plantation

Mulesing free: what does it mean?

And why should fashion care about it?

Mulesing is a cruel practice used in merino sheep farms. Actually, it’s a word we weren’t familiar with. But we realise that addressing fashion that respects people, nature, and animals requires much attention.

While placing our Fall/Winter 22-23 orders, we looked through the Plantation 1982 line sheet to pick our favourite clothes. And so, we had the chance to read about this technique.

“The merino wool used for this pullover is mulesing-free, to help improve animal welfare.” – so the line sheet said.
One of the reasons why we particularly appreciate Japanese brands like Plantation is that they provide detailed information not only about the design but the material, too. Indeed, they explain why the designing team selected a specific fabric highlighting all the characteristics.

After reading about this particular merino wool, we researched a bit and discovered a horrendous way of getting this material from sheep.

mulesing free merino wool


Mulesing: what is it?

Especially in Australia and Asia, sheep are bred to have wrinkly skin to get more wool per animal. But the wrinkles retain urine and moisture, attracting more parasites that can eat the sheep alive. To prevent this kind of parasitic infection, ranchers perform “mulesing.” They force the sheep onto their backs, block their legs and rip off the skin from the backsides without any painkiller.

This mutilating practice is brutal torture! So we must stop it and find other ways to get the wool.

What is the alternative?

The good news is that the solution already exists: mulesing-free wool. It is a careful shearing practice which respects animal welfare. Therefore the sheep do not undergo any mutilation or antiparasitic treatment harmful to the animal, operators and final customers who get in contact with the wool.

No mulesing: responsible fashion

Fashion designers are responsible for finding respectful ways of making their garments. They must hold themselves accountable for how they conceive and produce their clothing. And find alternative ethical approaches for the fashion industry.

Perhaps we cannot grant sustainability – no one really can! Even those who wave the eco/green buzzwords. But we do our best to select specific quality materials and meaningful garments. And so, fashion in respect of people, the planet and animals.

The Merino Wool Sweater

Fashion in respect of the nature

Today we introduce The Merino Wool Sweater by Plantation 1982.

This garment combines a minimal design with top-quality wool obtained from a more careful procedure called mulesing-free. It is a new technique that respects animal welfare. In fact, mulesing is a horrendous shearing practice that we will treat more in detail soon.

Discover the Fall/Winter Merino sweater

About the design
It is a round neck long-sleeved knit pullover which makes the most of the comfort of the material. Asymmetric hemline with two side slits. Loose body, so you can wear it alone or layered. The design is minimal but stylish. Also, it is a wholegarment: a seam-free knitwear technique which provides a three-dimensional seam construction. Indeed without stitchings, the knitwear flows more naturally and offers superior comfort and fit.

Merino Wool Sweater
The Merino Wool Sweater – Plantation 1982

About the material
100% Merino wool. The Plantation designing team has selected mulesing-free wool from France, a technique gentle on sheep. It is a merino wool that is pasture-raised in the great outdoors of France and has a very low production volume. It has better bulkiness and moisture retention than conventional merino wool and is light and warm. Modified ribbed knitting with holes makes it even lighter. Inserting other rib patterns into the knitted fabric provides a grainy final result.

About the colour
Forest green: an easy-to-match evocative winter hue. We opted for dark green as a love statement for nature.

Styling tips
The Merino Wool Sweater is a minimal but stylish winter pullover. A timeless piece of excellent quality. Since it has a loose body, you can wear it alone or layered over a shirt or turtleneck inner-wear. If you are chilly, the layering style is the best solution.

We ship everywhere!

We are based in Milano, but we ship our niche fashion selection #formodernhumans everywhere.

Drop us an email or WhatsApp for any further information. Also, you can book your private shopping experience – physical or via video call. We’d love to help!

The Pencil Dress

Today we introduce The Pencil Dress by Zucca.

