Post on 20-Aug-2020
Sustainbility TrendsINSIGHTS ON THE ECO-FASHION SOLUTIONS
IN COLLABORATION WITH INTESA SANPAOLO INNOVATION CENTER
INDEX
1. Five major global trends in fashion
• Sustainability
• See now – buy now strategies
• The end of the designers’ era
• Omni-channel marketing
• Wearable
2. Organic fibers
3. Recycled garments
4. Eco-friendly technologies for production
technologies
Five Major
Global Trends in
Fashion
1. SUSTAINABILITY
2. SEE NOW – BUY NOW STRATEGIES
3. THE END OF THE DESIGNERS’ ERA
4. OMNI-CHANNEL MARKETING
5. WEARABLE TECHNOLOGIES
1. Sustainability 1/2
All over the world, the sustainable practices are introduced into every
step of the fashion production cycle, be it design, sourcing, production, or
retail.
In sourcing, the manufacturers are looking to increase the traceability of
the raw materials, as well as to use the recycled or organic fibers.
We observe global associations of raw materials manufactures, such as
Cotton Leads, to commit to use the latest technology to produce sustainable
fibre, fully traceable from farm to finished garment.
A number of technologies are being developed to create eco-friendly
fabrics from unconventional materials such as milk, tea, or coffee beans. New
textiles are also created from recycled materials, ranging from fabric itself, to
plastic bags or bottles.
Designers and brands are increasingly applying innovative
manufacturing, dyeing, printing and washing processes to reduce water and
energy usage.
Introduction of innovative dyeing technologies that allow to transfer the
dyes to fabric in a one-step process, results in saving up to 75 gallons of water
and up to 85 percent energy in the dyeing of a pound of fabric, and produces
no harmful by-products.
66% of global respondents are willing to pay more
for sustainable goods
*2015 Nielsen Global Corporate Sustainability Report.
1. Sustainability 2/2
Digital printing, a technology used by a number of prominent
designers, reduces water usage by 95 percent, energy usage of 75
percent, and minimizes textile waste.
3D printing made its way to the fashion world, not only in a form of
pieces of clothing printed with plastic materials, but also as a technology
that allows to print fabric itself.
In online retail, the new digital technologies are able to match
products with customers based on their personal measurements and
preferences. This allows to drastically reduce the rate of returns and hence
the energy used for shipping, and waste.
In order to encourage the brands to apply sustainable practices,
new standards and certificates are introduced. In 2014, Cradle to Cradle
Products Innovation Institute launched Fashion Positive, a certification
program for sustainable fashion brands that will allow them to improve their
visibility on the global arena.
Market data:
Wohlers Report for 2014 forcasted the
worldwide 3D printing industry to grow from
$3.07 billion in revenue in 2013 to $12.8 billion by
2018, and exceed $21 billion in worldwide
revenue by 2020. In 2015, the industry surpassed
$5.1 billion.
Since 2011, more than USD 80 mln was
raised in funding for the startups providing
better fitting solutions for the online platforms.
2. See Now – Buy Now 1/2
For the past several years, designers and retailers have not been
satisfied with the fact that there is a 6 months gap between putting the
designs on the catwalk during the fashion shows and in the shops. The luxury
brands are experiencing fierce competition from the retailers, who are
updating their collections regularly, and have to find ways to bridge this
delay.
The initiative was taken by Burberry who announced that it would skip
the gap and that the new collection was already available in the stores. This
move has been supported by Tom Ford, who announced the “see now-buy
immediately” strategy, Rebecca Minkoff, and, on a lesser scale, by Prada,
Diane von Furstenberg and Monique Lhuillier who are selling a select few
items from the collections just exhibited.
2. See Now – Buy Now 2/2
One of the reasons cited by the brands is that in the era of social media,
where the shows are live-streamed, and the pictures of the new collections are
immediately uploaded to Instagram, delaying the sales for half a year creates
confusion and misunderstanding with the customers, who cannot be expected
to tie-in with the traditional calendar. So the brands are now putting the focus
of the shows primarily on consumers instead of editors, buyers, or stylists.
Another reason for changing the calendar is that the brands have global
presence and their customers live in different climates. Customers’ demand
has to be satisfied in time, because modern customer does not shop early
anymore, but buys now to wear now.
This trend is backed by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, who
announced that it would work with Boston Consulting Group to re-evaluate the
traditional twice-yearly format of New York Fashion Week, which takes place in
February and September, in order to create an in-depth analysis and road
map for the future of Fashion Week.
This is one of the newest trends on the fashion horizon, clearly reflecting
the strong influence of the social media and customer focus, and it is likely to
continue growing.
3. The End of the Designer’s Era
One of the latest trends on the fashion scene, demonstrating, yet again, the influence of
the social media, is the exit of signature designers from fashion houses. It marks the threshold of a
new era, where the artistic directors are not designers any more, but people whose core
competence is the ability to craft and communicate a strong point-of-view across a number of
channels, encompassing everything from public appearances to the social media.
