Linen

The Linen we use in our shirts is cultivated in Normandy, where favourable conditions and generations of knowledge gives life to the most precious linen of the world. Linen is a fibre which is European by history and tradition. The entire process of quality linen production takes place in Europe.

Flax cultivated in Normandy is well known for being the best in the world. Quality is a combination of three positive factors: the availability of appropriate soil, the favourable climatic conditions and the flax growers’ know-how. The flax is sown between mid-March and mid-April. The seed is deposited uniformly to a depth of 2-3 cm, to protect it from the wind and encourage it to grow in the best condition.

After the harvest in Normandy, the linen processing continues in Italy: in the Bergamo area, the ‘Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale’ turns the long fibres into precious yarns, which then become wonderful shirting fabrics in the plants of the Albini Group for Thomas Mason.

The flax requires no additional irrigation on top of what the atmosphere provides, making it a self sufficient and very environmentally conscious choice. There is also no wastage in the weaving process as the entire plant may be used.

The flax plant consisting of a single stem is a long and flexible herbaceous plant and can achieve approximately one metre in height. Once pulled out, the flax is left on the ground, deliberately at the mercy of the rains that trigger the process of maceration. The decomposition is activated by humidity, wind and the mild temperatures, eliminating the ligaments of the stems allowing the fibrous bundles to be separated from the coating substances, thereby facilitating the subsequent extraction. For the retting on the ground, flax growers do not resort to any treatment, since the process is entirely natural.

The nature, composition and architecture of the fibres give the flax excellent properties; maximum resistance, high capacity to absorb humidity, insulating and thermo-regulating properties, non-allergenic characteristics.