The Changing Pace of Workwear Pt 2

THE CHANGING PACE
OF WORKWEAR
PART 2 - Future Technologies & Sustainability
PART 2 explores the
different technologies
& sustainable
innovations of
the future
...coming soon PART 3
will address how
COVID-19 has effected
the retail landscape &
the shifting priorities in
the workplace
EUROFIBER

WGSN
Coronaviru
The Impact
Our Planet
Throughout this repor
global drivers and key
action for future succe
sustainability and re
for the climate is no lo
critical consideration f
consumers are prior
and conscious corpor
than ever...
‘Futurewear’:
The Big Ideas
In 2020/21we have been through numerous global
shutdowns, but by 2023 companies and consumers
will be opening up to new strategies, innovations and
priorities. In an era of uncertainty, it’s all about the
4 C’s: Connection, Conservation, Communication
and Community. Brands will find new and smart
ways of connecting, communicating and building
communities with consumers, then conserving
resources will be imperative. In Part 2 of The
Changing Pace of Workwear, we will discuss how
companies are already starting to do this with new
technologies and sustainable innovations.
2

...Despite a turbulence from COVID-19,
sustainability is still a focus and will be
even more so, considering there is an
awareness of the negative but also the
positive effects on the environment
due to the pandemic.
We have seen a reduction in Green
House Gas emissions in the EU compared
to 2019, however these reductions could
be short lived as strict lockdown
restrictions are lifted, according to the
European Environment Agency.
Along with a reduction in air pollution,
we have also seen a reduction of water
pollution, noise pollution and ecological
restoration; where wild animals moved
into urban areas as people stayed
indoors.
s & Clothing:
on
PANGAIA
However, there have also been
negative environmental impacts; as
discussed briefly in Part 1, the
pandemic has led to a sudden surge in
global demand for personal
protective equipment (PPE), including
masks, gloves, gowns and bottled hand
sanitiser, etc. This has caused a sudden
rise of hazardous waste which has
become a significant challenge for the
local waste management authorities.
t we will discuss some of the
strategies that businesses can
ss. Firstly, let’s take a look at
generation; adapting to care
nger a strategy; it’s a
or long-term growth because
itising conscious consumption
ate social responsibility more
Additionally, there has been an increase
in the amount of waste packaging, some
of which can be recycled but a lot is
single use plastic. This is the result of mass
online shopping; the likes of fashion
retailers Asos and Boohoo saw sales rise
by 40 per cent in the last four months of
2020, also many restaurants and cafés
have moved to offering take aways
using single use plastic containers.
So how can we regenerate post
pandemic?
3

MARIE CLAIRE
WGSN
THE CONVERSATION
Environment & Climate Action:
“From Urgency to Emergency”
iNEWS
“The pandemic has upended the lives of billions and been disastrous for the already
vulnerable, exposing the inequalities of the world, and the fragility of the system
that the fashion industry operates in,” says Kerry Bannigan, founder of the
Conscious Fashion Campaign (Drapers).
Clothes are an everyday necessity and a form of self expression. But according to
the UN, the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry globally. In the
UK alone an estimated 350,000 tonnes of garments end up in landfill each year.
4

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
NYC FASHION WEEK - NEW YORK TIMES
From worsening seasons, severe droughts, increased wildfires and mass waste,
scientific evidence shows that collectively we need to do more to tackle climate
change. Companies/brands/corporations need to understand and implement
sustainable solutions that will align with consumers’ values. To not take a
sustainable stance is to be complicit, we need to invest now, or pay later. At
Dimensions, we continually look at new innovations for sustainable solutions.
ECOALF
FASHIONISTA.COM
5

6
REPURPOSE
ECOTEXTILE.COM
One key future strategy is to work towards a closed loop system. Many
brands are already working towards this; H&M revealed a new in-store
garment-garment knitwear recycling system, Looop, in Stockholm. The
machine transforms old garments into new pieces in an 8 step process
from cleaning and shredding to spinning yarn and knitting (without
water and toxic chemicals). Fast Fashion Giant Inditex aims to send
nothing to landfill by 2023 from all it’s divisions and Nestlé is investing
$30m in the Closed Loop Leadership Fund.
REINVENT, RESALE
“LOOOP” H&M
Recycled Polyester (rPET) degrades
each time it is heated to repurpose so
it can’t be used infinitely. Water, dye,
energy inputs and chemical releases
also need to be monitored as this can still
be polluting. It is arising garment togarment
recycling that is advantageous
and will offer more potential for
circularity in the future.
CLOSED LOOP
WGSN
“LOOOP” H&M
H&M

