It’s called Cupro, and it’s made from the silky fibers that stick to cotton seeds during the textile production process. Usually, it’s thrown away, but some brilliant soul has figured out how to use it, and the result is a silky-smooth, durable fabric that drapes well and is machine washable! A cellulose fiber, cupro is in the same family as Tencel and modal, and takes its name from cuprammonium, the method used to process the cotton linters (those silky fibers I mentioned).
So why is this material so ecologically fabulous? Besides it being a by-product of the cotton production process, it dyes easily and therefore requires less dye. It’s also hypoallergenic, anti-static, and stretch-resistant. It’s breathable like cotton and silky like, well…silk. Cupro is also often blended with other eco-textiles and noted for its drapability.
A leader in sustainability for decades, Levi Strauss & Co. has taken the next step to reduce water consumption in its manufacturing. The label “waterless” may be a little misleading, as there it still quite a bit of water going in to the garment production – beginning in the cotton fields. Levi is working on that too, as a member of the