EthiQ’s motto is dress different “Collections change at an extremely fast pace, whereas we are looking to create slow fashion. So as not to fall into the dynamics of rapid value deterioration, we choose strong fabrics, also taking into consideration their resistance to wash after wash”, says Alessandro.

“We work a lot with each unique piece, we give value to every single choice, we select fabrics, we consider different models with our partners, we come up with solutions and modifications. We work so that the garment chooses you, and not the other way round”, sums up Rita.

“In our collaboration with progetto Quid, an ethical company that upcycles offcuts from haute couture fabrics, we only produce a couple of sizes for each model. We also seek to design garments that can be worn for the majority of the year and are shaped so that they can adapt to your body”.

EthiQ has limited stocks and just a few selected and reliable partners. For apparel, this means five Italian partners and three international ones. “We tend to prefer Italian companies, because geographical proximity allows us to get to know each other and establish dialogue” points out Rita.

In addition to our clothing range, we also have an accessory range. Our bags are made with washable paper or plant-based leather, such as those produced by Umbria-based ethical company Relegart, or in recycled PVC, such as those created by the Venezia-based Malefatte workshop, managed by social cooperative Cooperativa Sociale Rio Terà dei pensieri giving work to inmates of the Santa Maria Maggiore male penitentiary.

Other important collaborations involve companies based in the Alpine region. One is with Vaia, a Trentino-based company that has designed a wooden amplifier made with the larch and fir trees that were blown down across the Dolomites by the Vaia storm in October 2018: “For each amplifier sold, they plant a tree” says Alessandro. The other one is with El Bec, a company based in Rocca Pietore, in the province of Belluno, that uses organic wool to make high-quality technical socks and woolly hats. Items are crocheted by women in the valley, thus promoting a micromanufacturing practice.