CIRCULOSE® is new natural material that
helps close the loop, made out of
Cotton textile waste.
CIRCULOSE®
FINISTERRE
Out of 53 millions tonnes of garments
produced each year, 73% are sent to
landfill or are incinerated and of all new
clothing made, less than 1% of material
used comes from recycled sources. (Ellen
MacArthur Foundation).
#closetheloop the
3 R’s: Repurpose,
Reinvent, Resale
WGSN
Martin Stuchtey, from SystemIQ
forecasts that if we undermanage and
underreact to threats that are depleting
natural capital and the planet’s
ability to regenerate itself, it will hinder
future economic success. What works
for us now, will not work for an
expanding population. The take-makewaste
linear economy needs to change
to become circular; “by designing out
waste and pollution, keeping
products and materials in use, and
regenerating natural systems we can
reinvent everything.”
ELLEN MACARTHER FOUNDATION
EVERLANE
7

PANGAIA - FLWRDWN
PANGAIA - FLWRDWN
PATAGONIA - ACTION WORKS
PATAGONIA - WORN WEAR
Repurpose,
Reinvent, Resale:
Key Brand Initiatives
Sustainability-conscious consumers will
prevail and behaviours are already
changing, this is beginning to challenge
traditional retail and business models; buy
back or subscription schemes are making
recycling easier and enabling stress free
circular shopping. Here is an example of
what three key brands are doing:
MUD JEANS
8

PATAGONIA ACTION WORKS:
Links people to the planet, connecting
individuals with environmental groups to
take action on the most pressing global issues.
WORN WEAR:
Up-cycled Patagonia clothing is sold online,
customers can exchange old Patagonia clothes
for vouchers. Repairs are also made on the
road.
1% FOR THE PLANET:
An alliance of businesses who pledge 1% of
annual sales for the preservation and
restoration of the natural environment.
More than $270 million has been raised.
Patagonia also use Regenerative Organic
Cotton & 68% of their product is made
from recycled materials!
They aim to be
carbon neutral
by 2025!
PATAGONIA - 1% FOR THE PLANET
CREATING A WORLD WITHOUT WASTE:
MUD Jeans are made with up to 40%
recycled cotton and organic cotton. Per jean,
they use 92% less water than usual and 70%
less CO2. Users can choose to buy or lease
for €9,95 per month (inc free repairs). The
jeans can then be swapped for a new pair.
When buying or leasing, the jeans can be
returned for a voucher.
FAIR FACTORIES & POSITIVE ACTIVISM:
They work with selected manufacturers that
ensure the wellbeing and fair pay of staff.
They have a mission to educate and aim to
produce jeans from 100% recycled cotton.
MUD JEANS CIRCULAR MODEL
A MATERIALS SCIENCE COMPANY EST. 2018:
They design product and develop materials
such as C-FIBER (100% biodegradable and
water saving, made from eucalyptus pulp
and seaweed powder), FLWRDWN
(insulation developed from sustainably sourced
wildflowers and maize biopolymer) grape
leather, recycled cotton and recycled wool.
IMPACT INITIATIVES:
PANGAIA have raised money for their Bee
The Change Fund and planted over 400,000
trees for their Tomorrow Tree Fund, they’ve
also raised and donated over $100k to
humanitarian organisations and charities.
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PANGAIA

