What is Slow Design?
In a world where growth seems infinite, where innovation is part of everyday life and where consuming more and more is a dogma, it is becoming more and more urgent to take a break. Whether it's a Western fashion or an ecological awareness, many people today want to slow down the pace in order to refocus and redefine what is essential. Thus, alternative movements such as "zero waste", "do it yourself" or "low-tech" are developing, but in this movement, "slow design" is less known. Concretely, it is also about consuming less, but better, the specificity being to apply this principle to our interior: decoration, furniture, equipment ... even the linen! And in this field, one of the most noble fabrics is often honored, as much for its durability as for its many virtues: linen.
Linen: a responsible production
To consume responsibly requires to be interested in the different stages of the life of a product, in this case of a fabric, from its production to its use. And in this respect, linen has more than one trick up its sleeve! Did you know that France is the world's largest producer of linen? That's right! In terms of traceability, it's hard to beat that. If today most of the spinning mills are located in other European countries, it is indeed our dear Normandy which is the queen of the initial production. But that's not all! Flax is also an ecological crop thanks to its low water and chemical requirements: the rainy climate of the producing regions is sufficient to grow it, and its natural resistance to insects and parasites allows it to defend itself without the need for pesticides. It is therefore a natural fiber, entirely biodegradable, and whose various stages of transformation - dyeing, combing, weaving - are carried out mechanically, without any chemical input. The icing on the cake: flax is also a zero waste crop, since all its components are used, whether as food with the seeds, as fabric with the fibers, or as thermal insulation, in paper making, in oil for wood treatment...
The many advantages of using linen
Beyond its manufacture, this noble fabric that is linen has the particularity of having many virtues through its daily use. First of all, its thermoregulatory effect is one of the most efficient: it guarantees freshness in summer and keeps the heat in winter, a vegan alternative, but just as efficient as sheep's wool. Its ability to absorb moisture, the suppleness of its fibers, and its hypoallergenic and antibacterial properties make it an ideal fabric for clothing, but also for household linen: no more cotton sheets full of dust mites and traces of moisture, linen bedding will be much more comfortable! Last but not least, the resistance of linen to time and washing. Indeed, the structure of linen fibers gives them an unequalled solidity, guaranteeing that they will last over time without lint or deformation. Better yet, the rough appearance of brand new linen fabric will even soften over time as it is washed! Don't be afraid to wash and rewash your linen tablecloths as much as you want, the life of your linen tablecloths will only be longer. You will have understood, to adhere to the principles of slow design and reduce the impact of its interior on the environment, there is no better choice than to bet on natural fibers and produced in a responsible way as those of linen. In addition to its many virtues, it will accompany you in the long term, thus avoiding unnecessary renewals and consumption of resources.