Seductively sheer, resiliently tough. Who would have thought a pineapple could produce such an amazing fabric?! A clever filipino that's for sure. And thanks to Linda Row at Boutique Ethique, Pina Cloth is no longer the sole wear of the Filipino elite. Under fair trade terms, this renewable pineapple fabric, pina cloth to you and me, will now make its debut on British shores as the next new ethical fabric to float about in.

"I discovered pina cloth by mistake a couple of years ago" Linda enthuses. She was on the hunt for some fair trade silk for her gorgeous ethical design label, but instead came across this sheer transparent material that has a silky edge to it. "It's amazingly strong, yet so translucent."

Linda tells me pina cloth nearly didn't make into her collection.  "Their lead time from order to delivery was about a year! Then they found some funding, got  organised and said they could weave for a two month delivery turnaround. Then last year they were hit by a typhoon. I didn’t hear from them. Apparently, their looms were covered in mud!" But everything turned out for the better and now pina cloth will be a strong feature of Linda's 2009 Spring/Summer collection. 

It looks magnificent, doesn't it? Linda says "It feels like a mix between linen and silk because of its lustrous touch. And it's renewable and organic by default." The perfect accompaniment to show off Linda's design flair for the feminine form.

Boutique Ethique's collections, past and future, are highly wearable eye candy that's for sure. Pineapple fabric is sweet news indeed!

Linda Row is one of the UK's fair trade fashion pioneers, having launched her ethical label, Boutique Ethique, a decade ago. Not surprising then that she should be leading the way introducing new sustainable fabrics as well. Keep it up Linda!