Sustainable innovations speeding the fashion revolution

Meet 12 start-ups driving fashion's innovation revolution. They propose a beautiful future thanks to innovations in garment fitting, recycling, intelligent machinery and a revolutionary virtual garment marketplace, amongst other solutions. They all joined the latest Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator Programme.

Reusable packaging and innovations in the recycling of polybags, the most common packaging for clothing, are increasingly important in addressing the sustainability challenges of fashion. Also, circular business models such as rental solutions are gaining traction with both consumers and brands. As ecommerce continues to grow, digital fitting solutions are also becoming very important with alternatives to ill-fitting clothing, which result in increased returns and stock issues. And the creation of a digital clothing collection offers a glance into a digital future of fashion that wastes nothing but data.

Cadel Deinking, Cocoon Biotech, The Fabricant, Frankie Collective, PreSize, RE-NT, Resortecs, Returnity, Smartex, Sozie, Spintex and Unspun will try to disrupt and drive the transformation of the fashion world.

Over twelve weeks, these selected innovators participate in a robust curriculum including mentoring and industry expertise from Fashion for Good and its Corporate Partners to catalyze the innovations into the mainstream fashion ecosystem.

Innovations to speed sustainability in Fashion

Cadel Deinking removes printed ink and labels from plastics and through mechanical recycling can produce high quality, high recycled-content pellets. The de-inking technology produces pellets of similar quality to that of new plastics and can be used in the same applications as new material.

Cocoon Biotech has developed a bio-technology platform designed to produce a bio-compatible silk protein. Their platform dissolves raw cocoon silk, post-consumer silk waste and supply chain waste into a liquid protein solution, from which fibre, liquids and gel materials can be produced.

The Fabricant is a digital fashion house leading the fashion industry towards a new sector of digital only clothing - wasting nothing but data and exploiting nothing but imagination. The Fabricant specializes in photo-real 3D fashion design and animation which can be used in digital fashion editorials, digital clothing and occasional collections.

Frankie Collective is dedicated to reworking excess products into high-demand streetwear styles. Vintage garments and overstock that would otherwise end up in landfill are salvaged and reworked into contemporary items. 

PreSize is a 3D body scanning technology that uses any smartphone’s camera input to find the best fit to the users’ individual body.  Unlike other smartphone fit solutions, PreSize is completely web-based and uses a video of the consumer to estimate key points of the body, ensuring a higher level of accuracy in measurements.

RE-NT , based in Germany, offers a circular, white label rental service and online platform. Consumers have access to the latest fashion which they can rent and brands can still engage with their audience without having to deal with operations and logistics.

Resortecs produces a dissolvable stitching thread for easy repair and recycling of garments. Used in attaching trimmings, such as zippers, buttons and fasteners, the threads are aimed at garment repair, recycling and reusing materials from unsold stock and dissolve when exposed to heat.

Returnity creates custom designed, reusable and recyclable shipping packaging for individuals and businesses, providing a sustainable packaging solution for a better customer experience and engagement.

Smartex uses a combination of IoT sensors and AI/machine learning software for the real-time inspection and detection of defects in fabric production. The technology helps textile manufactures improve production yields reducing defective production down to 0.1%.

Sozie uses real-life consumers to produce fit and style feedback for garments that match the potential buyer's size and body type. “Sozies” are given 24 hours to find garments in retail stores and report back with photos, style comments and experience in fit. In time, a library is produced and shoppers can instantly browse content from consumers that match their body type.

Spintex, a spin out from the University of Oxford, manufactures pure and strong silk fibres. Fibres are spun from water-based solution of dissolved silk fibres, sourced from amongst others, post-consumer waste streams. The technology platform can create bespoke, next generation fibres and materials.

Unspun is an on-demand apparel company that uses 3D scanning and fit algorithms to generate digital consumer sizing. Using the 3D information, they create a pair of customized jeans that fit perfectly through 3D weaving. The technique eliminates back-end inventory, reduces wasteful processes and ultimately increases the lifespan and wear-ability of your garments.

+ info: Fashion For Good