Silk is a beautiful natural fiber. But making it? Not always so pretty. Conventional silk production can wreak havoc on the environment. At Everlane, we’re always working to reduce our impact. So when we finally found a silk producer that shared our vision for a cleaner future, we partnered with them to relaunch our entire collection.

Silver LEED Certified

It’s no surprise that factories use a lot of energy. AC. Machines. Lights. LEED (Leadership in Environmental Design) is a rating system for energy efficiency at every level of operation. To become LEED-certified, our factory had to provide evidence of reduced energy consumption throughout all processes—from the machinery used, to the design of the building itself.


Less wasted energy. Less carbon emissions.

Our partner factory was built from the ground up for energy efficiency. That means some of the biggest energy-wasting culprits—like AC, machinery, and lighting—have been redesigned to reduce energy consumption. Through this multi-pronged initiative, they’ve been able to earn Silver LEED certification—and they’re striving for Gold.


Efficiency Highlights

By using water-cooled air-conditioning units and enormous, slow-moving fans (called—no joke—Big Ass Fans), they are able to consume 60% less energy while keeping the facility comfortable for the workers. With independent-motor sewing machines that draw no power when they’re not stitching, the stitching lines are also 60% more efficient. And, with huge windows and LED dome lights automatically adapt to the amount of natural light available, they have reduced energy consumption from lighting by 40%.


The Extra Details

The onsite cafeteria, which they called the canteen, blew us away with the food they prepared for our lunch there, and the outdoor recreation equipment included everything from aerobic exercise machines to a basketball court (with bleachers). Out front, we noticed a familiar-looking crop—mulberry trees—which are essential in silk production. We learned that they run a test garden for different growing conditions to learn at a small scale before implementing any changes on their farms.