In the course of just several months we’ve observed Alexander Wang exit Balenciaga,
Alber Elbaz pushed out of Lanvin, and Raf Simons leave Dior.
Unlike in earlier instances where the designers became celebrities thanks to their
overhauling a famous brand (case in point Tom Ford in Gucci), the tendency now is to hire
celebrities who bring along a huge number of followers, although lacking experience in more
traditional areas like design.
An example of such shift may be the recent appointment by Brioni of Justin O’Shea, a
former fashion director (buyer) for the luxury website MyTheresa.com, with no designer training,
to the position of its Creative Director. O’Shea’s appointment was announced on new Brioni
Instagram account.Since relevance is one of the most sought for features by the brands (which also is
reflected in “see now-buy now” trend), O’Shea’s prominent street-style presence and a vast
amount of publicity - 80,000 Instagram followers, along with his retail experience, are deemed to
be a reason for his appointment to a conservative traditional men’s wear brand.
#Brioni is pleased to announce the appointment of Justin
O’Shea as new Creative Director. ‘I am deeply honored to
undertake this new challenge for such prestigious and
celebrated menswear house. It is with great excitement I am
looking forward to write a new chapter in the story of Brioni.’
@justinoshea
4. Omni-Channel Marketing 1/2
Retailers continue to realize that they need to connect with users on
multiple channels and touch points simultaneously or even
interchangeably, and will give customers the ability to interact and
complete transactions on their own terms. When a customer wants to view
an item online, purchase it using their phone, and return it by dropping by
the store, he or she will be able to do so in a smooth and seamless way.
Social media continues to heavily influence product decisions, and,
serving as a shopping platform, it grows as a part of the omnichannel mix.
Over the last several years, brands have used social media to market their
products, talk to customers, and even make merchandising decisions; but
in the near future merchants will be adding “selling” to the list of things they
can do on social sites, as has been already done by Facebook, Pinterest,
and Twitter.
Influence of social media on online shopping behaviour
Base: 22,618
PWC Total Retail Survey 2016
4. Omni-Channel Marketing 2/2
Retailers are adopting and experimenting withtech innovations in order to figure out how they canuse them to improve the shopping experience.Technology is being integrated in brick-and-mortarstores. We currently observe the increased use ofPOS, beacons, augmented reality (from digital fittingrooms to interactive windows displays), wearables,and 3D printing.
Use of technology allows the retailers to providemore personalized shopping experience to thecustomers. In order to enhance it even more, retailersare investing in the Big Data solutions. Businesseshave realized that in order to predict shopper’sbehavior and provide truly personalized experiences,they would need to gather as much informationabout the behavior, history, and whereabouts ofconsumers. Big Data enables retailers to implementdynamic pricing, personalized recommendations,shopper-specific discounts, and more. Use of mobile/smartphones whilst in-store.
Base: 22,618
PWC Total Retail Survey 2016
5. Wearable Technologies 1/3
The lines between fashion and technology have been blurring for
some time, starting from 2012 when Diane Con Furstenberg sent her models
down the runway wearing Google Glass addition to their wrap dresses.
Although the project did not take off, this event predicted the entrance of
the gadgets into the world of fashion. This entrance hasn’t been smooth and
easy. In her NYT article “Why I’m breaking up with my Apple Watch” in June
2015, writer Vanessa Friedman stated: “No matter how attractive the Apple
Watch is in the context of other smartwatches or smart bands, no matter
how much of an aesthetic advance its rounded corners and rectangular
display, it still looks like a gadget."
This consumers’ need found a lively response from the technology
companies, and gave a rise to one of the two current major tendencies
clearly observed in the field of wearable tech: wearable gadgets take shape
of designer pieces through massive and intensive collaboration of the tech
producers with designer/fashion houses. What we observe is usually a
marriage of an existing hardware, such as health and well being tracking
devices or devices with specific functions (i.e., social media or safety) with a
designer piece of jewellery.
*statista.com
Another prominent, and, possibly, more promising trend is the intensive
research and development of new smart fabrics. Recent advances in
technology have brought together the apparel, technology, and textile
industries to develop new capabilities in fabrics with the potential to change
how the consumers interact with their clothes and other textile products. We
observe different methods of creating such fabrics, that can range from using
chemistry to using computer tech, and different functionalities - from fabrics
that react to the changes in environment to the fabrics created for pure
entertainment.
Global startup scene in wearable technology reflects these two trends,
with new companies all over the world introducing innovative ideas both in the
fields of combining technological devices with fashion products and creating
textile materials of the future.
Market data:
According to Gartner, the largest and
fastest growing category of the wearable tech
market is expected to be smart garments,
which are predicted to grow from 100,000 units
shipped in 2014 to 26 million units shipped in
2016.
