The Ecoalf lifestyle: Sports and beauty line meets LA store

Javier Goyeneche has a lot planned for Ecoalf. Only recently, the sustainability-oriented brand from Spain launched its own line for sports such as cycling and yoga, and now the next addition to the range is already in the starting blocks in the form of a beauty palette. In addition, the Ecoalf founder wants to push ahead with global expansion and become emission-free at the same time.

Goyeneche spoke with FashionUnited on other plans and news at Ecoalf and how business is going.

Which products are currently doing well for you?

We started as an outerwear supplier so jackets are always going to be strong for us. We've also been working on our recycled cotton since 2014, which is growing every year – from 10 percent in the beginning to 100 this year. T-shirts, sweatshirts and polos are very important for countries like Spain and Italy. Also sneakers and all the new qualities of knitwear are also on the rise.

The sports category is also relatively new, with products for running, cycling, yoga and surfing...

We want to create a lifestyle. So we thought: “Ok, what does our client do?” They play sports and they enjoy being outside etc., so we did a test with yoga a few years ago. It worked so well we have now decided to do a collection for yoga, biking, cycling and surfing. We did it all with this new nylon – the Meryl yarn – which uses hydrogen technology to seal in microplastics. It limits microfilament release and is a monofilament, so it is able to be recycled. We just launched this two months ago, so we'll see how it works.

So no plans for other sports yet?

No, I think we still need to go deeper into the sports we have and only then will we discuss what would come next. We have different options.

In addition to clothing, cosmetic products will soon be available...

For products like deodorant, shampoo, gel, lip balm and sunscreen, people reported that they use about 30 to 50 containers – one shampoo and gel per month, plus the products. So when we developed the new cosmetic line we had two conditions; the containers should be recyclable and not single-use.

We designed these aluminium containers which can be used for a variety of products that are all powders. They can last more than 20 years and can be recycled at the end of their lifecycle. We've been working on this for nearly two years as we didn't want to use any chemicals to produce the powders – they are all organic. Once empty, you can buy a refill. We also have deodorant, sunscreen and lip balm.

When are the cosmetic products to be launched?

We will start in stores, online and select places like concept stores at the beginning of September. We will then see how the market accepts it.

What can we expect next in your product range?

We now have sports and the wellness and beauty area... And then there are the collections for men and women, which are equal in size. We are working a lot on new accessories. Until now, we had a few bags, but next autumn/winter there's going to be a full accessories collection.

Which markets are you particularly strong in right now?

Spain, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Italy. We already have 1,200 clients - so we are growing well.

What new markets do you want to reach?

We would like to expand further into the Netherlands, or BeNeLux in general, and to the UK and Scandinavia. Now we are establishing a new branch in California and will be opening the first store in LA in six months.

The European Parliament is about to launch a supply chain law. What do you think of the current developments?

We're still waiting to see what this regulation will look like, because at the end of the day they have to decide what first the label and then the digital passport should look like. Then, how are they going to penalise the product? Not all the products are the same and we invest different amounts into those we put on the market. If your product is circular, then you should be paying less than a product that is not.

Have you already introduced the digital ID?

We already have it in our garments. You can check the traceability of water and we are evaluated every season by an external audit. We are going to start introducing ‘radio-frequency-identification’ (RFID) into all our garments. This will be put on the digital passport so you can have total traceability over everything – materials, who manufactured it, how we transport it.

What goals do you have at the moment?

Our goal is to keep on investing in new materials and new fabrics. We're also investing a lot in technology for measurements. We've just been named one of the top five B Corps in the world. We are committed to having net-zero emissions by 2030 without offsetting. The only way we can do that is by bringing all of our supply chain under the same commitment.<.p>

Right now, we're building a new team to be able to analyse all of our supply chain, and see who wants to come with us for this challenge. By June, we won't move forward with those who don't make a commitment towards net-zero emissions.

With all these innovations, expansions and new products - how is business currently going?

The company is still growing, 35 to 40 percent per year - so it's doing well. We are profitable. Obviously the seasons are not easy – the weather has been horrible this past year, it's been very hot, and now it's raining, Ukraine, the war.

We have many loyal clients who are noticing that the brand is being well received and that sales are improving in most countries.