It is a timeless garment you can wear for a large part of the year. The image is minimal and stylish. And although it looks simple at first glance, it is a piece rich in detail.

Discover The Pencil Dress

About the design
An I-line silhouette jersey dress with a creased effect. The exposed zipper along the centre back adds an edgy accent. Sleeveless, crew neckline, two side slip pockets and rear slit. Also, it comes with a detachable cord belt.
You can pass the cord belt from the centre back through the side pocket holes, cross once at the front and once at the back, and tie a front bow for a well-balanced tie.

About the material
Polyester jersey with washer pleats. The fabric has good elasticity and average thickness. This item is pleated by heat and pressure. Indeed, when buying a pleated garment, polyester is the best choice because the pleating never drops out.

The pencil dress by Zucca
ZUCCa dress

About the colour
Available in green, a dark tone that is easy to match with everything.

Laundry
Wash by hand – easy care.
This product can be hand washed at home in cold water. Do not iron! This item is pleated by heat and pressure. By repeating wearing and washing, the pleating could gradually disappear. So when wearing or storing, do not apply pressure for too long.

Style tips
You will have many opportunities to wear The Pencil Dress. However, a layering style is what you need in order to use it throughout the seasons. Pair it with denim or a leather jacket in mild temperatures. A wool cardigan or a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath when cold. But also a mannish blazer for your work wear.

We ship everywhere!

We are based in Milano, but we ship our niche selection #formodernhumans everywhere.

Drop us an email or WhatsApp for any further information. Also, you can book your private shopping experience – physical or via video call.
We’d love to help!

Issey Miyake: design is for life

Tribute to one of the last geniuses of fashion

Yesterday Miyake Studio released the news that the Japanese designer Issey Miyake has passed away.

Even though he chose fashion as the medium to express his creativity, calling him a fashion designer is quite limiting. Indeed, he was more than that: a survivor, inventor, and humanist who challenged dressmaking and the modern world. In just one word, he was an artist.

Born in 1938 in Hiroshima, his family was killed by the first atomic bomb when he was a child. But he didn’t talk about that. Instead, he preferred to look forward, focusing on what he could create. He spoke about it only in support of Barack Obama’s pledge for nuclear disarmament.





A trailblazer in Japanese design, he mixed easter and western elements, creating a new innovative style. His fluid modernity changed the vision of clothing. Furthermore, he launched the technologies that allowed him to make his innovative garments. He also pioneered his pleating technique.

“In the Eighties, Japanese fashion designers brought a new type of creativity; they brought something Europe didn’t have. There was a bit of a shock effect, but it probably helped the Europeans wake up to a new value.”

Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake: a revolutionary genius

His original idea is one piece of cloth: cutting garments from a single fabric, an exercise between material and form. He worked with the body in movement, fascinated by the space between the cloth and the body.

“I do not create a fashionable aesthetic. I create a style based on life.”

Issey Miyake
Issey Miyake


His style focused on functionality, utility, and comfort, creating a timeless aesthetic – a design for life.

The purpose – where I start – is the idea of use. It is not recycling, it’s reuse.

Issey Miyake

Miyake’s work was relentless research for the clothing of the future.

“I make clothing, and I don’t care about trendy things.”

Issey Miyake

There’s so much to say about his work. However, one thing contributed to making him an outstanding figure in the fashion universe: his humble mentoring. Under his banner, he helped launch and develop many brands, for instance, Plantation, Zucca and Tsumori Chisato, just to name a few we love. His sense of collaboration and togetherness was really unique.

A true revolutionary, one of the last geniuses of fashion.
Rest in peace.

The Asymmetric Cotton Sweater

A new classic

Today we introduce a classic by ZUCCa: The Asymmetric Cotton Sweater.

The era of quantity is gone. Therefore, starting from this premise, the range of products doesn’t have to be wide. Buy less buy better is about common sense more than sustainability. So, we intentionally select only meaningful garments in which design and quality are the focus. Indeed each piece we pick out has specific characteristics that encapsulate wearability, durability, and versatility through their design.