5. Wearable Technologies 2/3
5. Wearable Technologies 3/3
Italian Wearable Technology Scene
Distribution of wearable tech companies
across the industries in Italy**
As of beginning of 2016 there were 5.150 innovative startups registered in Italy.*
20% of these companies are located in Piedmont, followed by Sardinia on the second place with
15%. Lombardy, Tuscany, Sicily, Lazio, Friuli Venezia Giulia follow with 10% each.**
Most of these companies are well established, 48% are long time active S.R.Ls, where startups
come close second with 36%.
The reason for such distirbution is thought to be high entry barriers, in terms of heavy investments
needed and lack of competent cross-industrial specialists.
There are, however, single instances of fashion tech projects in Italy, both startups and industry
leaders.
Circle Garage, a startup from Genoa, presented its smart watch HIRIS last year in Consumer
electronic Show in Las Vegas.
Colmar, an apparel production copany has partnered with Directa Plus to create World’s First
Graphene-Enhanced Sportswear.
* aster.it**wearable.to, wired.it
Distribution Strategies: Online & Offline
presence
Conditionally, there are several types of the distribution strategies used by the
fashion brands. These are:
Offline presence only via DOS - Directly Operated Stores, e.g. Giada
Offline presence via DOS and retailers, e.g. Harry Winston, Goyard
Offline presence only via retailers, e.g. Dima Ayad
Offline presence with DOS and official online store e.g. Louis Vuitton, ZARA
Offline presence with DOS, retailers and official online store e.g. Van Cleef &
Arpels
Offline presence with DOS, retailers and e-tailers, e.g. Givenchy
Offline presence with DOS, retailers, official online store and e-tailers e.g.
Michael Kors, Fay, Missoni, Stella McCartney
Online presence only with official online store, e.g. Asos, Net-A-Porter
Online presence only with official online store and e-tailers/retailers, e.g. Mochi
It is important to note that the approach towards distribution structure doesn’t
depend on the market segment of the brand, but on the strategic decision of the
company.
Distribution strategies
Offline Only
DOS
DOS and retailers
Retailers
Offline & Online
DOS and official online
store
DOS, retailersand officialonline store
DOS, retailersand e-tailers
DOS, retailers, official online
store and e-tailers
Online Only
Official online store
Official online store and e-tailers
Over the past years, marketing approach has changed - from single channel
marketing to multi-channel marketing - and now it has evolved to omni-channel
marketing strategy for the brands and omni-experience for the customers.
Multi-channel meant retailers sold directly to the customer via more than one
channel but they were isolated with channel-centric experiences.
One of the main differences between multi-channel and omni-channel marketing
is that in omni-channel marketing there is a seamless approach toward the
consumer across all the available channels. The key point is that these channels
should work simultaneously and be integrated into one another. It’s not just about
sales, but also about communication strategy.
Even though e-commerce and web promotion were considered by marketers also
in multi-channel marketing, in reality what they did was just to make sure that the
brand’s website address is on the shopping bag, or the TV/print ad refers to the
web site or that there is a store locator function on the web homepage. Omni-
channel marketing implies unfettered and infinite access to the brand’s
information and products irrespective of the time and/or geography, in all possible
brand’s channels and/or customers’ devices.
Distribution Strategies: Omni-channel
approach
Shopping behaviour of today’s customer is not merely online or offine; the shoppers conducting their research online can complete the transaction
at the brick-and-mortar stores. Known as Showrooming, a customer might see the product in the physical store but buy the item online, later.
Conversely, the research can be done online but ultimately the products might be bought offline; known as Webrooming.
According to a recent research on consumer shopping behaviours, showrooming is on a rise of 46%, whereas webrooming is still bigger as 69% of the
customers prefer it. Whilst webrooming can be enhanced by brand’s well-driven online presence, showrooming can be turned into an advantage, if
the integration strategy is well set with the help of strategies such as voucher coupon ads via brand’s apps motivating customer to go to physical
store.
Another research on mobile usage in-store shows that the shoppers who use mobile more, spend more in-store. Moreover, frequent mobile shoppers
spend 25% more in-store than people who only occasionally use a mobile phone to help with their shopping.
Eventually, seamless integration of these online and of offline brands’ channels would create a balanced growth on both channels. Omni- channel
retailing, at this point, aims to provide customers with the brand experience, not just different channels of interactions. This is not just about sales, but
also about communication strategy. There will be a focused view on each customer and he would be serviced consistently across all channels,
which should work simultaneously and be integrated together.
Omni approach can be seen as a counter action for the e-commerce operated separately from of offline operations of a brand. Online
stores should be simultaneously operated with the of offline operations which would both prevent merchandising conflict and enable
analyzing customer behaviour to integrate within strategical decisions to be taken and lead to the positive growth in the sales, overall. Following are
the case-studies on the successful brands, which were able to increase the revenues on both channels, online and offline.
