The Smart Issue

WEARME

FASHION

WEARME FASHION is a magazine about sustainable fashion and modern lifestyle that showcases a new generation of products, fashion and fabrics, made with sustainable values and processes.

By interviewing the people behind today’s international fashion scene, the publication is at the forefront of the sustainable fashion movement, bringing its readers the latest updates in terms of conscious brands, new alternative fabrics and innovative, highly technological creation processes.

«Feel Good» testifies the commitment to a new communication model to spread current ideas and culture, while connecting the public with companies and sustainable innovators.

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Editor’s letter What would happen if the fashion, technology and science industries collaborated to build a strong family, with each member contributing its own knowledge, aiming to reshape the fashion industry for good in ground-breaking ways? In the pages of this issue, we reveal the latest possibilities of technological advancement, from avant-garde processes to artificial intelligence and wearable technology, sharing the stories of scientists, engineers and fashion designers shaping the future of fashion.

This issue of WEARME FASHION is special, rich in insights and full of relevant content developed with both designers and the public in mind. Each has their own perspective and interests, but both are equally invited to explore this fundamental shift in the fashion industry. In this issue, we’ve explored the most interesting conscious and innovative fashion brands of the world, but we’ve also dug deep into the roots of change to better comprehend what the future of fashion might look like.

We’ve created a bolder, braver issue to give these pioneers a voice, a platform to talk about what they stand for and share their unique stories. You’ll find interviews with fashion designers and wearable technologists; a trip around the world that uncovers the trend report for Spring / Summer 2019, full of the season’s best fabrics. We also felt it was the right time to dedicate a section to everyone’s staple fabric: denim, learning more about the latest innovative techniques that can create the perfect, sustainable pair of jeans.

Along the way, as we discovered these stories from Italy, the UK, The Netherlands and many others, we realized that local initiatives are essential in order to reinforce sustainable values and involve our own communities. These are initiatives we want to stimulate and contribute to, according to the excellent practices presented in this issue and those we will be thrilled to share with you in the upcoming months.

This is WEARME FASHION. Stay with us and expect more.

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#ACTIVE

LIFE STYLE C

ustomers with an active lifestyle expect a high degree of functionality and comfort in their clothes. They spend their time playing sports, traveling and living life. This customer appreciates a clean, minimalistic style, like athleisure, that doesn’t get in the way of their daily routine and movement. They may spend their time rock climbing, hiking and biking, so they have a connection to nature that makes them want to respect it. They seek simple, durable clothing that will last and look good through the seasons.

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hese customers prioritize fashion and shopping purposefully. For them, it is essential that clothes are stylish, and capture a sense of self.

They are attracted to the sense of innovation inherent in many eco-friendly products, and expect the perfect fit, color and style. They want to wear cool, classic clothes that are fashionable on their own, and don’t want to look obviously “eco.”

ILLU S TR A TIO N : E LIS A D I LE O

#STYLISH

AND CONSCIOUS WEARME.FASHION

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#ECOSENSIBLE T

hese customers have sustainability in their blood. Often from Scandinavian countries or Germany, they expect their products to be socially responsible first. They often have a little more life experience, and don’t care for fast fashion. Their specific style is reminiscent of American vintage or Canadian minimalism. They are sophisticated shoppers that don’t look for trends; rather, they want high-quality, classic fashion that doesn’t harm the planet.

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hese are millennials and Gen-Z, students and young adults who have been raised on ideals of sustainability and social change. They find inspiration everywhere, stocking their wardrobes with clothes from thrift stores, vintage shops online retailers and big international stores. Avid users of social media, this generation likes curating a personal brand through style that speaks to their personality. They want to look unique, and are constantly discovering new trends and ideas to express their personality.

