Circular Economy
Fiquetex: crafting vegan leather and fabrics from Colombian succulents
«We use about one third of the energy needed to craft animal leather». Gabriel Moreno, Fiquetex, winner of the Oxford University Best Postgraduate Idea
Circular Systems – Keeping the neutral cellulosic chain when recycling cotton. Otherwise, it is classified as viscose
Circular Systems is focused on using waste streams as their main source of materials for production working on up-cycling the textile
The paradigm of a circular economy: is there a place for thermal decomposition? Fulgar x BASF case
The chemical transformation process called thermolysis turns post-consumer plastic waste into a secondary raw material, replacing new fuel from fossil origin
Digital Art disruption: Francesca Kaufmann and Stefano Rabolli Pansera at Hauser & Wirth
The outbreak of Covid-19 pushed art galleries to rethink their role and position within the contemporary art market; accelerating the digital transition and the implementation of new digital strategies
The KAIKU machine – the future of color comes from fruits and vegetables
«It’s a multi-steps process that makes us get the color that we need. Then, in the end, we get this biomass for fertilizer and biofuels». Nicole Stjernswärd, design technologist
The state of paper recycling – challenges and opportunities for a circular industry in Europe
In Europe, Fibre-based packaging is contributing to the circular biobased economy, as eighty-four point six percent of paper and board packaging is recycled
Change starts with farming: regenerative farming and foresting – From Farm to Fabric to Fashion
Experiences coming from farms and attention to the biodiversity that surrounds them highlight the ethical success of the development in the fashion system
Every time you open a water bottle, you release thousand of microplastics
Microplastic role and impact on human life. Drinking water, air, and DNA - where else will scientists find the microplastics, and what does it mean for us and the upcoming...
Craftwork home working systems could be the future of decentralized garment production
Haute Couture designer - Rahul Mishra, and the founder of Nest - Rebecca Van Bergen on providing artisans with a favorable working environment. Implementing in home work practices
The overlay of six different shades of Musk, more about Musk complexity fragrance
The union of a single natural raw material such as musk together with wood, spices, fruits and flowers searches for three-dimensionality in the collection of fragrances
Erik Thomsen – one gallerist cannot deal with the Danish sense of irony
Thomsen gallery specializes in Japanese screens and scrolls; in early Japanese tea ceramics from the medieval through the Edo periods
Powder to liquid soap: a simple answer to complicated issues. The Forgo case
«If we have things with the system of refilling or of re-use, then throwing something away or recycling doesn’t have to be the first option». In conversation with Forgo cofounder Allon...
Castor oil plant material – Neubau opening up a new perspective on green eyewear production
How through the use of biopolymers derived from a renewable substance, Neubau’s eyeglasses perform equally or better than the material with the polymer mix
What if the rubber supply chain was no longer sustainable? Science is working on a solution
The global demand for rubber is about to increase, and without the latex from the rubber tree many productions would stop. Science is betting on Russian dandelions
Cinderela project is testing the way Circular Economy can be implemented in wastewater management
In Europe, the construction sector accounts for one-third of all EU waste, one-third of all water consumed, makes up for the largest share of the total EU final energy consumption
Digital fashion claims to solve overconsumption and overproduction: how green is it really?
«Digital fashion items don’t need physical resources and can work for the benefit of our environment». In conversation with digital fashion entrepreneur, Regina Turbina on sustainable consumption through virtual clothing
Sarah Kauffman: upcycling clothing scraps and military parachutes into collections
The American designer works with military parachutes and upcycled fabric scraps: «Parachutes have a story themselves which does not need to be manipulated»
Supply chain and costs transparency: Garment Workshop, a proper review
Garment Workshop is a brand developed in the last year from the experience of the group NXTGN who is active in the fashion consultancy sector
Road salt: de-icing roads using salt – when natural compounds cause environmental damage
More salt doesn’t mean more melting. How salt spreading on paved roads has become a bad, diffused consuetude in winter months and why it represents a threat
How paper waste can get up-cycled instead of down-cycled – the case of Honext
Barcelona-based startup Honext has developed a way to transform paper waste into panels, using materials which already exist rather than consuming raw materials
Textile from salt-tolerant plants grown using seawater: a case study by SaltyCo
The process involves saline farming – plants will be harvested to extract fibers which will be turned into textile products, using pre-existing production methods.
Biodegradable clothing will not spontaneously disappear from your closet: the AlgiKnit case
You can’t eliminate harmful materials, such as polyester, without replacing it with something else. Kelp can be turned into fiber and that is what we will work with
The struggle of creating an entirely new textile: leather from shell seafood by Tomtex
«They have a lot of interesting properties but they have a lot of interesting problems that go with it» In conversation with Ross McBee on what vegan leather actually means
How can the UK government secure the raw materials needed for the green transition?
