Durability and biodegradability
A perfect balance
We have taken on an ambitious challenge: creating garments designed to disappear without a trace. Made to Disappear does not mean made to fail.
Our pieces are built to last. They withstand weather, repeated washing and everyday use with consistency and resilience. Rain, snow or perspiration do not activate any degradation process.
Biodegradability only comes into play at the very end of a garment’s life, when it is intentionally discarded. Decomposition requires specific conditions and time. Simple exposure to the elements is not enough.
With Cévène, durability and biodegradability coexist without compromise: clothing made to endure daily life, yet capable of returning to nature once its use is truly over.
Experience and training
An eco-design approach
Beyond more than fifteen years of experience in fashion, we undertook eco-design training with La Belle Empreinte, within programs developed by Ademe, the French Agency for Ecological Transition.
For several weeks, we analysed every stage of a garment’s life cycle, from seed cultivation to folding the finished piece into its packaging. This work revealed a simple reality: the environmental impact of a material depends as much on its origin as on its nature.
Cotton is often cited as water-intensive. In Egypt, high-quality cotton requires irrigation levels up to five times higher than the global average. In contrast, in countries such as Tanzania or Thailand, rainfall alone is sufficient, making cultivation almost neutral in terms of irrigation.
This complexity has led us to adopt a meticulous approach. Every component of our garments is traced across its entire supply chain. On a parka, this involves many individual elements.
The process is demanding. Few workshops still work exclusively with natural materials. We therefore select our materials from regions where their environmental impact is lowest.
Assembly takes place in Portugal, a country recognised for its expertise in garment making and its energy profile. In 2023, 61% of its electricity production came from renewable sources, contributing to a reduced carbon footprint.
Biodegradable, recyclable
Use and end of life
Our responsibility extends beyond production to the full life cycle of the garment. Washing, often overlooked, is a major source of pollution. Each year, an estimated 500,000 tonnes of plastic microfibres are released into the oceans through domestic laundry alone.
Our response is simple: use only fibres that naturally degrade.
Biodegradability is the ability of a material to be broken down by living organisms within a defined timeframe. At Cévène, we set this limit at a maximum of one year, allowing a full cycle of seasons to pass.
This excludes petroleum-based fibres such as polyester or elastane, as well as bioplastics, which persist in the environment for decades or centuries.
Biodegradability is not an excuse to abandon clothing in nature. Recycling remains the best option.
For this reason, our garments are designed to be easily recyclable. We favour single-material constructions, such as 100% wool, and avoid blends like cotton and elastane that complicate recycling.