ABOUT
Tallis is a Swiss brand using responsibly sourced materials to avoid waste and make beautiful knitwear and stylish accessories. Made of only natural fibres, their high-performance products are designed to last a lifetime and never pollute the environment.
IMPACT
People
The brand works with a handful of suppliers, all of whom they know on a first-name basis. They have produced their small-batch hats in Portland, Oregon since 2014, and engage with a family-run factory in Italy* for their fish leather accessories. As a company, Tallis values long-term relationships with each of its suppliers.
Product
Tallis pioneered using reclaimed materials in their products a decade ago before sustainability was fashionable. For example, they source salmon skin leather, a by-product of fishing, from Iceland where it is produced in a manufacturing unit which makes use of geo- and hydro-thermal energy. Tallis uses vegetable-dyed skins to avoid toxic chemicals. The brand designs its products with circularity in mind, and it doesn’t stop at reusing materials. They believe in forward-thinking to what their products will be in future. For example, their T-shirts are designed to be turned into bags should they become damaged.
Packaging
Tallis uses recycled packaging, and in Europe, they partner with RePack to send all their products out in fully reusable bags. This saves 80% of carbon emissions compared to a regular cardboard box. The brand is on the lookout for a partner in Asia who can offer the same.
Planet
Tallis champions circularity and wants to stand by it by being transparent about their supply chain and creating a community that inspires and teaches their customers about being more sustainable. The brand also financially supports an environmental cause – the creation of a marine protected reserve just off Singapore in the waters around Bintan Island, Indonesia. As they want to minimise their environmental impact, they have a carbon offsetting programme through their partner Climeworks. Their partner sequesters carbon directly from the atmosphere and turns it into rock!
Principles
All Tallis products are natural and biodegradable as they do not use man-made fibres or plastic. Tallis calculates their direct carbon footprint annually and purchases offset with Climeworks. They plan to start calculating the production footprint next. Tallis prefers to recycle or reclaim materials instead of letting them end up in a bin. If they do not recycle the material, the brand then gives the product a second life, such as by making old t-shirts into bags or jumpers into hats.