#THE NEW

GENERATION WEARME.FASHION

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QUESTIONS

How can

M

UD Jeans raises awareness with a message: the resources used to make jeans are incredibly valuable, from the raw cotton to the water and energy used in production. Through the lens of ownership, MUD Jeans aims to reimagine the life cycle and impact of every pair of jeans. The company is now proving their concept around the world, with jeans available to buy or rent in more than 250 stores.

A NEW ALTERNATIVE The CEO of MUD Jeans, Bert van Son, formed the company after 30 years in the fashion and textile industries showed him the damage fast fashion was causing. He wanted to offer a “guilt-free” alternative, and so he created MUD Jeans. The Netherlands-based company aims to promote taking responsibility for our clothing, from start to finish, particularly in the denim industry, where water consumption and chemical usage run high. MUD follows a circular business model, designing each 10 WEARME.FASHION

of its garments to be recycled, up-cycled, or sold again, starting with fibers from recycled jeans and organic cotton to make each new pair. Customers can choose to buy the jeans traditionally or rent them, with a set membership fee of 20 euros and an additional fee of 7.50 each month.

Regardless of the method the customer chooses, he or she can send the jeans back and MUD will repurpose the denim.

Eva Engelen of MUD explained how this move away from ownership could benefit both the consumer and the manufacturer.

Customers are able to learn more about

IN TE R V I EW : S A R A VOLPI

FEATURING MUD JEANS

PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF M U D JE A NS

Denim in a different way?

TEX T: MOLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R

we approach

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how their clothes are made, and brands become more responsible for the waste they produce. “If people lease a jean, we remain the owner of the raw materials, which means we have to design to recycle it,” her colleague, Victor Massonneau, added. From a customer’s perspective, too, leasing jeans can make people aware of how the circular model behind it works, Eva pointed out.

FEEL GOOD FASHION The entire MUD collection is made of just four different fabrics, according to Eva, and all of them include recycled denim or organic cotton, such 99% GOTS-certified cotton and 40% post-consumer recycled denim. As Eva explained, the MUD team is also working on a complete removal of chemicals from the dyeing process – currently, the team only uses chemicals that are biodegradable.

MUD’s approach to sustainability aims to tackle the issue with a positive spin. “It has to be fun,” Victor pointed out. The team aims to make people feel great while wearing a quality product, both in terms of its look and its impact. Eva calls what MUD aims for “ethical aesthetics:” clothing that is fashionable and good-looking, without sacrificing key moral and environmental factors. “The idea would be to have a sustainable brand, but you don’t only buy it because it’s sustainable,” Victor explained. “Sustainability should not be the main criteria anymore, it should be just part of it.”

STYLE OUTLIER As design goes, MUD is something of a nonconformist in the denim industry. MUD denim is trans-seasonal, without distinct collections for each season. MUD pre12 WEARME.FASHION

fers to experiment with different finishing techniques to create a variety of washes, adding style to their best-selling models like the high-waisted skinny jeans, for her, and the straight basic cut, for him, Eva and Victor explained. Everyone can find something he or she likes and keep it for years. In its quest to build long-lasting jeans, MUD Jeans aims to keep its styles “timeless;” looks that won’t go out of fashion in a couple of years.

A lot of what MUD does is revolutionary in

niques like these are far from the norm in the industry, at least right now, but if the world takes a page from the MUD guidebook, the way we make, consume and conceptualize fashion could be drastically changed.

“MUD Jeans aims to keep its styles timeless” the denim industry, which tends to be the ecological problem child of the fashion world. As Eva explained, denim generally begins with a very dark pigment, and so brands use lots of chemicals to temper the color to a lighter wash. MUD, meanwhile, has been using a new process to reach its Oak Tree Blue, using a combination of ozone and lasers to achieve a light color, without any chemicals at all. Tech-

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QUESTIONS

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HOW

HAIKURE

BECAME PART OF THE FASHIONABLE LIFESTYLE It’s an open war between denim brands nowadays, each competing for a spot in perhaps one of the liveliest and most competitive segments of the market. Although they are all fighting on the same battlefield, denim brands cannot stand out with just a great shape, fit and color. Sustainability is now more important than ever.

