As career changers to the textile industry, Muntagnard focuses on sustainable textile innovations for the circular economy - essentially different. The timeless lifestyle garments are made from high-quality materials and feature a transparent, fully European value chain. Using sustainability as a lever for innovative solutions, timeless Swiss designs are created without compromising on quality, comfort and style. The term Muntagnard originates from the Rhaeto-Romanic language and stands for people from the mountains, as do the two founders from Graubünden.
Dario, Mutagnard produces sustainable clothes and focuses on sustainable textile innovations.
What are the sustainability problems experienced by the textile industry nowadays?
The textile industry has in many ways become a scapegoat when it comes to the lack of transparency in the supply chain, the use of harmful materials and chemicals, as well as the problems of overconsumption and waste. And in most cases quite rightly so. For us, low-quality and non-recyclable products were the main drivers for developing new solutions. From excessive water consumption and enormous use of chemicals in production to the microplastic pollution caused by synthetic textiles, the textile industry still faces huge challenges in becoming a sustainable industry. In our opinion, it needs new impulses and courageous steps to not only talk about sustainability but to implement it.
What specifically motivated you to found a start-up and produce sustainable clothing?
We simply did not find any solutions on the market that corresponded to our idea of sustainable, well-thought-out clothing and were honestly a little disappointed by the low innovative power and weak ambition in the market. Sustainability has become an inflationary term and we can hardly hear or read about it anymore. Another reason why the fashion industry needs a breath of fresh air - in our case from the Grisons mountains. We want to break new ground and set a good example to show that sustainability and premium clothing do not have to be contradictory.
"We don't produce clothes just to make products. We identify key challenges in the textile industry and develop exciting solutions."
What exactly are you doing differently from the others?
In our opinion, we approach many things in an essentially different way. From completely transparent supply chains, a focus on an exclusive European value chain to the use of innovative materials, we are breaking new ground and venturing into unchartered waters. Our goal is to offer our customers sustainable products where they don't have to sacrifice quality, comfort, and style to make sustainability desirable in the textile market. We don't just produce clothes to make products. We identify key challenges in the textile industry and develop exciting solutions.
What do you dream of and what is your vision for Mutagnard?
Muntagnard aims to become THE fashion brand that brings sustainable innovation to the premium market in the textile industry. In the coming years, we at Muntagnard want to be able to offer an extensive and circular clothing collection, which covers the everyday and active wear. With our work, we are pursuing the dream of actively contributing to the fact that sustainability and responsible manufacturing no longer need to be discussed in the textile market, because it is becoming an integral element of our industry.
What is your favourite product and what specifically is sustainable about it?
The LANA wool coat. It is handmade in Switzerland. The LANA (Rhaeto-Romanic / Italian for wool) is a homage to traditional but sadly vanished jackets made of Swiss wool - high quality and in a new, modern design.
LANA consists of only four bio-based and biodegradable materials. The outer layer of the wool coat impresses with a specially developed, elegant, and simple fabric made of 100% Swiss wool. Inside, you'll find a luxurious and silky soft lining made from European beech wood. The details are made from Swiss deerskin and the buttons of nuts. Cotton and synthetics are dispensed of completely. All Muntagnard jackets are hand-crafted in a small traditional manufactory in the canton of Schwyz.
"For us it is extremely important that a bank shares our values and aligns its investments and commitment accordingly in a future-oriented and sustainable manner."
As sustainability pioneers, what do you expect from a bank?
As people and founders of a young sustainability-oriented company, a bank must understand us in the best possible way and cover our needs in terms of flexibility, simplicity, and digital processes. It is also extremely important that a bank shares our values and aligns its investments and commitment accordingly in a future-oriented and sustainable way. In our opinion, a bank has a huge responsibility and enormous leverage through its financial power, and it is important to use this in a sustainable and well-thought-out way.
Many thanks, Dario for the interesting conversation!
Hompage: https://muntagnard.ch
Linkedin: https://ch.linkedin.com/company/muntagnard
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