Distribution Strategies: Omni-channel
approach
In June 2013, Gap announced its “Reserve in Store” campaign implemented in 40
Gap and Banana Republic pilot stores in San Francisco and Chicago.
Through the campaign, consumers could reserve up to five items and try them in a
selected Banana Republic or Gap store. After the reservation, the consumer were
receiving a confirmation of the items on-hold together with the pick-up instructions.
The items were held in the selected stores until the end of following business day.
This game changing action was supposed to boost holiday sales as well. Moreover,
the tendency to buy complimentary items in addition to what the customers
initially reserved, was going to be triggered by inspiring them with additional items
in-stores.
Observing how easy the program is to use for the customers in pilot region, the
retailer decided to expand the program to 400+ U.S. stores and more than 200
Gap stores in 15 major markets in November 2013. While they did not disclose the
result numbers, a highly positive response coming from these markets was reported.
Case-Study: GAP
British-Irish department store, House of Fraser, together with Box Technologies, launched
concept stores by merging brick-and-mortar store with the company’s e-commerce
service. The company installed a series of large format ELO Touch Screens and
computers in-stores to order products online, which are then delivered the following day
to either the customers’ home or to the store for a pick-up. Customers were directly
reaching 1000 brands stocked on House of Fraser’s recently redesigned website.
Moreover, the customers were provided with a comfortable seating and complimentary
coffee bar as a part of the overall concept with a relaxation zone. In addition, sales
advisers help customers to navigate House of Fraser’s online offering, assisting them with
the process from product selection to secure online payment.
House of Fraser had announced its 2013 fiscal year Revenue as $1.83 bln. After the
launch of the innovation, the online sales increased by 107% in the first half of 2014.
Looking at the whole year, the department-store chain’s performance was driven by
online sales which were up by 31.2%, eclipsing growth in its physical stores which stood at
just 4.2% on a like-for-like basis. A 6% up itself, was observed in seven days before
Christmas. Following this record, the chain is now owned by Nanjing Xinjiekou
Department Store Co. Ltd, and expected to continue to grow its online business.
Case-Study: House of Fraser
According to the annual report of Deckers Outdoor Corporation, the
net e-commerce sales of the company increased by 37.5.% in the
fiscal year ending in April 2015, whereas this increase is 17.6% for the
total retail stores.
The reason behind this success was the strategic implementation of
innovative new technology, to blur the lines between physical retail
and e-commerce. Deckers allowed its customers to customize and
view the RFID tagged items they are trying on the four touchscreens
throughout the store within a created content including product
information and options as well as style tips, videos, related
marketing campaigns, and suggested complimentary products. The
store also aimed to use technology to inform more customers about
its lesser-known brands. Moreover, Deckers provided eight iPads in-
stores that allowed customers to order out-of-stock items online and
have them shipped for free.
Within the well established online and of offline integration, net sales
per brand per sales channel had a positive growth. In other words,
e-commerce did not cannibalize but stimulated the offline retail
results.
Case-Study: Deckers
Net sales by brand 3/31/2015 12/31/2013 Amount %
UGG $1,493,193 $1,298,880 194,313 15.0%
Wholesale $903,926 $818,377 $85,549 10.5%
E-Commerce $209,722 $155,635 $54,087 34.8%
Retail stores $379,545 $324,868 $54,677 16.8%
Teva $126,743 $116,387 $10,356 8.9%
Wholesale $116,931 $109,334 $7,597 6.9%
E-Commerce $9,179 $6,627 $2,552 38.5%
Retail stores $633 $426 $207 48.6%
Sanuk $114,711 $101,680 $13,031 12.8%
Wholesale $102,690 $94,420 $8,270 8.8%
E-Commerce $8,214 $6,077 $2,137 35.2%
Retail stores $3,807 $1,183 $2,624 221.8%
Other brands $82,410 $39,671 $42,739 107.7%
Wholesale $76,152 $38,276 $37,876 99.0%
E-Commerce $5,955 $1,195 &4,760 398%
Retail stores $303 $200 $103 51.5%
Total $1,817,057 $1,556,618 $260,439 16.7%
Total E-Commerce $233,070 $169,534 $63,536 37.5%
Total Retail Stores $384,288 $326,677 $57,611 17.6%
Net sales , in thousands
Deckers Annual
Report, 2015
Burberry Regent Street opened its doors in 2012 as the largest ever
London store on Regent Street. Designed to reflect the website of the
company, Burberry showed how much it cares about the digital
presence. As ex-CEO Angela Ahrendts stated: “Walking through the
doors is just like walking into our website. It is Burberry World Live.
”Known as the digital leader of the industry, Burberry has an increasing
growth year-on-year not only online but also offline.
71% of revenue (2014: 70%); with 214 mainline stores, 213 concessions
within department stores, digital commerce and 57 outlets.