T

o be fashionable and sustainable at the same time, you need to find the “perfect balance…” says Federico Corneli, founder of the brand Haikure, “…the perfect mix between making a fashionable product and making it in a responsible way.” Respect for people and the environment was important, but fashion had to be prioritized for the customer, he added. “So, we evolved from a very green concept to responsible innovation.”

To turn this concept into reality, Federi-

co works with trustworthy suppliers, famous companies like Candiani, Isko and Ital Denim, to get GOTS certified organic cotton, but also recycled cotton, organic hemp and Tencel, for the non-denim parts of the brand’s garments. As for innovation, the brand works with Lis, Itac and Everest, some of the most advanced laundries in Italy, according to Federico.

Thanks to these collaborations, Haikure has replaced most of the chemicals traditionally used during the washing proWEARME.FASHION 15

cesses with alternative techniques like ozone and lasers. The laser, for instance, is an environmentally advanced tool provided by Jeanologia, which allows for a massive reduction in terms of water and energy consumption, as well as chemical usage. As for the dyeing process, some compromises had to be made. “We tried vegetable dyes, but we were not 100% happy, because vegetable dyes don’t fix so well,” Federico explained. After a few domestic washes, the color faded. Following the unsuccessful attempt, which caused several customers to complain, Haikure stopped using vegetable dyes, aiming to improve this process in the future. “No one will be 100% sustainable,” Federico stated. “Each brand has to find its own way to be sustainable.”

Haikure’s style, too, reflects the brand’s ethos. Its innovative shapes and fits embody the right combination of trendy and comfy. People nowadays want to be fashionable, but also comfortable in what they wear. That’s what appeals to those who grew up during the 70s and 80s, dreaming of vintage denim and comfy sporty outfits. So the brand divided its creations into two different collections. “With Haikure Pure we want to follow more the concept of athleisure,” Federico explained, appealing to women and men who look for stylish clothes to wear during the day or while traveling. And people who appreciate something clean, raw and minimal can find more vintage looks in the brand’s main collection, Haikure Basic.

Despite the differences in style, both collections belong to the same way of living, thinking and acting that the brand stands for. According to Federico, their ideal customer appreciates how clothes can show a lifestyle and strengthen personality. That’s Haikure’s own ace-in-the-hole to stand out in the denim field.

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PH O TOG RA P H Y : C O UR TE S Y OF H A IK U RE

E D ITO R: MO LL Y BR IN D ’ AMOU R

IN TER V IEW: S A R A VOLPI

QUESTIONS

HOW CAN CONSUMPTION BE Sustainable ?

FEATURING BETTER WORLD FASHION

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O

ur fashion system, which encourages consumption to the extreme, is widely held accountable for the drift of the industry into production methods that have been very dangerous for the environment. The system is based on a fast, linear chain of producing, buying and discarding, with shorter and shorter spans of time between these steps. Doubtlessly, this system plays a key role in determining our consumption and waste patterns.

Many people believe that finding a way to reduce our own high consumption of fashion goods could help reduce environmental damage. But would curbing consumerism really be the solution? Instead, is there a way to continue consumption, but in a more sustainable way? According to Better World Fashion’s co-founder Reimer Ivang, consumption is not the problem.

On the contrary, it is simply a matter of combining the right business model and well-designed product, to ensure sustainable consumption.

Professor and head of the International Business Center at Aalborg University, Denmark, Reimer Ivang did everything that entrepreneurship literature says shouldn't be done, when building his own business from scratch. He worked backwards, designing a product and a company he and his partners could be proud of. A company whose premises were laid on a winning combination of the circular business model and a properly designed product, allowing people to consume in a way that Reimer says has almost zero negative consequences on the environment. “There's actually nobody that wants to get rid of consumption,” Reimer explains. “The nation state, the consumers, the companies, everybody needs consumption...We might as well accept that consumption is there to stay, we just need to give the consumer products, properly designed products, that they can con-

sume.”

