ECO FASHION | MAKING WHY SOMETHING IS MADE, AND BY WHOM, MATTER WITH MATTER PRINTS

Successfully marrying sustainability, ethics, artisan skills and luxury fashion, MATTER PRINTS has found a way to exemplify the art of slow production with its creations. Founded in 2014, they began simply with an intention to make “where and why something is made, and by whom, matter”,  a goal they’ve both achieved and in many ways, outdone.

Their collections are thoughtfully made, distinctly designed, delightfully diverse and credibly conscious. Offering a tale of transparency that would inspire even the grumpiest of trolls. 

PROVENENCE
While researching this piece I saw their choice of the use provenance in much of their descriptions. It’s one of those words that couldn’t be more perfectly placed, as it is derived from the the French verb provenir “to come from”. It is a word mostly used for works of art, to explain how something came to be, giving contextual and circumstantial evidence of the sequence of events in the production processes which brought it to be. It is a way of authenticating something, or, in the case of MATTER PRINTS, making something authentic to begin with. 

ARTISAN AUTHENTICITY
Each piece is inspired by tradition, meaning they source heritage prints and styles that are reinterpreted for modern life. Each item is handcrafted, protecting and supporting artisan skills which have been passed down through generations, giving existing heritage motifs new life while protecting and cherishing the livelihood of Asian rural craft through artisan collaboration in each step of both the fabric and print’s creation. 

ETHICAL
The individual partners in MATTER PRINT‘s supply chain are chosen through a set of criteria which “emphasize product integrity, community integration, and good business practice“. When you look at the break down of their value chain, the profit distribution is almost reversed to that of a fast fashion brand: artisan fabric 46%, labor 28%, trimmings and packing material 9%, duties, 7%, transport 10%. Offering a unique and meaningful employment opportunity in a way that is sustainable. 

ECO
MATTER PRINTS recently launched a 100% organic cotton poplin fabric, handprinted and dyed with 100% azo free dyes. In their production, theycarefully considering things like local serendipities of weather, celebratory customs, and harvest cycles ensuring their creations don’t disrupt the natural rhythms of the communities they’re working with. 

CAPSULE
Because each item is made with natural fibres, MATTER PRINTS‘ creations are cool in the warmer months, and warm in the cooler months as well. Their pieces are incredibly easy to style for any occasion,  easily chameleoning themselves through each weather and social nuance to adhere to it’s surroundings effortlessly. 

FUNCTIONAL + FEMININE
While I was initially attracted to their aesthetic, it was the thoughtful design, the stuff you can’t see in pictures like the weight of the fabric and flexible closures which you to personalise the fit, that deepened my positive feelings towards the trousers. Clothing that expands and contracts like the female body naturally does, which rests on the body with just the right weight to allow you to feel sexy but loose enough you feel comfortable is the definition of something which is truly feminine and functional. 

PHOTOS: Shane Woodward
SPONSORED POST: Please note, I was gifted the trousers pictured by MATTER PRINTS and I charged a small sum for the time I spent researching, writing and photographing this post. Support like this keeps food in my belly and a roof over my head. I don’t receive any editorial direction from brands, any opinions and storylines shared are mine (and Shane’s).