Sustainability is about not only circularity and end-of-life management but also about delivering exceptional quality products. 

Italian luxury industrial pole Gruppo Florence has introduced Fēlthos, an innovative material developed in its Antica Valserchio and Facopel factories located in Tuscany in collaboration with Fepsa, a leading Portuguese company that specializes in high-end felt production for hat-making and fashion accessories. Fēlthos is a regenerated noble felt crafted via an upcycling process, made from textile surplus of premium virgin materials from the luxury supply chain. This innovative material is the result of a four-phase protocol that ensures quality and transparency throughout the entire production chain.

The process begins with the selection and collection of production scraps of noble fibers, such as merino wool and cashmere, sourced from Gruppo Florence’s supply chain. These fibers then undergo a mechanical opening and flanking process to create a regenerated flock, which can be blended with other fibers to produce a customized raw material. The resulting felt is then transformed into Fēlthos through a series of pressing, felting and finishing stages, according to certifiable quality standards. 

Finally Fēlthos, composed of 70 percent regenerated cashmere (from selected Gruppo Florence scraps) and 30 percent virgin wool, sourced from ethical suppliers, can be used for fashion accessories, hats, coverings, interior design solutions, and sustainable packaging.

It embodies a circular model that enables brands to reintegrate production leftovers and unused materials into the production cycle. This approach not only reduces waste but also creates an exclusive, fully traceable felt that preserves the softness, strength and versatility of the natural material while meeting the highest qualitative and technical standards.

Through its production system, Fēlthos anticipates European regulations on end-of-life management of textile products, aligning with the principles of EPR (extended producer responsibility), by leveraging GRS-certified (Global Recycled Standard) raw materials and ensuring transparency throughout the supply chain. 

In 2024, in line with their commitment to promoting increasingly regenerative production models, the group began a collaboration with the fabric recycling business WeTurn promoting a regenerative economy model that reintegrates waste materials into production processes. In the same year, it further strengthened its pursuit of innovative and sustainable solutions through a partnership with the biotech start-up Spiber Inc.