MATERIALS
One might be tempted to think: why not use polyester everywhere? It’s durable and relatively inexpensive.
That’s exactly what fast fashion brands—and the clever ones who sneak high levels of synthetics into their fabric blends—tend to do. A dash of natural fiber here and there helps justify inflated prices, but the real motive is profit margin.
The relentless pace of collections pushed out by fast and ultra-fast fashion giants—and the mind-boggling volumes they produce—are only made possible by the petrochemical industry’s ability to churn out polyester. Our planet’s natural resources couldn’t sustain that rhythm.
In the world of gastronomy, it took generations of chefs, journalists, critics, and prime-time TV shows to put quality ingredients and responsible farming at the heart of great cooking. “The product, the product, the product,” they chant. No great tomato salad without great tomatoes. It’s the same with garments and objects. To craft a beautiful sweater, you need beautiful cotton, exceptional wool, or fine cashmere.
We often forget that a truly great knit begins with responsible farming or herding. Then come the technical skills of the spinners and knitters, which determine the quality—and therefore the durability—of the final piece.
We work exclusively with natural materials, with one exception: our men’s wool socks contain 20% polyamide. Given how much friction socks endure, that small reinforcement helps them last longer and wear better.
Every yarn in our wardrobe pieces comes from Italy’s most prestigious spinning mills, all certified by the most rigorous standards. Each one is a proud member of the Slow Fiber collective—a textile counterpart to the Slow Food movement.
Today, the Slow Fiber network includes 28 Italian companies in the fashion and home sectors. They all meet a long list of sustainability criteria: production volumes, chemical usage, traceability and ethics of the supply chains, waste treatment, renewable energy use, circularity, social and local impact, working conditions, and more. Their goal is to help shape a future of products that are good, clean, fair, and built to last—and to inspire other players in the industry to raise their standards.
As for our ceramics—whether it’s the stoneware made in France or the red clay from Morocco—all the raw materials and glaze ingredients are sourced from France and Spain, and fully comply with food safety regulations.
For more details about the materials behind our clothing, ceramics, and decorative objects, we’ve written dedicated articles in the “About” section.
CRAFTSMANSHIP
When working with the finest raw materials in the world, entrusting them to the most expert hands is simply a given.
At Mestiers, 100% of our garments are made in Italy — from yarn to label. Our stoneware ceramics are entirely handmade, mostly wheel-thrown, in France in an atelier that regularly collaborates with Michelin-starred restaurants. Our terracotta ceramics are also entirely handmade, either wheel-thrown or slab-built, in Morocco by an exceptional workshop whose pieces are featured in French museum collections.
We value the specialization of small-scale workshops. Craftsmanship deepens when experimentation, innovation, and creativity are actively encouraged within a focused field. That’s the case for the ateliers we work with — and it’s one of our highest selection criteria. That said, we believe specialization becomes limiting when artisans are over-specialized — producing only one model, or working exclusively for a single brand that asks them to make the same object, over and over again.
To create a piece that will stand the test of time, one must take time — both in its design and in its making. We can’t emphasize this enough: prototyping is key. That’s why we don’t release seasonal collections designed to replace each other. We release a piece only when we feel its design and production have reached the standard we strive for. If you'd like to be informed when we add new pieces to our ongoing collection, we invite you to join our newsletter.