Like every season, asymmetry is a style detail we cannot miss because this particular cut is modern and unusual. And also, it looks really good when you wear it. Since asymmetric garments are a staple for ZUCCa, we know we can find something really cool in their proposal.

Discover The Asymmetric Cotton Sweater

About the design
The sweater features a round neck and asymmetric hemline. Also, a robust seam along the front and side highlights the mix of the two different thicknesses of the same material. The seam details the shoulders too.
Ribbed neckline, cuffs and hem. The silhouette is slightly oversized and unisex.

The Asymmetric Cotton Sweater
The Asymmetric Cotton Sweater
by ZUCCa

About the material
100% cotton, non-glossy. It is made by knitting 100% soft cotton yarn into the high and middle gauge and docking it. The material has a thin thickness with a certain elasticity.

About the colour
Purple: a calming colour. A soft opaque hue that is refined and easy to wear. We’ll introduce another colour later, which is stronger.

Laundry
Hand washable, easy-care.
You can wash this item by hand at home.

This new season item is a versatile modern garment that offers multiple styling options. It’s easy to mix and match, from daywear and office style to free time outfits.
The Asymmetric Cotton Sweater is timeless, genderless and stylish.

Drop us an email or DM for any further info. We’d love to help!

The Striped T-shirt

A classic with a twist

Today, we introduce one of our favourite items for the new Spring/Summer 22 season: The Striped T-Shirt.
By ZUCCa.

We still name items by the season, as is the convention. But of course, the garments we select do not have any expiry date. We will never stop saying this, it’s a fundamental concept. Indeed, we firmly believe that you/we have to wear the clothing we purchase as long as possible. For a lifetime, because that’s the purpose of buying quality pieces. Also, it’s not a marketing trend for us. In fact, we have repeated those words since our very first beginning about sixteen years ago. And it’s not about being ahead, but having a deep sense of value and respect for what we do.

For stripes lovers

This top is a real classic, and it’s made special by a unique design. Yes, you can find striped t-shirts, but it’s way more difficult to find a good design associated with them.

The Striped T-shirt
The Striped T-shirt – by ZUCCa

About the design
Made of Basque cotton material with a border that gives a little elasticity, this top has three-quarter sleeves and a boat neckline. The three-dimensional silhouette with a narrow hem pushes the seemingly simple cut-and-sew to the leading role. In other words, it’s a basic that stands out. Easy to wear, comfortable, and easy-care but really cool.

About the material
The material is a matte, striped Basque cotton, of an average thickness and slightly elasticized.

About the colour
Beige and black border, because we wanted to offer you something different. Moreover, it’s easy to mix and match.

Laundry: Hand washable
This item can be hand-washed at home.

Put on The Striped T-shirt, and you’ll get an extra dose of style right away.

We invite you to contact us for any further information, we are happy to assist you.

The classic khaki

From a fashion trend to a timeless basic

Khaki means earth colour. The word khaki comes from Persian ‘khak’, which means soil, and it came into English via the British Indian Army.

The colour khaki was named for the first time in 1848 after the British Army introduced it as a military uniform. Afterwards, it has been widely used for military garments because it provided soldiers some camouflage in war zones.

The colour palette
It is not a single colour: light khaki – khaki – dark khaki – khaki green.
So, the modern palette goes from a mix of tan with a bit of yellow to brown blended with green to olive green. And all the variations tend to have a sandy effect.

Khaki – From a trend to a classic. How and why?

Later, fashion brought it from military to civilian clothes, where it is mainly considered a smart-casual tone. But, what was a recurring trend became a classic in clothing. Indeed we can affirm it’s a wardrobe staple for us, which we like to propose in various items but in a refined manner.

This colour became a classic because it is usually associated with comfortable silhouettes. But, most of all, it provides certain ease in matching other colours and pieces of clothing. It means that a single garment can offer multiple styling possibilities. From elegant to casual, you don’t even need many pieces. It perfectly completes your capsule wardrobe.