The 9% comparable sales growth was broadly evenly balanced
between halves, but reflected differing regional trends. In-store, footfall
declined but was offset by improved conversion and higher average
transaction values. Online, mobile doubled its share of revenue in the
year, following the launch of an upgraded mobile platform in the
second half of the year.
Case-Study: Burberry
Net sales are in thousands
Revenue Growth
Burberry Annual Report, 2015
Today, it is hard to find a brand which is completely offline or 100% online, even if the brand
doesn’t have official online store or doesn’t work with e-tailers it can be present online thanks
to the social media channels and the website. Another misleading concept is that premium
and luxury brands can devaluate their brand image with online store presence. It’s true that
premium brands were slower in adoption of e-commerce compared to the activewear or
mass market brands, e.g. Dior is selling selective goods on its official online store, while
Chanel limited its merchandising for online store with licensee products only (fragrance,
makeup and eyewear). At the same time, Gucci provides possibility to shop the entire
collection online and moreover, launch capsule collections for the internet sales only.
At the same time, there is another trend when online companies are entering physical
environment. Net-a-Porter, a premium e-tailor, launched a print magazine to enhance the
online sales. In 2016, Amazon is going to open the third brick-and-mortar bookstore and the
retail giant has also already launched a private clothing label.
At the end, the companies sell goods to concrete customers, who are living in the physical
world and are connected 24/7 via smartphones, computers, tablets, smart watches and
many other devices, where they discover new brands and products or search for the
advice. Hence, the brands should analyze all possible touchpoints with customers through
the online and offline environment to maximize sales results of the brand, despite distribution
channels.
Omni-channel Strategies: Online vs Offline
Presence
Amazon Books in Seattle
Organic Fibers
Sustainable materials can be divided according to the various ways they are made. Here below are four major ways. It is important to note that
more often than not, some sustainable garments are made by using more than two methods.
Organic Fibers
Organic fiber is made frommaterials raised or grown incompliance with organicagricultural standards. Themost popular material fororganic production is cotton,but it can also be composedwith silk or linen. Textiles do notneed to be 100% organic tohave the organic label.
Eco-friendly Fibers
Eco-friendly fiber are madefrom fibers that do not requirethe use of any pesticides orchemicals to grow. They arenaturally resistant to mouldand mildew and are diseasefree. Hemp, linen and lyocellare such eco-friendly fibers.
Upcycled Products
Upcycling, also known ascreative reuse, is the process oftransforming by-products, wastematerials, useless and/orunwanted products into newmaterials or products of betterquality or better environmentalvalue.
Recycled Products
Recycling means turning wasteinto a reusable product or torefurbish a product for reusingagain in making clothes. Forinstance, recycled plastic orrecycled polyester beingreused to make new garments.
Types of Organic
Fibers
Organic Fibers
Organic fiber is the fiber made from
materials raised or grown in compliance
with organic agriculture standards without
the use of toxic insecticides, fungicides or
herbicides. To gain organic certification, a
farm must have been inspected by an
accredited certification organisation using
national or international standards.
Fibers that can be organic:
✔ Cotton
✔ Silk
✔ Linen
Eco-friendly fiber is a more broad
definition, that includes organic fibers but
also those fibers who’s manufacturing
includes chemicals but the primarily
source is naturally regenerative. Hence,
they can also be considered as eco-
friendly.
Fibers that can be eco-friendly:
✔ Hemp
✔ Lyocell
✔ Linen
Types of Organic
Fibers
Organic Fibers: Cotton
Organic cotton is the cotton that has been grown on earth without the use of chemical pesticides and defoliants for at least three years.
Organic cotton feels softer, smells cleaner, and is less likely to trigger allergies. The sustainable farming practices that are used to grow
organic cotton do not pollute groundwater, surface water, soil or air. In fact, soil quality is actually improved by the production of organic
cotton.
H&M CONSCIOUS. Short dress in piquémade from soft organic cotton fabric.
Titania Inglis. Dress madefrom Organic cottonbrushed French terry and USorganic cotton ribbing.
People Tree. White t-shirtwith man print in 100%organic Fairtrade certifiedcotton.
Indegenous. Eco-friendly low-impact hand dyed skirt madefrom organic cotton.
Types of Organic
Fibers
Organic Fibers: Silk
Silk fabric when produced by weavers on handlooms has a near zero energy footprint and satisfies most of the guidelines for sustainable
fabric production. A concern has been raised though: Commercial silk kills the silkworm. Conventional silk is made by boiling the intact
cocoons and unwinding the single silk strand onto reels.
Organic silk (also raw silk) is created without the use of any chemicals or treatments using insecticides, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. The
silkworms are allowed to live out their full lives and die naturally.
Nomad by Elroy. 100%Raw Silk (Vegetarian &Cruelty Free).
