molli sustainable creator

meet molli in the book ‘75 designers for sustainable fashion’ by cécile perruche and anne-laure griveau...

meet molli in the book ‘75 créateurs pour une mode durable’ by cécile perruche and anne-laure griveau, published by éditions de la martinière

"you don't throw away a molli garment, you pass it on!" when charlotte de fayet took over molli, a french brand specializing in knitwear, in 2014, it was primarily for the quality and refinement of its yarns. a true parisian, "born in a molli onesie," she rediscovered the brand when she began buying baby gifts for her friends' children. with a sense of fashion inherited from her mother, who handled press relations for luxury brands such as loewe and castelbajac, and a passion for unique brand stories nurtured by her marketing education, charlotte de fayet set out to write a new chapter for this century-old company, founded in 1886. to its historic craftsmanship, she adds extraordinary creativity:

"we've invented several types of knit: thermal knit, zellige knit, astrakhan knit, origami knit... soft, lightweight... today we offer pleated skirts, tailored pants, shirts in very fine knit fabric, and all this in a sophisticated color palette, which we enrich each season." these soft, extremely comfortable pieces with meticulous details mark the brand’s revival.

"it's a great source of pride for me to think that thousands of women get dressed in molli in five minutes before heading to the office, then go to a restaurant, an exhibition, take the subway or ride a bike." indeed, like the pioneering coco chanel, charlotte sees knitwear as a way to offer women total freedom of movement. "when i took over molli," she recalls, "i immersed myself in nicole parrot’s book le "stiff" et le cool. une histoire de maille, de mode et de liberté. i realized that for centuries, we’ve been dressed in woven fabric, the ‘stiff,’ the 'rigid' kind that’s cut and sewn. women were constrained, dressed in heavy and cumbersome gowns. then knitwear came along... starting with lingerie. and that’s actually where maison molli was born, before rising to the top."

naturally ecological, and for good reason: knitwear has it all. its manufacturing technique makes it an inherently ecological material, since no waste is generated during knitting; leftover yarns are reused in future productions.

furthermore, molli uses only the highest-quality and most responsible raw materials. "since the beginning, we've worked with total respect for the environment. we knit with natural fibers like virgin wool or pure cotton from organic farming, and 100% biodegradable, with a washing process developed by committed italian spinners that releases no microplastics into the water."

although charlotte de fayet acknowledges that shipping is a major environmental concern — "as long as planes don’t run on hydrogen, shipping parcels around the world will remain a significant issue for industries" — she strives to tick all the other boxes: renewable raw materials certified oeko-tex or gots; components (mother-of-pearl buttons, zippers, labels) compliant with reach regulations; local production in workshops in france and italy; carefully curated collections emphasizing best-sellers; paper packaging sourced from responsibly managed forests.

molli was also one of the first to adopt the mulesing-free label, ensuring the welfare of merino sheep that supply the wool: "i remember the first time i asked for mulesing-free yarn: the sales agent was surprised and thrilled! the yarn was more expensive, fewer colors were available and lead times were longer, but i felt the approach was essential. you can’t sell refined and delicate pieces without starting with the finest wool, obtained under animal-friendly conditions."