Sustainable & honest
Clothing with
a gentle
conscience.
Wool from sheep that have not suffered, made in small batches, close to the source – meant to last for generations. This is how lille-barn tries to take responsibility for every step in the chain.
mulesing-free
Wool from sheep that have not suffered.
Our clothing is made from mulesing-free wool. Mulesing is a terrible method in which the skin of the sheep is cut away to give flies fewer chances. Banned in many countries – in Australia unfortunately still a common practice.
With every purchase, mulesing-free is a strict condition. For each batch we receive a declaration from our supplier. Our wool comes from a large producer that also supplies brands that fully stand for mulesing-free merino wool.
A fair wage for everyone in the chain.
Abuses in the clothing industry – child labour, underpayment, far too long working days – are unfortunately well known. We are small and cannot check on site. That is why we chose a producer that is AMFORI BSCI certified: a label that monitors working conditions, fair wages and environmental impact.
Contact with the producer is good; we regularly receive photos and videos from the sewing workshop. The same producer works for several large brands that hold sustainability in high regard – and do have the capacity to check on site. That gives us confidence.
Small batches, no collections.
Overproduction is a big problem in the clothing industry. At the end of the season everything is sold off at dumping prices to make room for the next collection. Whatever is left then ends up at outlets or on a waste pile.
At lille-barn there are no seasonal collections, no clearance sales. We produce in very small runs. Our clothing is deliberately basic – meant to be worn all year round, year after year.
From wool to child, in five steps.
No seasonal planning in advance, no mass production afterwards. We work in a small, continuous cycle that adapts to what really sells – so that nothing is left behind.
Buying & weaving wool
We buy mulesing-free wool, have it spun into yarn and then woven into fabric.
Dyeing · 50 kg per colour
Fabric is dyed and put in stock. 50 kg ≈ 500 garments.
Making a basic range
A basic range of products is produced and put in stock.
Reproducing what sells
Does something sell fast? Then we make more from the same fabric – targeted, not blindly.
Fabric gone? New round.
Make the same colour again – or choose a new colour.
As little waste as possible. Above all, no plastic.
We try to avoid waste everywhere – plastic in particular. We are entirely plastic-free; clothing is packed in paper or biodegradable material. With us, garments are packed together as much as possible, not individually.
We send to our customers without plastic – no plastic tape, no plastic stickers and no plastic packaging. To resellers we reuse, as much as possible, the packaging in which we ourselves receive the products. This keeps the amount of residual waste virtually nil. Our clothing supplier is moreover RSC certified.
Production close to the source.
Transporting raw wool is far less efficient than transporting finished products. Where some brands spread their process across several countries – weaving, dyeing, cutting, sewing, packaging – we have it all happen, from wool to finished product, close to the source. Without intermediate links, straight from production to us.
We deliberately chose to do the production of Australian and New Zealand merino wool in Asia. Production on site would make the clothing unaffordable – and we are convinced it can be done responsibly in Asia. Another part we produce in Lithuania and Bulgaria, from high-quality Italian merino wool.
Made to last through several children.
Wool is a delicate product. Despite this, we develop our clothing so that it can last several generations. We reinforce vulnerable parts extra – with felt or a double layer of fabric. No product enters the range before it has been extensively tested.
A promise.
Not a marketing text.
We are small, do not pretend to be perfect, and are honest about where we are not yet where we want to be. But every decision – from the meadow to the last little sticker – we try to make with the littlest ones in mind.