H&M CONSCIOUS. Longwedding dress in woven,organic mulberry silk fabric.
Zady. Shirt made fromorganic silk comes fromIndia.
Dusen Dusen. Collareddress made from raw silk.
Eileen Fisher. A light,lustrous silk scarf, dyedusing artisanal techniques.
Types of Organic
Fibers
Organic Fibers: Linen
Linen fibers are taken from the Flax plant. Linen is considered eco-friendly because it is a natural fiber, meaning it takes little or nochemical fertilizer to grow. Also once it is harvested all parts of the plant can be used, making multiple by-products and nothinggets wasted.
Linen is cool and a good absorbent, great for the summer. It is also extremely durable and strong, the strongest of all naturalfibers.
Zady. Linen Cardigan madefrom the finest Belgian flax.
Zady. Linen Cardigan madefrom the finest Belgian flax.
Eileen Fisher. French flax in a fine,handkerchief-weight linen fromorganic farm.
H&M CONSCIOUS. Long,
wide-cut dress in organic
linen 63% and mulberry silk37%.
Types of Organic
Fibers
Organic Fibers: Hemp
Having the most eco-friendly potential, these plants grow quickly and densely which makes no pesticides or herbicides needed. Hemp
does not exhaust the soil and enables sustainability by leaving the soil in excellent condition for any succeeding crops. It has long fibers
perfect for spinning with minimum processing and because it comes in a variety of weights and textures it can be used to produce many
different articles of clothing or accessories.
Hemp is an extremely durable fabric. It is also very insulating, absorbent and improves over time with washing and wearing. It reveals a
new surface becoming softer with every wash. It is also UV resistant, highly breathable, fast drying and hypoallergenic.
Wallis Evera. Jacket made from56.5% Hemp, 27% Silk, 16.5% Cotton.
Braintree. Relaxed fittingsummer trousers madefrom 100% hemp.
Elroy Clothing. Dress made from65% Hemp, 30% Cotton, 5%Spandex
People Tree. Handmadecollapsible hemp shopping bag.
Types of Organic
Fibers
Organic Fibers: Lyocell
Lyocell is a material made from wood pulp which is converted into fiber using a solvent that has low toxicity and is recycled in a closed-
loop process, which means that 99.5% of chemicals are reused.
Most of sustainable brands mention that their lyocell is specifically from Tencel® which is made from sustainably harvested trees (The
forestry behind generic lyocell may be sustainable, but it is not guaranteed). Tencel uses much less water than the production of non-
organic cotton, which uses 100 times more water to produce.
H&M CONSCIOUS. Short dress in softwashed denim made from Tencel®lyocell.
Levis. Lyocell buttoned topwith long sleeves.
Tommy Hilfiger. Lyocellshirt.
L'Herbe Rouge. White Tencel topmade from 100% lyocell.
Types of Organic
Fibers
Organic Fibers Startups : ORANGE FIBER
Innovation shouldn’t stop and so exhibits this Italian startup who’s mission is
creating sustainable and biodegradable textiles from citrus fruits waste.
The textile is made by extracting the cellulose from the orange peel fibers
that are discarded from the industrial pressing and processing of the
oranges. The fiber, through nanotechnology techniques, is also enriched
with citrus fruit essential oil. The result is a vitaminic textile where Vitamin C
in the fibres is deposited on the skin through the fabric.
Currently focused in Italian market, two headquarters in the cities of
Catania and Rovereto, they aim to transform upto 700.000 tons of current
by-products in Italy into a more sustainable textile with added properties.
In 2015, they were one of the five winners of Global Change Award, an
initiative started by H&M Conscious Foundation to choose the best ideas
that work toward protecting nature that can be incorporated in Fashion.
The ready orange fiber
Startups in Organic
Fibers
Organic Fibers Startups : RE-BELLO
Yet another innovative startup, a Made-in-Italy Fashion brand
headquartered in the Italian city of Bolzano. Their mission is to be a truly
sustainable clothing label where design, sustainability and transparency all
go together in harmony.
They are constantly researching materials that are made with ethical ways
of production and at the same time are stylish and in-trend. Their wish is to
minimize that impact on textile production on the environment by looking
into many possible sustainable aspects such as: sustainable fabrics, place
of production, fair work conditions, harm reduction, waste reduction,
plastic recycled yarns and high quality investments.
They carefully handpick the materials, keep production closely around
Europe (mainly Italy, Greece and Turkey) certified by Fair Wear
Foundation, and transparently disclose the production process behind
each item.
Re Bello AW16/17 Lookbook
Startups in Organic
Fibers
Recycled Garments
Recycling means to turn waste into areusable product or to refurbish a
product for reusing again in making
clothes like recycled plastic being
reused to make garments again.
Upcycling, a particular form ofrecycling, involves turning waste
material or an unwanted product into a
better-quality or new product.
Upcycling involve creative ways of
using old products and materials.
