OUR COMMITMENTS
To start
AN AWARENESS TO ECO-CONSCIENCE
If the textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world, it is because clothes have become disposable, and because the way in which they were made has been neglected for a long time. Arsene is a small business, far from being perfect, but it is committed to do whatever it is to be better. Even at our small size we can make big changes: making clothes that could last and that can be passed through several children’s lives, crafting them by respecting the environment and the workers, and by seeking better ways to improve.
More sustainable clothing
Eco-responsible materials.
For our cotton garments, we turn to organically grown cotton, because it guarantees crops that protect not only the soil, but also the health of the growers and, more broadly, all those involved in the chain.
In 2025, 100% of our T-shirts and fleece garments (sweatshirts, joggers, fleece dresses) will be made from organic cotton. In total, 60% of production for the spring/summer 2025 season is in organic cotton.
1 in 4 pieces in the collection is even GOTS-certified. The Global Organic Textile Standard label guarantees that, from the cotton field to the finished product, the production process is ecologically virtuous, and that those involved in the chain are well treated.
What's more, each season we explore new, more virtuous materials : linen, hemp, recycled cotton and eco-responsible viscose.
Manufacturing close to you
Respecting craftsmanship
Most of our partners are based in the Porto region of Portugal. This is where we manufacture our T-shirts and fleece pieces, our sweaters, our swimwear, as well as part of our dresses and trousers. We also work with two other countries: in India, our partners have true expertise in fabric printing and embroidery; and in Morocco, our trouser manufacturer has enabled us to achieve a very high level of craftsmanship. Not to mention France, where our beautiful socks are made.
Our commitment: to always manufacture as close to home as possible, and to keep outside of Europe only the core expertise specific to other countries. To support this approach, we have set a clear, measurable goal: at least 75% of our production made in Portugal by 2027. Each year, we will publish the percentage of production by country. In 2025, 70% of our production comes from Portugal, one quarter from India, and 4% from Morocco.
The quality
CRAFTED TO LAST
We have chosen quality and fair remuneration for our partners. A quality that you can feel by the touch of the materials we use, the small and discreet details that we add to our clothes, but also to the way they last in time. We firmly believe that a garment should be able to pass through several children’s lives, or simply remain in yours for a long time. For us, that is sustainable development.
And also
PACKAGING AND BAGS
Rethinking our way of doing things also means thinking about what happens around our clothes. Like our packaging, for example. A real challenge: once manufactured, our pieces are packed in individual "polybags" to protect them from dirt and make them easier to handle. While waiting to find truly ecological packaging, we have implemented concrete actions, by replacing individual polybags with pre-packs for our shops made of scraps of fabric or ribbon. This has enabled us to reduce our overall packaging by 17%.
We have also thought about our bags, so we replaced our conventional cotton tote bags with GOTS certified organic cotton bags, and we replaced our small cloth bags with recycled paper bags, too.
And also
EXTEND THE LIFE OF GARMENTS
Trousers shouldn’t be put aside at the first hole in the knee and sweaters shouldn’t be thrown away because they have been worn for ages. For this reason, we have created iron-on patches and they are available in our shops. With every patch we sell, 1 euro is donated to the Water Family association, which raises awareness of ecology and the responsible use of water among children and adults.