The UK’s demand for lithium could reach 550,000 tons by 2050, while the country may use 240,000 tons of lithium and 90,000 tons of cobalt between now and 2035
Challenges in developing materials for the automotive sector: Volkswagen is reusing coffee waste
Silverskin: Volkswagen is developing, among a series of bio-based materials, a leatherette with coffee waste as a principal component of the filling
Fibretrace: the technology able to track the product lifecycle also after being recycled
Transparency is at the basis of a technology created to be implanted inside the fibers and to trace the entire production process
Regenerative materials in architecture: bio-concrete from species that disrupt the food chain
Killing two birds with one stone: developing a bio-concrete whilst helping out ecosystems. A look into regenerative properties
Deadstock fabric: an ethical choice for fashion brands or greenwashing?
«As a fashion system, we cannot be sustainable in any way. We can only try to be better by delivering the message to change»: Simone Ferraro, A Better Mistake
Zeefier – Developing natural dyes out of seaweed waste streams
If abundant, seaweed can create all sorts of problems for the environment. Zeefier has come up with a solution which tackles both that problem as well as eliminating synthetic dyes
Krill Design – the world’s first completely circular lamp is made from one-hundred percent food waste
«When you want to discard the lamp, you can separate the components by yourself so they are removable». In conversation with Marilù Osculati on just how much further we need...
WopArt: the first Swiss art fair putting works on paper under the spotlight
The Swiss art fair is the place to be for anyone who wants to discover the latest trends of the works on paper and approach a highly collectible segment of...
Biodegradable vs compostable: you know the terminology, you understand the difference
Consumer awareness of the impact of plastics has encouraged manufacturers to launch new eco-materials, mistakenly implying they all belong in the same category
Development of the raffia supply chain, a material to be used in the fashion industry
From the humanitarian and social project to the development in terms of production attentive to the biodiversity of Madagascar, the case of Made For A Woman
The job of a scientist merges with the role of a designer: the case of Theanne Schiros
«A circular economy can’t exist in a vacuum». In conversation with Theanne Schiros on actively trying to achieve a circular economy within all industries simultaneously
Buy now, pay later – the frontier of the new purchasing behaviors
Increased average cart and conversion rates explain why the BNPL technique can be a winner in the shopping environment. In conversation with Simone Mancini, CEO and founder of Scalapay.
Luxury shoe and eco-friendly, two attributes which do not cancel out – the experience of Piferi
Ethicality as a starting point for the development of a shoe prototype that breaks away from the idea of luxury made through the processing of leather, Piferi project
The rise of resale: facing strong platforms, brands invest in internal initiatives
As consumer demand for transparency and traceability increases, fashion brands explore in-house resale initiatives considering new technologies such as NFD and blockchain
Zanellato Luxethic and almond shells – Tanning carried out through the use of alternative materials
The main elements used in the tanning of leather, such as chromium and aldehydes, are harmful to humans and nature. Zanellato proposes a solution
A 55.55 carat diamond: the 100th anniversary of N°5 Chanel talking with Patrice Leguéreau
The Director of Chanel’s Fine Jewelry Creation Studio describes the journey that led him to Collection N°5 Grasse, its jasmine and May rose fields, and the pink, red and yellow...
How much does blockchain lead to transparency? TrusTrace and Authena cases
Proper use of blockchain and NFC technologies is key to not waste their use. In a conversation with the providers TrusTrace and Authena, they explain the why and how
A. Petersen: a short supply chain in Denmark – master craftwork and local material sourcing
Skari Svarre, founder of A. Petersen on how consumers need to relearn how to approach and appreciate long-lasting goods
Eugenia Errázuriz – From South America to Paris and Biarritz pioneering an aesthetic of subtractions
Eugenia Huici Arguedas de Errázuriz paved the way for the modernist minimalist aesthetic that would be taken up in fashion by Coco Chanel
Unspun – an apparel start-up, straddled between two continents, merges together robotics and denim
Unspun and their drive to solve one of fashion’s problems proves that society’s demand can evolve by thinking of new solutions
Leather-like material from discarded Danish Christmas trees – news in the realm of textiles
More awareness needs to be spread regarding what it means to buy something which has biodegradability properties. In conversation with Bonnie Hvillum, founder of Natural Material Studio
Diamond graders – holding up the stones with Borsalino Diamanti: transparency for 50 years
Where diamonds really come from. Jewelry, family heirlooms but most especially mining, labor, suppliers, diamond graders and manufacturers
AHEC – education about wood: designers and producers have to work together
After Perpetual Mobile show in Barcelona, AHEC partners with RIVA 1920 to showcase the work of the new generation of designers encouraging a more responsible use of wood