Recycled Garments
More and more brands have started to launch special recycled products or collections, some of the recent examples are: The North
Face, Patagonia, Hamilton Perkins, Rewilder, Mosevic, Norton Point, Nike, Levi’s, Carrie Parry and H&M and many others.
Recycled Garments: The North Face
The North Face
The North Face recently modified a popular line of its jackets
using recycled yarns, including one made from both fabric
scraps and recycled bottles. It is hardly a closed-loop system,
but it is getting there: The North Face says for every 10 jackets
produced, four more jackets can be produced out of those
scraps. It has also increased the amount of recycled plastic in
their polyester fabric.
Recycled Garments: Patagonia
Patagonia
Worn Wear : Patagonia launched their Worn Wear repairtour from San Francisco in April 2015 on a 21-stop, six-week adventure. A pair of biodiesel repair trucks—began the trip from California to Boston doing freeclothing repairs, teaching people how to fix their gearand selling used Patagonia clothing. In advance of tourstops, they asked their customers to bring their well-loved clothing in need of a fix. And if they didn’t haveany Patagonia clothing, they were offered to buy theirused gear.
Recycled Garments: Hamilton Perkins
Hamilton Perkins
Hamilton Perkins makes its travel-ready "Earth" bagalmost entirely from recycled plastic bottles.Manufactured in the United States, and lined with vinylfrom discarded billboards, each carryall converts easilyfrom a duffel to a backpack, complete with a three-wayzippered compartment that allows quick access tosundry gear and devices. "We had trouble finding abackpack that could meet our basic needs in apractical and socially responsible way," the Norfolk, Va.–based company noted on Kickstarter, where it's lookingto raise $10,000 in preorders for an initial production run.
Recycled Garments: Rewilder
Rewilder
Based in Los Angeles, the cruelty-free label reclaims polypropylene filters, used to strain barley and hops during beer manufacturing, and transforms them into effortlessly sleek totes, bags, clutches, and aprons. "Large breweries throw these filters away after only weeks of use," explain Lisa Siedlecki and Jennifer Silbert, the company's founders, on their website. "[They're] lightweight, strong, durable, breathable, and very beautiful, with a unique patina from manufacturing.”
Recycled Garments: Mosevic
Mosevic
The frames are contoured by adding more layers ofdenim where the frames rest on your nose and at thehinge. The temple arms are reinforced with a steel wireso that they do not lose their shape and they areconnected to the frames with sturdy five-barrel hinges. Ayear after a Kickstarter campaign gave the companythe jump-start it needed, Mosevic is launching "Worn," aline of frames crafted entirely out of discarded bluejeans.
Recycled Garments: Norton Point
Norton Point
The eyewear company has created a line of sunglassesderived from high-density polyethylene marine debris.Norton Point won’t run out of feedstock any time soon;there are about 46,000 pieces of floating plastic in everysquare mile of ocean, according to the United NationsEnvironment Programme. That same plastic, theorganization adds, is responsible for the deaths of over amillion seabirds and more than 100,000 marine mammalseach year. What Norton guys are doing is bringing it to agood use.
Recycled Garments: Nike
Nike
Nike is doubling down on waste. In its annualsustainability report, the sportswear giant revealed that71 percent of its shoes and apparel today containsrecycled materials, some of it derived from its ownproduction leftovers. Writing in his “Letter from the CEO,”Mark Parker hailed “low-impact and regenerativematerials” such as manufacturing scrap as the linchpin ofclosed-loop products that are big on performance yetlithe of footprint.
Recycled Garments: Carrie Parry
Carrie Parry
Using environmentally responsible materials andrecycled fabrics, Carry Parry’s designs are feminine,preppy and classic. She won an award for her ethicalfashion efforts. In 2011, she launched her label CarrieParry, that integrates her love for textiles, innovative andquality design with her commitment to environmentallyconscious and ethical production of her garments.
Recycled Garments: H&M
H&M
H&M Conscious collection is all about making eco-conscious clothing for their fashionable and consciousconsumers. They also choose and reward responsiblepartners that they collaborate with. They also have aservice for their customers to drop any clothes they nolonger want or need, at H&M, to give them a new life.They are also reducing, reusing and recycling on manyother fronts: hangers, packaging, shopping bags andmore.
Recycled Garments: Adidas
Adidas
Coinciding with World Oceans Day held on June 8, theAdidas x Parley trainers launched in a limited edition of50 pairs which were to be earned rather thanpurchased. Those who wished to gain a pair wererequired to take part in an Instagram competition,submitting a video that demonstrates their commitmentto stop using single-use plastic items. Designed byLondon-based Alexander Taylor, the shoes are madeusing Adidas' existing footwear manufacturing processesbut the usual synthetic fibres are replaced with yarnsmade from the recycled Parley Ocean Plastic.