Push For
Progress:
ELLEN MACARTHER FOUNDATION
Future Driver:
Regenerative
Change
What is Regenerative
Agriculture? It’s a farming
practice that actively improves
environmental conditions such as
restoring soil quality and the
balance of biodiversity, it absorbs
carbon and minimises impact.
Businesses that push for progress
in regenerative agriculture will
be in a strong position for the near
future. Products that are designed
to do less harm - starting from the
soil in which the cotton seed is
planted, for example, will stand
out to consumers.
WRANGLER
PATAGONIA
ELLEN MACARTHER FOUNDATION
Wrangler’s Science & Conservation Program is building a regenerative fibre supply
chain. The brand aims to source 100% of its cotton from farms that use its land stewardship
practices by 2025. In 2017, Patagonia helped establish the Regenerative Organic
Certification.
10

REGENERATIVE FASHION
TIMBERLAND
Timberland has
partnered with the
non-profit Savory
Institute, which
focuses on largescale
regeneration
of global grasslands,
as part of its
strategy towards
building a netpositive
leather
supply chain. They
aim to be net
positive by 2030
and plant 50 million
trees by 2025.
TIMBERLAND
TIMBERLAND
Along with upholding the rights of their factory
workers, Timberland truly believe a “Greener
future is a better future” they use rubber,
leather, wool and sugar cane from farms using
responsible land management practices.
They also use organic cotton, ReBOTL recycled
fabric, particularly for shoe linings and the brand
aims to be a zero waste company.
Timberland‘s Second Chance Scheme partnered
with Soles4Souls, enables customers to return the
shoes instore which are then distributed to people
in need, in exchange for a reward.
TIMBERLAND
TIMBERLAND
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INCREDIBLE COTTON
Lab Grown
Cotton:
INCREDIBLE COTTON
New Fabric
Technology:
Galy make their Incredible Cotton
from cells in a lab, based in the US
and Brazil they have developed “real
cotton, but better”. The company won
the annual Global Change Award
from the H&M Foundation in 2020.
The biotech company aims to
produce “hundreds of plant-based
and bioproducts, one stem cell at a
time”.
Galy’s plan is to produce yarn to sell
to clothing brands, at the moment this
is still in R&D phase. Incredible
Cotton uses 84% less water than
conventional cotton and uses zero
pesticides and insecticides. Lab grown
cotton grows 10 x faster, using only
20% of the resources and apparently
costs about the same as regular cotton.
INCREDIBLE COTTON
INCREDIBLE COTTON
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BIO- BASED
MATERIALS
BOLT THREADS - MYLO
Mushrooms are what we are most
familiar with, but most of their
bodies are made up of a mass
of thin threads called Mycelium,
which act as underground
networks; linking the roots of
different plants providing nutrients
and breaking down organic
matter. Bolt Threads have
developed Mylo, an engineered
Mycelium ‘leather’. The bio-tech
start up have a consortium of
backers including Adidas,
Lululemon and Stella McCartney.
FUTURE BIO-TECH FASHION
BOLT THREADS - MYLO
ADIDAS & LULULEMON
ARE RELEASING MYLO
PRODUCTS IN 2021
ADIDAS
BOLT THREADS - MYLO
BOLT THREADS - MYLO
Partnering with brands like
Adidas and Lululemon is a
major step toward biomaterials
becoming a genuine
option for mass production.
Firstly, the Mycelium is grown
on beds of sawdust and other
organic material. Thick sheets
of the woven mycelium are
then processed, tanned, dyed
and embossed, (using the
lowest environmental impact)
and using 50% less water than
needed for cotton production.
“In the right conditions,
mycelium has the potential
to biodegrade”. (New York
Times)
13

COVALENT / AIRCARBON
COVALENT / AIRCARBON
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CARBON FASHION
New fashion brand Covalent, created to
showcase the innovative biomaterial called
AirCarbon (made by biotech firm Newlight
Technologies) is regenerative, carbonnegative
fashion, starting with eyewear and
leather replacements.
After over 10 years of research, AirCarbon
was created by extracting microorganisms
from the ocean, feeding them methane and
carbon dioxide in large saltwater tanks and
using the natural material inside of their cells
called PHB. This is then turned into a bio
material which can be melted and formed into
PATAGONIA - 1% FOR THE PLANET
MUD JEANS CIRCULAR MODEL
product, much like plastic. Apart from it’s
naturally bio-degradable and uses up GHGs!
PHB is made naturally in almost all known life
on Earth, from microorganisms and trees to the
human body.The production of AirCarbon is
a carbon-negative process as renewable
power is used. Covalent also apply the world’s
first IBM blockchain-based carbon tracking
technology to track every step of the
fabrication process for each product,
including its independently verified carbon
footprint. For carbon to remain “safely and
stylishly sequestered” products can be
returned to be remade. This is game changing
fashion for a more sustainable future.
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PANGAIA

