Because of an unexpected family situation, the founders gained an interest in the world of textiles and created their own brand, which includes a line of Wildlife FriendlyTM certified fibers. According to their experience in the industry, this feature is increasingly valued in the national as well as international market.
Triana, the eldest daughter of Daniela Bergamin and Roberto Rossi, was diagnosed with eczema (atopic dermatitis) at birth. This chronic illness causes severe itching, affects the quality of life of the patient and their family, and is more common than one might think, with two out of every ten children affected.
The new parents left the pediatrician’s office with numerous fears and two clear instructions: the baby had to wear natural fabrics, and if possible, organic ones. The doctor recommended clothing made of cotton or low micron wool from a particular breed of sheep, merino.
How did you get from this difficult situation to producing yarn?
Until that moment, we knew almost nothing about the world of fabrics, so we started researching and educating ourselves on the topic. In that journey of discovery, we learned that Argentina is the third producer of merino sheep in the world, and that the quality of our wool is appreciated and sought-after by large textile companies; however, we export it with almost no processing.
Our enterprising spirit, and the idea that generating value in regional economies is essential for the growth and wellbeing of a country, led us to search for options to change this reality.
We found a group of producers in the region of Peninsula Valdés who produced in a non-traditional way, emphasizing cooperation between the ecosystem and livestock production. These producers worked together with WCS Argentina to develop wildlife friendly methodologies that were certified by Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network. This approach resonated with our values, and we fell in love with the yarn and its story.
That was how, in 2019, Coruja was born, producing yarn out of sustainable natural fibers, based on the value of respect towards the life of humans, animals, and ecosystems.
Through Coruja, we seek to redefine the industry’s processes through technology, to make them socially and environmentally responsible.
What does it mean to add technology to your yarns?
Since in the beginning we only thought of children and of our baby’s needs, we needed our clothes to be machine washable. However, traditional methods of making yarn machine washable without felting or shrinking are highly contaminating or include polymers derived from petroleum.
Instead, we found a nanotechnological process that doesn’t use water, doesn’t generate contaminating byproducts, and is 100% free of plastics.
For four years, we have been working with advisers from the National Institute of Industrial Technology to validate our textile finishing and dyeing processes with natural extracts, with the goal of minimizing the impact of these practices on the environment.
How does Coruja work today?
We are a family business, and we work in collaboration with producers, spinning mills, and sellers. We color our yarns with natural dyes and ancestral recipes that we refined, minimizing the use of water and energy and the production of waste.
We sell our products through our online store and also in specialty shops in Argentina and Chile.
Today, we have four lines of yarn made of sustainable and traceable natural fibers. One line is made of llama and Creole sheep and produced entirely in our province, Córdoba, which minimizes the carbon footprint created by transportation and supports the regional economy of the provincial northeast.
We also have a line that is 100% plant-based, made of agroecological cotton co-produced with the Qom community of Chaco.
Our iconic products on the market are the merino wool lines, especially our new WFEN line, which is a medium-weight tube yarn, making it unique from a technical standpoint and because it boasts a Wildlife FriendlyTM certification, an increasingly valued attribute in the national and international market.
Why did you choose this certification for your merino wool?
The values of environmental sustainability have accompanied the Coruja project since its origins as we searched for our raw materials. Though we prioritized fiber thickness due to our daughter’s needs, when thinking of future generations like hers, we couldn’t continue contributing to the pollution that the textile industry produces in the world. From the beginning, we had to find means of production that harmonized with the environment and with the wellbeing of all living beings that are involved in the production chain. The Wildlife FriendlyTM certification is a perfect match with those values.
What are the next steps for Coruja?
We are beginning our expansion towards the European market through Spain, with support from La Nave, the center for innovation of the Madrid City Council, and the closeness to that market of the Creole-breed sheep.
We have confirmed our participation in specialized fairs in Barcelona and Munich later this year, seeking to position our yarn brand in Europe.
We have also organized yarn expositions in several Spanish cities together with representatives of the local and international market so that our potential clients can have a first-hand sensory experience with our yarns and learn more about the origin and treatment of our fibers.
Additionally, we plan to expand our presence and positioning within Chile, where a specialty shop is already selling our yarns.
Regarding the research and development of new lines, we continue to work alongside the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) and recently also with the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) to launch the line of merino treated with nanotechnology around mid-2025. We are also conducting dyeing tests with biological dyes together with other Argentine biotechnology companies.
For more information:
https://coruja.com.ar/
info@coruja.com.ar