The H.O.P.E. range
For more than 350 years, while creating the best fabrics, Vitale Barberis Canonico has been committed to respecting the environment and the people who live in it. This deep-rooted awareness gives birth to H.O.P.E., acronym of How to Optimise People and Environment. It is a range of more sustainable fabrics, confirming the dedication of the Company to protecting humans and nature. A positive message which Vitale Barberis Canonico is sending out to help people believe in a world, better to live in.
Undyed Fibres
The H.O.P.E. fabrics are the result of long-term study and research. Research of fibres with unexpected natural colours, expressed in their purity, like the particular Moretta wool from a Spanish breed of sheep, which stands out for the dark colour of its fleece. Or such as the Red Eri silk with its unusual orange colour, a unique and cruelty free fibre, sustainable, as it is harvested only once the butterfly has left its cocoon to find nourishment from nectar and to reproduce.
ALPACA
Alpacas are members of the camelid family and are raised on the highlands of the Andes, and have been appreciated since the times of the Incas for the quality and softness of the fibres they produce, as well as the wide range of natural colours. In nature, their coats, with long, thick hairs, move between hues of fawn, to grey and even to dark brown.
MORETTA WOOL
Moretta wool comes from a Spanish breed of sheep, and is characterised by the dark nuances of its fleece which has a fineness of 26.5 micron. And it is exactly this particular type of fibre which gives the fabric its extraordinary rustic look.
RED ERI SILK
Cruelty-free silk, as the fibre is harvested only once the butterfly has left its cocoon to reproduce. The worm feeds on the leaves of a particular plant, the ficus citrifolia, which gives the characteristic reddish colour. The spontaneous growth of the ficus citrifolia makes the breeding of these silk worms environmentally friendly. The Red Eri silk used by Vitale Barberis Canonico comes from India, where silk farming has an enormous social impact creating new work opportunities in rural communities.
“BIELLESE” WOOL
A locally-sourced fibre that relies on ancient traditions that have forged an indissoluble bond between humans, animals and the environment. It is the Italian – 100% Piedmontese – wool that comes from the fleece of the “Biellese” breed of sheep reared according to the traditional practice of pastoralism, which adapts to the natural resources available and follows the changing seasons. Among the “Biellese” sheep only the “blond” variety – with the characteristic golden nuances present in their fleece, reminiscent of silk – produces wool suitable for spinning and weaving.
NATURAL PIGMENTS
The research carried out by Vitale Barberis Canonico does not stop here and continues with the study of production processes reducing the use of chemical products and dyes. This is the reason for choosing to rediscover ancient techniques like dyeing with natural pigments to give new colours to fabrics.
It is the contemporary interpretation of antique know-how, which was once wrapped in an aura of alchemy, jealously guarded and handed down from generation to generation so as to protect its dissemination.
A fascinating process carried out by infusing plants, flowers, leaves, roots, fruits and even bark to release their dyes to give new colours to our fabrics.
INDIGO PLANT (Indigofera Tinctoria)
Where indigo comes from, this is a shrub which grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates. The pigment is created by the biological fermentation of the leaves resulting in a greenish-yellow liquid which, when it comes into contact with the air, changes colour to the typical purplish-blue. The alchemical process is completely natural and is reproduced during the dyeing of the fibres which gradually change their colour first to yellow, then to green and finally to blue.
MADDER (Rubia Tinctorum)
A herbaceous plant with medicinal properties. It has long, climbing stems and prefers the dry Mediterranean climate as it grows among scrub or in woods and hedges. When the roots are appropriately dried and ground, the purplish dyeing substance is obtained, which results in a wide range of colours from oranges to bordeaux.
MIGNONETTE (Reseda Luteola)
A herbaceous plant which is widespread in northern Africa, Europe and western Asia in limestone areas with a lot of sun. The pigment is extracted from the whole plant with the exception of the roots, and is used either dried or fresh. It results in a particularly bright yellow and can be used on its own or in combination with other natural dyes to constantly create new ranges of colours.
H.O.P.E. FABRICS
Red Eri Jacket
An exclusive blend created uniting Moretta wool, alpaca and Red Eri silk, a fibre of Indian origins, which is cruelty free, as the fibre is harvested only once the butterfly has left the cocoon to find nourishment from nectar and to reproduce. The jacket fancies are a skilful mix of the colours of the natural fibres, the brown of the Moretta wool, the warm tones of the alpaca and the orange of the Red Eri silk.
MORETTA WOOL WINTER JACKET
A jacket fabric whose fancies are a play on the contrasting colours of the strictly non-dyed wools from different origins. The light-coloured wool thus meets the brown of the Moretta wool, originating in Spain and characterised by a dark-coloured fleece. A fibre of unequivocal charisma carefully selected to bring a note of innate rusticity.
MORETTA WOOL SUMMER JACKET
The “noir” tones of the Moretta wool meet the two typically summer fibres, organic cotton and hemp. It is a trio of creativity, rusticity and sustainability where the hemp stands out as an unusual fibre for men’s clothing. Hemp is sustainable by nature, since it grows quickly, needs very little water and does not require the use of pesticides harmful for the environment.
ALPACA OVERCOAT
A warm, enveloping overcoat fabric that fully exploits the quality and softness of the alpaca fibres, as well as their wide variety of natural colours. The South American alpaca is seen in nature with fleeces ranging from fawn to grey through to dark brown colours which, when skilfully blended, breathe life into sophisticated fancies.
NATURALLY DYED SAXONY SUIT
The pure wool woollen yarn, one of Vitale Barberis Canonico’s icons, acquires new sustainability through an ancient technique: dyeing with natural pigments of vegetable origin. Here it is interpreted in a fabric with a Saxony flavour presented in autumn colours reminiscent of the forest vegetation. The fabric comes in classic men’s designs against uneven backgrounds.
NATURALLY DYED RUSTIC TROPICAL
The soul of the Rustic Tropical, a summer fabric par excellence, unrivalled in terms of its lightness, breathability and resistance, is created with 21 Micron. Originating in South American, 21 Micron is an exclusive Vitale Barberis Canonico icon. In the H.O.P.E. version, this generous fibre with its larger-than-life character has the yellow of the buckthorn, the blue of the blackwood and of the indigo, the greens of the dyer’s weed, and the oranges of the madder, using dyeing techniques from ancient times, that are once again modern and in keeping with the times.
NATURALLY DYED MONTECARLO JACKET
Created with exclusive 21 Micron wool, Vitale Barberis Canonico Montecarlo fabric, is a jacket fabric and must-have in the summer wardrobe of connoisseurs who appreciate its pleasantly dry hand, crease resistance and breathability. The H.O.P.E version chooses strictly natural, vegetable dyes to create a rich palette of colours highlighted by the three-dimensional hopsack structure of the fabric.
“BIELLESE” WOOL COAT
The wool derived from the “Biellese” breed of sheep is a robust, rustic wool, which expresses the rugged beauty of the Alpine landscapes. For a long time it was merely discarded, but a number of breeders are now enthusiastically engaged in improving its quality.
Vitale Barberis Canonico has chosen to interpret this one-of-a-kind material in an overcoat fabric with a dry, rustic handle and a distinctive retro look, featuring a herringbone weave in a palette of shades selected from the books in the company’s historical archives.
