Textile Innovation and Industry Transformation

A Message from Marisa Selfa, CEO of Ocean Born Lifestyle, a leading advocate for sustainable fashion and textile innovation:?

Dear Earth-enthusiast,?

Have you ever wondered how textile production and consumption can negatively impact the world around us? Have you ever asked yourself what choices you could make to transform those into positive impacts? Below, I want to tell you the inspiring story of three key innovative brands committed to re-imagining the environmental footprint of the textile life cycle. Please enjoy the read and consider making choices like these for your business and your closet, knowing that each choice you make can contribute to a brighter, more sustainable future.?

Each stage of a textile’s life cycle holds the power to shape our environment through every choice made by designers, manufacturers, and consumers.

The choice between water-intensive, deforestation-driving animal leather and cheaper, cruelty-free, petroleum-based vegan leather was once easy to make, especially for animal rights advocates and environmentalists of the time. However, plant-based, planet-responsible biomaterials are now entering the mainstream and radically disrupting this decision-making.?

Fast fashion was, and unfortunately still is, the dominant force in the industry. However, I increasingly see consumers and businesses making responsible choices. For instance, many are opting for second-hand clothing, supporting brands with transparent supply chains, and recycling their old textiles. These choices are not just supporting a healthier future for ourselves and our planet, but also challenging the status quo of the industry.?

And so, I ask: what if, from cotton fibre to laundry basket, we chose to?change the way we wear? What if, at every stage of a textile’s life cycle, we opted for alternatives that better the planet for the sake of our collective survival??

Revolutionising Textile Production?

Over the past decade, innovation in sustainable textiles has skyrocketed. Across cotton, leather, and wool, success in increasingly planet-responsible alternatives has yet to slow, and brands such as Stella McCartney are not just part of the change; they are leading the charge and inspiring others to follow suit.?

Stella McCartney uses VEGEA plant-based leather, a remarkable alternative to traditional animal leather. VEGEA is a biomaterial made from the by-products of winemaking, including grape skins, seeds, and stalks, offering a cruelty-free option that significantly reduces the environmental footprint of leather products. In contrast, animal leather involves ethical concerns related to animal welfare, extensive water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and chemical treatments that damage entire ecosystems. For instance, it takes about 20,000 litres of water to produce just one kilogram of leather, and the chemicals used in the tanning process are often released into nearby water sources, polluting them.?

By incorporating innovations like VEGEA plant-based leather, Stella McCartney showcases how the textiles industry and brands can and should make choices that restore the health of our planet and ensure a liveable future for us all. Their efforts not only mitigate environmental damage but also set new standards for industry-wide sustainability: as consumers become increasingly aware of the impact of their choices, the demand for such responsible alternatives is growing, encouraging further advancements and adoption across the industry.?

Changing the Way We Consume?

While there is a focus on raw materials processing and textile disposal when discussing planet-responsible apparel, the environmental impact of textiles?while?in use? is an important consideration, especially in industries that rely heavily on textile consumption.?

Staff uniforms across various sectors require rigorous and frequent laundering. These uniforms are typically crafted from synthetic materials, meaning heavy laundry use can significantly diminish their durability. With frequent laundering, microplastics leech into the wastewater; roughly 13,000 tonnes of synthetic microfibers are released into the ocean every year in Europe alone, and around twenty per cent of global industrial water pollution comes from the treatment and dying of synthetic textiles.?

Tailored by Ocean Born delivers items with a purpose to companies that care about their supply chain and its impact on planetary health. They work closely with each client to understand their needs and develop customized strategies and products that align with their sustainability goals. By making the right decisions about staff uniforms, corporate gifts, and merchandise, businesses benefit from durable products, an impact story worth telling, and direct, positive action towards environmental recovery.?

Tailored by Ocean Born addresses the entire life cycle of a product, considering water usage, soil depletion, carbon footprint, working conditions, and manufacturers’ socio-environmental practices. With thoroughly vetted and ethical supply chains, end-of-life recycling, certified textiles and materials, and 100% of profits reinvested into ocean restoration initiatives through the Ocean Born Foundation, Tailored by Ocean Born allows businesses to leverage their sustainability story while minimizing their footprint.?

From Waste to Wear?

Eighty-seven per cent of the?fabrics produced for apparel manufacturing end up in landfills. That number represents one truckload of fabrics every second. Moreover, only one per cent of all fabrics are recycled and given a new life.?

In partnership with Recovo, Ocean Born Lifestyle has created the DEADSTOCK collection. Deadstock fabrics refer to surplus textiles left over from a production run without a designated immediate or future purpose. They represent an abundance of perfectly intact, unused inventory that, unfortunately, goes to waste when not effectively repurposed.?

Ocean Born Lifestyle’s DEADSTOCK collection is not just a response to the alarming levels of waste we produce; it is a call to action for brands and consumers to tackle the issue head-on. By creatively utilizing discarded materials, Ocean Born Lifestyle is reducing the resources needed to produce new textiles by eighty-two per cent. The DEADSTOCK collection is also a tangible representation of a brand’s commitment to transforming industry norms and practices. Each piece tells a story of rebirth, renewal, and reinvention.

Ocean Born Lifestyle hopes to inspire others to see the potential in wasted materials, rethink overconsumption and waste, and challenge the narrative around waste in the fashion industry.?