Imprevu

Imprevu calls itself a people-oriented company. This makes it clear that they consider it important to provide their employees with good working conditions. All production takes place in a dozen Italian family-run workshops. Due to these manufacturers being located in Europe, Imprevu is able to regularly visit them. This allows the brand to ensure the quality of their products and that they are made with the right social conditions.

Many of the clothes in the Imprevu collection are made from viscose. Viscose is a semi-synthetic material made from wood. Wood pulp is processed into textiles via a chemical process. The sustainability of this material depends on how it was produced and whether the chemicals used were captured in a closed-loop or not. Sustainably produced viscoses include, for example, Ecovero viscose or Tencel, made by the company Lenzing. Read more about the sustainable aspects of viscose here. If viscose does not have a sustainability label, or the producer is not known, then we can assume it is not a sustainable material.

Part of the Imprevu collection is made of so-called organic cotton. Unfortunately, they do not provide any more information than that, making it difficult to check whether it truly is organic cotton. Certificates such as the GOTS label would provide more certainty. We at COSH hope that Imprevu will provide more information on this in the future.

Unfortunately, Imprevu also uses less sustainable materials such as polyamide, polyester and acrylic. These synthetic materials release microplastics when washed, which then enter the environment via wastewater. To prevent this, wash synthetic clothing in a Guppyfriend.

Imprevu unfortunately uses various blended fabrics in their collection. This means that different fibres are mixed within one material. This makes these clothes more difficult to recycle after use. Mixing natural and synthetic fabrics also prevents clothes from being biodegradable. Clothes made entirely from one kind of fabric that doesn’t contain chemicals, for example made from 100% organic cotton, are biodegradable.

Imprevu’s head office is located in Liège, Belgium. All production takes place at small manufacturers in Italy. As a result, the collection has a short European supply chain. Unfortunately, it is not clear where the materials come from. COSH! needs to know the origins of the fabrics in order to fully assess the length of the chain.

Several jumpers and cardigans are partly made of mohair. This type of wool comes from the hair of the Angora goat. No animals are killed for it, but the goats do have to be shorn. Unfortunately, Imprevu does not provide information on the origin of this material so we cannot assess the welfare of the goats. Want to know more about the sustainability and animal-friendliness of wool? Read about it here.

Imprevu attaches a lot of importance to the quality of their clothing. That’s why they use high-quality materials and rely on the craftsmanship of Italian manufacturers. Imprevu’s clothes have a signature style, boasting colourful designs and bright prints. Every month, a mini-collection is launched with seasonless designs that always move with the times.

Imprevu is not very transparent about their manufacturers and materials. Unfortunately, the lack of information makes it difficult to assess how sustainable this brand is.