The entrepreneur Xènia Banús is passionate about the world of fashion, but after learning that the textile sector is the second most polluting industry in the world, she decided that she could not stand idly by. The young woman from Tarragona has recently launched the brand Leneim, her own label that is committed to sustainable clothing, locally produced ---in a workshop near Barcelona--- and for all genders.
Banús has launched seven different models of garments, which are made from recycled cotton fabrics and labeled with polyester from reused materials, allowing for savings of up to 90% of water in the production process.
Leneim garments are distinguished by the genderless concept, meaning that their use is not determined by the gender a person identifies with. This decision, also linked to the framework of sustainability, halves the resources needed to produce two lines of clothing from the same collection, but differentiated for the two established sexes. Likewise, it encourages consumers to share the pieces with any acquaintance.
The items are available only on the brand's official website. The catalog consists of oversize, timeless, and minimalist style pieces, which include a blazer for €215, trousers for €180, a corset belt with a price of €95, or a tote bag with the company logo for €25, among other products.
Leneim stems from its founder's desire to contribute to a world more committed to the environment, as well as aiming to collaborate with society as a whole. "Buying a piece from the brand is not just buying a pair of trousers or a shirt, but it is supporting, for example, local businesses, because we work with local companies, small firms that help us carry out the project," adds Banús.
The production of the models is outsourced to a modest workshop located less than an hour from Barcelona, which has a staff of five seamstresses. The rest of the business responsibilities are carried out by the entrepreneur herself in Tarragona: from market strategy, website and social media management, to the concept of the collections and their design.
Leneim was born as a hobby of its founder, who does not intend to "follow a strict business model, typical of the old school". Xènia Banús has carried out the project with her savings from years of work, she does not have any private investor behind her, but she does not rule out requesting some public financial aid for entrepreneurs under thirty years of age.
Leneim's business model is based on controlled production and we could almost say on demand. "When I contacted the companies to make the garments, they talked about producing 60 units per model. And, just now that I'm starting, it was too risky a decision," says Banús. Likewise, having production limited to a specific number of units per garment avoids accumulating an abysmal amount of pieces in stock, which will later be, inevitably, destroyed by the manufacturer.
This young entrepreneur got to work when she became aware, she assures, that large companies in the textile industry, through dyes and finishing products, are responsible for 20% of global drinking water pollution. The cleaning of synthetic materials means that half a million tons of microfibers end up at the bottom of the oceans every year. Not to mention the CO₂ gases released by the transport of goods from the world's largest textile supplier, China, which account for 10% of global emissions.