Environmental commitment
The most important political action is buying, not voting.
Your buying power is your only weapon in our consumer society.
Musky eco-designer
is an ecological, local and ethical clothes production cycle.
Raw material
Raw material sources and fabrics purchasing choices :
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Purchased used clothing are chosen one by one in socially oriented recovery centers, like Fripeprix Renaissance, Certex, Salvation Army, La Gaillarde and in various Montreal church halls sales.
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Recycled fabrics come from left-over productions which were given to La Gaillarde. They come from companies located in Quebec like Jacob or Jude Design. La Gaillarde sells them to eco-designers. The Salvation Army also has some on occasions.
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Ties come from Certex, where they are selected one by one according to their color and design.
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Musky receives donations of clothing and haberdashery.
Travel Policy
When searching for raw materials and for the delivery of finished products, Musky tries to limit its car usage to to its minimum.
The trips are done by:
- 75% bike.
- 10% subway, bus and walking.
- 15% Communauto cars.
The entire Musky production chain is in a radius of 10 km.
When they have other activities planned on the island, the owners of boutiques outside of Montreal may collect the delivery of the designed clothes, otherwise the collections are shipped through Canada Post.
Production choices
The workshop
- Located south-west, with large windows to enjoy natural sunlight.
- All lighting consists of compact fluorescent bulbs.
- 98% of the furniture and decoration is recycled.
- Recycling through the green bin is applied.
- The washer and dryer are energy efficient and drying is in the open air as much as possible.
- Cleaning products are environmentally friendly, even the vacuum cleaner has no dust bag.
Cutting and Sewing
- The patterns are made on recycled newsprint.
- Sketches and other notes are taken on both sides of paper sheets.
- Musky labels are made with silk shirt buttonholes.
- All the remnants are redistributed to jewelers, schools or childcare centres.
- All sewing machines are household ones, hence more energy efficient.
- Polar fleece (polyester) is used and reused.
- Employees are aware of the environmental and energetic dimension of their activities.
- Surpluses of material are distributed to other eco-designers.
Promoting
- Events or news are announced essentially through customized e-mail, via Facebook and on www.musky-designer.com website .
- The business cards are printed fifty at a time, which reduces paper waste.
- The new collections are submitted to boutiques through a dedicated web page. This avoids printing paper catalogs.
- Shows invitation cards are printed on recycled paper.
- At fairs or exhibitions sale bags are handmade with recycled newspaper and printed using paint which is recycled as well.
- Customer awareness to the environmental dimensions is promoted.
Let's summarize Musky eco-designer's ecological commitment
- Use 100% of recycled material
- Trade with ecological and ethical businesses
- Minimize its pollution and emissions associated with the automobile.
- Use paper optimally
- Minimize power consumption
- Recycle its wastes as much as possible
- Create local jobs
Musky is mostly original clothing.
The joy of life is one of Musky's creations mainstay. In addition to dress you up, these colorful clothes are designed to make you smile when you get dressed, and cause the same reaction on the people you meet during the day.
Therefore, Musky, eco-designer is a Quebec company having everything that defines Slow-Wear : Ecological, Ethical, Local and a Cottage Industry.