Fungi, fish scales, microorganisms and enzymes could be the answer to replacing pollutants and tackling waste in fashion production and improving fashion sustainability, according to the hosts of a new exhibition at Fabrica X in Kings Cross, London.
The exhibition, Planet-Saving Innovations, is being hosted by sustainable techstyle and agrifood innovation experts The Mills Fabrica.
It will showcase 10 start-ups that have developed new production techniques to help improve fashion sustainability using fungi, natural collagen by-products, microorganisms and enzymes to replace plastics, chemicals and fossil fuels in textile and high-performance manufacture.
These include Unspun, which will unveil a new installation using the world’s first 3D weaving technology for apparel which boasts a 50% emission reduction over standard production and NFW, which will present its new plastic-free performance materials with a range of brands including Karl Lagerfeld and Ralph Lauren.
Epoch Biodesign will be showcasing its nylon enzyme recycling process to reduce material waste, while Pact will be displaying its collagen-based biomaterial Oval, which is created from fish scales and surplus collagen.
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The Mills Fabrica seeks to identify early-stage companies who are developing ecological alternatives to allow more environmentally-friendly processes to be adopted at the design stage and help advance fashion sustainability.
Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to shop from brands including zero-waste fashion company Story Wear, and Ways Out, an upcycled jewellery retailer.
Amy Tsang, head of Europe at The Mills Fabrica, said: “We’re excited to welcome visitors to see the pioneering solutions that are not only redefining the future of techstyle and materials but also have the potential to overcome our planet’s most critical challenge of restoring the Earth’s natural systems.”
The fashion sustainability exhibition, which is open to both industry and the public, will run until 30 September 2024.
