Rifò: regenerating noble textile fibres into timeless garments
The Rifò (meaning "I remake", in Italian) company was founded in October 2017, in the textile district of Prato in Tuscany, Italy. The company focuses on sustainable and circular clothing, the absolute opposite of fast fashion. They use regenerated, natural and biodegradable fabrics such as wool and cashmere, to make long-lasting clothing which can be recycled when it can no longer be repaired.
They regenerate the fibres using a technology developed in the Prato textile district over a hundred years ago. The textile scraps are shredded, converted into fibres and transformed into yarns, to be used for very fine products, with exceptional saving of natural resources.
Dyes are not used in the production process, as the scraps are initially sorted by colour. The production and assembly techniques used for the garments mean that they are both durable and recyclable.
Rifò offers a repair service for clothes bought from them: for three years after the purchase date, you can have them repaired or if necessary replaced free of charge.
They also take back wool, cashmere, cotton and denim clothes bought from them and recycle them into new items.
- Rifò is a social project with AMIPrato, Fondazione Opera Santarita and Legambiente Prato.
- Regenerated products can be regenerated two or three times more and are covered by a three-year warranty.
- The goods are manufactured using the artisan technique of flat knitting: this type of production safeguards the characteristics of craftsmanship and guarantees valuable garments and very minimal waste.
- The production process is carried out in Prato's textile district, within a radius of 30 km (which implies fuel saving, local job opportunities, direct check of the quality and ethics of the production process).
- The whole recycling process is carried out according to the Global Recycling Standard (GRS) certified by textile exchange.