MARIE CLAIRE
ADIDAS FUTURECRAFT_STRUNG
Let’s Get Digital:
Smart Supply Chain & Software
ADIDAS FUTURECRAFT_STRUNG
Technology is continually advancing within the clothing industry, from sustainable
solutions like chemical recycling, recyclable fabrics and regenerative cotton to 3D
design, 3D printing and virtual reality; all are rewriting the rules for design,
working towards a better future with reformed inclusivity and accessibility.
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Take Adidas and their FUTURECRAFT_STRUNG textile innovation, where each
individual thread is data mapped and designed with 3D technology using athlete
data. They also have a “Three Loop Strategy”; whereby they are committed to using
exclusively recycled polyester by 2024, aim to be a circular brand and their ultimate
goal is for regenerative products to be made with renewable resources and
natural processes.

PUMA X FABRICANT DIGITAL CLOTHING www.thefabricant.com
The pandemic has induced digital-transformation and accelerated the rise of
digital design, digital fashion shows and even the role of robots. The role of
3D design is a futuristic approach to smarten up supply chains; enabling a
realistic view of how a garment will look, reducing sampling and increasing the
speed to market. This could even work for a pre-order strategy where brands/
retailers could launch 3D designed product securing profit first. Or some brands
like Scandinavian brand Carlings have a digital only collection, whereby
consumers pay €10-30 for a design, then the garments are superimposed onto
consumers’ images, which can then be shared on social media.
3D DESIGNED JACKET
THE FABRICANT X PEAK PERFORMANCE
CARLINGS
The Fabricant is a pioneering 3D fashion
house, selling 3D designs and collaborating
with brands such as Peak Performane and
Puma. Carlings have designed an interactive
T-Shirt whereby consumers can digitally
change it’s design through custom
facebook/instagram filters that address the
future with Earth and Humanity graphics.
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18
HIGH TECH
BURBERRY
ADAPT, EVOLVE
INNOVATE
ZALANDO
Live streamed fashion shows have been around for a while pre-pandemic,
but this platform has multiplied during the pandemic since designers have
had to adjust during lockdown. Virtual worlds have suddenly become
more main stream, sophisticated and more inclusive driving design and
culture. Digitally designed model avatars have been integrated into
many fashion shows, for example Marc Cain below. When we can get
back to shops, brands like Burberry are launching AI stores and online
stores like Zalando are introducing smart sizing software.
However, there is also a digital divide;
the social/education gap is widening,
where many people don’t have access to
technology and digital technologies are
also polluting; it is predicted technology
will contribute to 8% of global greenhouse
gas emissions by 2025. Companies such
as Organic Basics are switching to a low
impact websites, reducing data transfer
by up to 70%.
WGSN
MARC CAIN

VIRTUAL
CONNECTIONS
FACEBOOK VR AVATAR
YOOXMIRROR
Online retailer Yoox has launched a new
feature in its YOOXMIRROR app where
shoppers can create, style and share a
personalised digital avatar by taking a
selfie and Facebook are developing
photo-realistic VR Avatar technology.
#hightechfashion
Adapt, Evolve &
Innovate
WGSN
WGSN
The role of robots or ‘cobots’
is becoming more accepted
within society. According to
research organisation Robotics
for Infectious Diseases, robots
were directly involved in
fighting the pandemic in 33
countries; from delivering
essentials to connecting
doctors to patients or
people to loved ones.
There are even UV
robots that are designed
to disinfect surfaces and
air. Technology will
create more jobs than
it destroys, if businesses
and governments focus
on strengthening digital
capabilities by helping
people connect to the
virtual world and by
building more careers in
technology.
VOLLEBAK
COLLABORATIVE ROBOTS
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