Recycled Garments: G-Star
G-Star
Pharrell Williams is collaborating with G-Star Raw tocurate a line of denim made from recycled plasticsalvaged from the ocean. The plastic bits are woven intoa hybrid cotton-plastic material called Bionic Yarn. Fromthat, they create some pretty rad jeans for both ladiesand gents. To make the garments, ocean plastic isbroken down and woven with other materials to createthe fabrics. This was also a collaboration with Parley, likethey did with Adidas, which made ocean plastic tobecome the breakthrough material of that year.
Eco-friendly Technologies For Production
Apparel Manufactoring Process
Main steps of the manufacturing process
Sustainable Method to make the
production more eco-friendly
Dry Dye
Eco-friendly Technologies For Production
Recycled Garments
The process of reusing recycled plastic or recycled polyester to make new garments
Organic Fibers
Materials raised or grown in compliance with organic agricultural standards
Air Dye
AirDye, which transfers dye from paper to polyester fabric using printing machines, uses up to 95% less water, 86% less energy and 84% less
greenhouse gases than conventional print and dye methods. The water savings on a single garment can be as much as 45 gallons. AirDye
recycles paper used in the process and the dyes are inert, which means that they can go back to their original state and be reused.
Dye COO
The Dutch company, DyeCoo Textile Systems BV developed the new machine that uses supercritical carbon dioxide instead of water. The
benefits for the environment are huge: there is no water consumption, no use of chemicals, no drying and it is twice as fast, which also
makes it attractive in terms of energy consumptions.
No Dye
“NoDye” refers to materials used in their natural color state. The fabric follows the traditional material manufacturing processes but skips
the dyeing. By skipping the dyeing step, the overall production process uses less water, less energy and fewer chemicals.
Eco-friendly Technologies For Production
Chemical control
H&M is detox-committed and an active part of the ZDHC group. The company is working actively to implement the joint roadmap with
milestones to secure a cleaner environment with increased accountability and lead our industry to zero discharge of hazardous chemicals
by 2020. This involves working on a methodology to find safer alternatives and research list prioritisation. The chemical inventory list is one
of company's new minimum requirements to secure a strengthened supplier chemical management system.
Human right management
NIKE was the first company, in 2005, to voluntarily disclose the locations of all its contract factory suppliers. Nike measures contract factory
performance through our SMSI, an index that elevates labor and environment standards to an equal level with traditional measures of quality, cost
and delivery.
Water<Less
1. Water stewardship – knowing and reducing company’s own water use and improving the impact on water at company’s own
operations and along the value chain through innovative solutions and parterships
2. Water saving program per employee - a reduction of household waste volume per employee
3. Partnership with WWF - In 2013, H&M partnered with WWF and together they developed a holistic strategy for water stewardship
targeting four key themes: improving the use of water, building water awareness, collective action, and measuring water impact and
risk. This collaboration ran over three years and was the first of its kind in the fashion industry and worked to engage suppliers, buyers,
as well as decision makers
4. Combining multiple wet cycle processes to reduce water consumption (e.g. Water Innovation by Levis Strauss & Co.)
Eco-friendly Technologies For Production
Effluent treatment planet
Sewage treatment is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to
remove these contaminants and produce environmentally safe treated wastewater.
Eco friendly packaging
During the manufacturing and packaging process the company can use green and recycled carton or work on the improving of the
package for the final product. E.g. Nike achieved a 3% average weight reduction per shoebox by testing and assessing multiple box
designs, and ultimately implementing one that optimized fiber reduction without compromising essential strength or performance
attributes for transportation.
Renewable electricity
NIKE’s approach to reducing the carbon footprint involves pursuing innovation in low-impact materials, driving energy efficiency in
company’s own supply chain and advancing renewable energy in our owned or operated facilities.
Startups, Eco-Production: Solwa/Rimar
Santex
Startups in Eco-FriendlyProduction
Technologies
Solwa SRL is a 3-year old start-up company offering systems to manage waste
and pollutants like treating polluted and salty water, and being powered by solar
energy. In Jan 2015, Santex Group acquired a majority stake in Solwa believing in
its excellent prospects in solving customer’s environmental problems with a
system able to dry waste sludge and reduce greenhouse’s gas emissions.
The startup is now be re-located in one of the Santex sites in Trissino (Vicenza)
alongside Isotex Engineering and Sperotto Rimar.
Solwa innovated Drywa in one of its system to manage waste and pollutants. This
system has now been integrated in Santex Group machinery.
Dr. Paolo Franceschetti, CEO of Solwa, proudly welcomed this merge quoting
“our technologies are based on the optimisation of thermodynamic processes,
and we were in search of a company to guarantee their industrialisation and
distribution of this green technology all over the world. Santex Group has not only
demonstrated affinity to our objectives, but is sharing our innovation and
developing strategies.”Solwa Technologies
Study carried out exclusively for Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center
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