Once Again is a unisex Montreal-based brand. It incarnates a vision of the future: Socially responsible and eco-friendly.
Propelled by creativity and inspired by traditional ethnic designs, OA makes unique clothing and accessories with cosmopolitan accents. Subscribing to a sustainable development approach, we strive to produce all our products locally and on a small scale, opting to use only ecological, organic or recycled materials. In this manner we hope to minimise some of the environmental damages caused by the production and consumption of textiles, while still owning up *** to our style and our love of beautiful clothing.
- LOWELL
5298 blvd St-Laurent, Montréal, Qc
H2T 1S1 - CITIZEN VINTAGE
4059 blvd St-Laurent, Montréal, Qc
H2W 1Y7 - MODEL CITIZEN
279 Augusta ave, Toronto, On
M5T 2M1
The act of buying and producing on a local scale has a political, economical, social and environmental impact. By buying locally, we are encouraging the development of quebecois and canadian companies, as well as the creation of jobs around us. Every time we opt for a local product, we contribute to the long term sustainability of our regional, provincial, and federal economies. And are thus, encouraging local folks. Furthermore, by choosing to make our products in Quebec, we are guaranteed that all our clothing is made in accordance with certain standards, and that all workers receive fair wages.
ORGANIC COTTON
Cotton is the world’s most widely produced natural fibre. It is a well known fact that the cotton industry is a very polluting one. Growing cotton requires an incredible amount of water and enormous amounts of pesticides and herbicides are used during its production when grown conventionally. The organic cotton that we use for our T-shirts meets the internationally recognized standards of the GOTS (Global Organic Textiles Standard). This guarantees that both the cotton production and transformation processes respect strict environmental norms. Furthermore, the fibre is certified Oeko-tex Standard 100, which ensures that there aren’t any traces of harmful chemical substances present. The majority of our T-shirts are made from textiles that are knitted in Quebec and dyed in Ontario. On top of reducing the environmental impact caused by transport, a Quebec made T-shirt has the added benefit of contributing to the local economy.
RECYCLED POLYESTER
REPREVE® polyester is made from recycled plastic bottles, which allows us to reduce our impact on the environment. Polyester is an moisture wicking fabric, that evacuates humidity from your skin’s surface to keep you nice and dry. It is also very durable and abrasion resistant.
HEMP
Hemp has been grown for millenia for its versatility as a crop. Today, its seeds are harvested for food, and its fibres are used both in the construction and textile industries. Prized for its incredibly strong fibres and its resistance to UV rays and corrosion, hemp was often used when making sails and cordage for boats. In recent years, the production of hemp has been experiencing a resurgence in North America following the decriminalisation of its culture.
When it comes to ecological fibres, hemp is often deemed a champion in this category.
Here are a few reasons why:
- As hemp is a naturally pest resistant plant, it doesn’t require the use of pesticides for its culture.
- A hemp plant requires half the amount of water necessary for a cotton plant to reach full maturity. It also has the added benefit of regenerating the soil
- It has very high yields of quality fibre (notably higher than cotton’s.)
- It’s a sustainable source of fibre and it is biodegradable.
- It has the potential to be a locally grown crop. Unlike cotton and bamboo, hemp, as well as flax are able to grow here in Quebec.
We’re very enthusiastic about using hemp in the composition of our garments because it is a comfortable textile that doesn’t irritate the skin. It is also known for its hypoallergenic properties and isothermal capabilities. Just the kind of magic we need in a climate like ours: it keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Solid and durable, it’s a textile that ages well. The more you wear it, the softer it gets.
LYOCELL
Lyocell is a fibre that is obtained through the chemical transformation of wood pulp using non-toxic solvents. It is most commonly known by the name Tencel®, which is a registered trademark of Lenzing AG.
Due to its circular production process, as well as the environmentally friendly manner with which it manages the eucalyptus forests from which it harvest the wood used in the creation of the fibres, Tencel® is popular within the ecological field. Throughout Tencel®’s production process, only 1% of the amount of water that would be needed to produce cotton is used. Its fibre yields are ten times greater than conventional cotton’s. ***Nearly all (99.7%) of the non-toxic solvent used in the spinning process is recovered and reused. None of the solvent remains in the fibre. For these reasons, Tencel® goes far beyond simply meeting the certification criteria of Oeko Tex Standard 100.
On top of its ecological benefits, Tencel® possesses several practical qualities that are often essential in the clothing industry:
- It has good moisture-wicking capacity, which diminishes the possibility of bacterial growth.
- Strength (ability to withstand mechanisation) and softness
- Its ease of maintenance and its crease proofness.
RECLAIMED TEXTILES
One of the primary repercussions of fast fashion is the astounding quantity of clothing that finds its way to the landfill after a very brief period of use.
In Canada, there are many initiatives taking place to help reduce textile waste. By basing themselves off of the 3R approach (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle), certain organisations promote textile recycling by setting up clothing collecting and sorting services.
This is where we come in. We then use and transform these pieces, so as to give them a second life. We favor denim for its looks, its sturdiness and its durability. We also feel that it is important to reuse denim as its dyeing process is an extremely polluting one and it seems a crime to let the product of such devastating labour go to waste.
Do you like our vision? Are you interested in collaborating with our team to distribute our creations on a larger scale? Please know that we truly appreciate your interest and will receive your proposals with enthusiasm. We are working on setting up an online shopping portal exclusively for distributors, but in the meantime, please contact us at the following address with any inquiries:
info@onceagain.ca