LaSalle

As mentioned above, the production of LaSalle is almost exclusively based in Europe, in Italy, Poland and Portugal to be specific. This isn’t only beneficial because of the working conditions regulated by EU-laws, but also for creating a short supply chain and for reducing their carbon footprint. LaSalle states most of their items only pass through two different countries. Only their leather jackets are made (chrome-free) in India.

Many of their fabric suppliers also comply with the various eco-certification guidelines, some of which include PEF (Product Environmental Footprint), ISO 14001 (for an environmental management system), FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), and the EU Ecolabel (label of environmental excellence).

Besides, most of the suppliers are small, family owned businesses. LaSalle has long-term relationships with them and visits them regularly. They’re seen as an essential part of the LaSalle team. Therefore they receive fair wages, good working conditions and are treated with respect.

LaSalle contributes to a good cause by donating excess stock to Dress for Success. This is a not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

LaSalle selects its natural fabrics carefully. They always choose biodegradable materials over synthetic ones, as they acknowledge the fashion industry is responsible for microplastic pollution. To illustrate this, 95% of the collection is based on natural materials like cotton, wool and viscose. They only use synthetics such as polyester and polyamide when necessary e.g. for pleating or comfort. The polyamide that is used is made in certified and socially responsible processes in China.

The materials you do find a lot in LaSalle’s collections are cotton, linen, viscose, Tencel, silk and different types of wool. They’re transitioning towards using more certified materials such as Oeko-Tex certified fabrics, GOTS certified organic cotton, and Tencel which are produced in an eco-friendly way. Their mission is to have 70% of their clothing made from fabrics and yarns that are friendly to the environment by 2025. So they’re not at this stage yet.

In clothing items like pants and fitted shirts, there’s often a percentage of elastane added to increase moveability. Because of this, recycling becomes more difficult and these pieces aren’t biodegradable, but it can increase longevity as comfort and quality are always on top of LaSalle’s priorities.

LaSalle is also very mindful in terms of minimizing waste throughout the design and production process.

All clothes designed by LaSalle are made to last so you can keep them in your closet for a long time. After getting the most wear out of them, the clothing made of 100% natural materials can biodegrade in nature so they won’t contribute to (plastic) pollution in landfills. Besides, most viscose and cotton garments are recyclable too. In knitwear it’s beneficial to blend fibers from the same fiber base so they’re recyclable too. Only the garments made from natural fibers mixed with a higher percentage of synthetic fibers can be problematic for the end of life stage.

LaSalle conducts its production exclusively in Europe, keeping the chain short and carbon footprint from the transportation low. 

LaSalle does use different types of animal-derived materials. The silk is spun from silkworm cocoons, the cashmere and mohair from goats wool, the recycled and pure virgin wool from sheep’s wool and the alpaca wool from alpacas. The woolen items are all Italian blends and no animals are being killed for the production. However the living conditions of the animals remain unknown. 

The brand also sells leather jackets made out of lamb’s leather, these are made in India. The condition of the sourcing of this product is unknown.

LaSalle also focuses on durable design that goes beyond trends and gives you a timeless and sophisticated look. Contemporary and classic, for every woman. This way you can wear your high quality essentials for years while still looking great here and now!

In terms of transparency LaSalle can still grow. However they highlight the good relationships with their factories and suppliers. Despite this and the fact that they some disclose information about their fabrics, more detailed information about the different factories and sources of the fabrics isn’t available. Improving transparency not only would increase their credibility, but this would also help COSH! reflect their sustainability efforts in the above sections better.