the demand and setting a new standard for cotton in Italy. The alliance benefits customers and the farmers in Italy, giving them fair recognition for their work.
“In tracing the journey of the Italian-grown cotton, we are supporting OVS in bringing full transparency to their supply chain,” said Patrick Strumpf, Haelixa CEO. “The marking increases brand trust and enables OVS to make sustainable product claims.”
OVS is working towards improving its products’ social and environmental impacts. Since 2019, 100 percent of its denim is made without potassium permanganate. Instead, OVS uses treatments that are safe for workers, such as laser technology or biodegradable enzymes, to create the aged denim effect.
Last year the brand partnered with “The Godfather of Denim” Adriano Goldschmied to design an elevated denim collection with sustainable technologies. The most significant innovation was the introduction of Blue Infinity, Pakistani mill company Crescent Bahuman’s dye process that allows up to 62 percent water savings compared to conventional dyeing methods using indigo as well as a significant reduction in energy use and CO2 emissions.
