An estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created annually from the fashion industry. A collaboration between Stella McCartney and Adidas aims to use new thinking and new technologies to take what is being wasted and transform it into a resource.
We worked on the launch event at The Sunbeam Studios in West London.
First Network provided technical support for the event, which debuted the Adidas by Stella McCartney ‘Infinite Hoodie’.
This ground-breaking garment embodies what textile developer Evrnu calls ‘NuCycl’. Evrnu have invented an entirely new kind of engineered fiber with extraordinary performance and environmental advantages, made from discarded clothing.
Not only is it made from recycled fabrics but the Infinite Hoodie is in it’s turn, 100% recyclable. Created in an ultra-limited run, it is designed to be disassembled and returned to the NuCycl system.
“Right now in the U.S., consumers dispose of about 80% of their textiles directly into their garbage can. That’s the behaviour we’re really trying to tackle,” said Stacy Flynn, chief executive and co-founder of Evrnu. The production process involves shredding and liquefying discarded clothing into a pulp. After the pulp is processed through a filter in Evrnu’s pilot facility, it is converted into a premium fibre. The fibre can be spun into yarn, dyed and then woven into fabric.
A partnership between Adidas and Stella McCartney was a natural fit. Adidas’ strategy is to create products that not only perform for the athlete, but for the world at large. They have already been designing footwear and apparel using upcycled plastic waste. The next challenge is to end the concept of waste entirely, in this case creating products that are made to be remade.
Designer Stella McCartney has always fought to promote ethical and environmental fashion. She said:
“Fashion is one of the most harmful industries to the environment. We can’t wait any longer to search for answers and alternatives. By creating a truly open approach to solving the problem of textile waste, we can help empower the industry at large to bring more sustainable practices into reality. With Adidas by Stella McCartney we’re creating high performance products that also safeguard the future of the planet.”
The launch heralds an important leap for sustainable, eco-friendly fashion.
The event provided an exciting glimpse into the future of the fashion industry and First Network were proud to be associated.