Take this ZUCCa wide-leg pants with front pleating. The waistline along the back is elasticated in order to give extra comfort and a better fit.

khaki pants


You can pair these khaki pants with kitten heels and a black blazer for a formal office outfit. Or, you can pull out a leisure time outfit with a denim blouson and sneakers. We love them with a white shirt and flat sandals!

Casual or elegant, the classic khaki is a cool and timeless style choice

#formodernhumans

Gendered labels

A viewpoint on fashion and gender among young people

This piece is written by an American student and intern working for suite123, Jackson Garske.

What makes someone more likely to ignore gendered labels on clothing?

As an American man living in Italy, I have been told by more shop owners than ever to stop looking in the women’s section for clothing. It has never been mean-spirited. But every person has been very insistent—the men’s section is there, this is the women’s section. I do wear more male presenting clothing and have masculine physical attributes. But I still like to look at every article because I can see myself wearing anything.

fashion and gender


The survey

After surveying a good number of people my age (early 20s), all of which fashion-forward in their own ways, I was surprised to find the large discrepancies in how they would gender their wardrobe.

Individuals either said only 10-20% of their wardrobe could be worn by any gender. Or they said that 70% or more could be – no one in between these extremes. The two separate groups have nothing strikingly in common, given nationality, gender, sexuality, race, fashion style, or social progressivism. It did not even come down to what kind of brands or styles they shop. When asked what stores or designers make genderless clothing, both groups included a wide array of answers like Rick Owens, UNIQLO, and H&M.

So, the overall question remains. But by asking them how much of their closet could be worn by any gender, I could see if they believed anything is gender-neutral. Despite what items they might actually own.
For now, it still boils down to one’s personal taste and view in clothing. Something hard to qualify or analyze.

genderless style


For me, I would say 100% of my clothes are gender-neutral. Not due to how I dress but due to how I perceive clothing in general. Fashion is about the freedom of self-expression, despite whatever confines placed upon it.

I hope that whatever the reason is that we stay on one side of the department store aisle or the other can be addressed and removed. For the freedom of fashion to prevail.

The Wide-Leg Pants

This week we take the chance to introduce you to another cool piece: The Wide-Leg Pants.
We picked them from Plantation. The attention they put on quality fabrics with a soft hand feel makes them unique.
This trouser is another item that cannot be missed in your wardrobe. Aiming to put together a capsule wardrobe made of quality clothing, items made to last, we pick out only the pieces we really need.

Discover The Wide-Leg Pants

The wide-leg pants, in dark green supima cotton • by Plantation1982
The Wide-Leg Pants
Plantation

Indeed, there is a specific reason for every single garment we select. In this case, fit, comfort, and coolness are the top.

Same as ‘The straight-leg pants’, it’s made of 100% Supima cotton – a soft fabric with an elegant luster like a silk blend. This classic stretch material got renewed: the brushed reverse side makes it comfortable for the Autumn / Winter season.
With its soft stretch and warmth but not too thick hand, you can wear them starting in September when the weather is still warm.

The material is comfortable to wear for its soft texture and shape. The line does not widen too much even if it is wide-leg, and it gives a nice effect of falling.

Coin pockets like jeans add that casual design detail. As it has a glossy feel, it is a piece that plays well with various beautiful styling. From informal to elegant occasions, it will blend well with your garments.

The colour is a calm dark green, with low brightness but high saturation, and it is not too flashy, so it is easy to incorporate as an accent colour.

The composition is: 98% cotton – 2% polyurethane
You can wash this item by hand.

As soon as we receive the pieces we have selected, we check the fit on different body shapes in order to be able to give you the best advice. Yes, it’s because we are obsessed with the perfect fit.

The Wide-leg Pants look good if you are thin, but they suit bigger sizes very well too.