Arela's products are designed to last long time-wise and style-wise. We also strive to minimize material waste. All our knits are knitted into shape, so material loss is minimal, just a small piece of yarn.

For sewn clothing, we strive to reduce cutting waste through design. All materials are chosen to take wear, washing and to be maintainable. We prefer biodegradable, ecologically produced 100% natural fibres.

The story of Arela began with cashmere. Cashmere has superb qualities – it is warm yet breathable, does not itch, and can be spun into the softest, lightest yarn. It has excellent draping qualities and soft texture.

Part of the Cashmere that is used in our products comes from our trusted partner in China from a company that does both the yarn spinning and as well as the knitting of the final products for Arela. 

The other cashmere yarn used in our products that are manufactured in our partner factory in Nepal comes from a Chinese yarn manufacturer specialized in high quality cashmere. This company collects the raw Cashmere fibers that they use from their production areas located in inner Mongolia, Qinghai and Tibet. They have earned a wide range of certificates such as Responsible wool standard, GOTS-certificate, BCI and The Good Cashmere Standard.

Merino is an excellent fine wool fiber that can be knit into lightweight, smooth knits. Merino knits feel silky and smooth to the touch. It has great warmth regulating, breathable qualities and works well for layering and can be worn throughout the year.

Merino wool we use comes from Italy and is Mulesing free super fine merino. It's produced in a spinning factory located in Northern Italy in a small town called Borgosesia. The factory currently employs over 500 factory workers. The entire spinning process from the preparation of the fibers to the final steps is made in house with the most advanced technological supports. They are also committed in operating towards environmental sustainability by making investments towards maximal purification of the water that is used in the different processes so that it can safely be discharged in the river bed after the process.

We introduced our first cotton products in summer 2014. The cotton we use comes from Turkey and is Aegean Sea cotton that is known for its softness and long, durable fibers. We use both regular and GOTS certified organic cotton, depending on the product and its use to make sure we always have most suitable and long-lasting material for each product.

The type of cotton fabric we have chosen for our t-shirts is a result of years of research and technical innovation. The soft cotton with long, durable fibers is produced in a special way (vortex) with no harmful chemicals or enzymes used. The production process uses less water and energy compared to traditional cotton production process. The unique production process results in breathable, moisture-wicking cotton that feels dryer in use compared to other cottons. A small amount of elastane is blended with the cotton fibers to make the shirt as long-lasting as possible and help keep its shape.

Linen is the newest member of our material family, but as a fiber, it has been used in garments for thousands of years. Linen is made from the flax plant, that can be used for various purposes, such as food, paper and maintenance products.

Linen has a pleasant, textured look with slight sheen, and is warmth regulating, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Linen fibers are very strong and resistant to mold. Linen also has relatively low impact on the environment and can be grown without using strong chemicals. The whole plant can be used by different industries, so that there is no waste left behind.

The linen used in Arela’s products is produced all the way from flax cultivation to sewing in to the final products in Lithuania. Both weaving the linen fabric and sewing the final products are operated inside the same factory.

We are constantly searching for new materials to better suit our needs and sustainability criteria. Naturalness and authenticity are important themes for us. Part of our sustainability strategy is to find more alternatives to synthetic colours.

Summer 2020 we launched first clothing collection dyed with woad (Isatis tinctoria) in collaboration with Natural Indigo Finland.