Making the most out of vintage leather jackets sourced throughout Denmark, Better World Fashion sells jackets and bags made with 98% recycled materials.

All the leather is repurposed, zippers and buttons come from re-melted metal and the linings are made with recycled polyester. “We have designed Better World Fashion because we want to be a beacon,” Reimer explained. “We want to be a case where we can show everybody that says that it is not possible, that it is possible. We want to show that we can make a business that is economically sustainable, as well as environmentally and socially sustainable.”

Reimer’s circular business model helps take care of customers’ environmental concerns and ease their worries. “The only thing people need to do is wear our jackets, our bags, and then they know everything's taken care of,” Reimer added. He believes it’s a win-win situation, for both the environment and the consumer, something that he believes is becoming more important, particularly for parents. “When you get your own child, you certainly experience that now, it is not enough that the world lasts in your lifetime,” he pointed out.

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With a circular business model, business success and environmental success can actually go hand-in-hand. Meanwhile, the linear business model is just “very good at making the players within the business model rich, on the cost of everybody else,” Reimer said. A production process that respects people and the environment has its own costs, though, which are reflected in the sales price. From a retailer’s perspective, this implies less profit, when compared to a lower-quality garment made in more impoverished countries. But from a consumer’s point of view, Reimer points out, when presented with a choice between two leather jackets, one that pollutes and one that doesn’t, “most consumers would select the one that doesn’t pollute. The problem is that they don’t get that opportunity to select, today, because the non-polluting alternative is not out there.”

“Making the most out of vintage leather jackets made with 98% recycled materials.”

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Therefore, it’s essential that retailers selling these products have the same passion and excitement to share that product with the consumer. That’s what Better World Fashion guarantees on its e-commerce: a trusted relationship. That’s also why the company sells (and leases, as well) worldwide, with free delivery and 365 days to return, for free. People can take their time with their new jacket and, Reimer explains, “as long as there is a small Better World Fashion logo, somewhere in the jacket, they would have 50 percent buyback guarantee on it,” assuring that what they don’t want to wear anymore enters the cycle again. “So, the more jackets we sell,” Reimer concludes, “the more positive impact we have made on the world. And that's a very comforting thought.”

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PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF B E TTE R W OR LD FA SH I ON

E D ITOR : MOLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R

IN TER V IEW: S A R A VOLPI

QUESTIONS

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TEX T: S A R A VOLPI, MOLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R IN TE R VIE W : S A R A VOLPI PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF K U Y IC HI

HOW DOES KUYICHI CHALLENGE THE DENIM WORLD? S

tarting out as NGO Solidaridad, back in 2000, the first organic fashion brand in The Netherlands initially struggled to find the right balance. But right now, as Kuyichi, the Dutch clothing company has a solid presence in The Netherlands and in Germany, with 110 retail points globally, determined to share its vision of slow fashion with the world. Despite the bumpy road to success, Kuyichi has a positive experience to share, paved with valuable collaborations with fashion partners that share the same goal. That’s why we asked the company, along with other denim producers, what it takes to run a successful denim brand that shares and adopts sustainable practices at its core.

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SHARING IS CARING

TECH-SAVVY One thing Kuyichi takes particular pride in is the new technologies the company uses to help make their clothes sustainable. Zoé Daemen, PR and CSR manager for Kuyichi, explained that they’ve been experimenting in dyeing fabrics with herbal indigo. While getting the dye to keep its stability can be a problem, the team is very excited to be looking into further development of such natural dyes for their denim. The company is also tinkering with their wash recipes, with a 50% reduction in environmental impact for their Herbal Blue and Dark Shadow washes. In addition, the brand is working with E-Flow machinery, a system that uses steam instead of water, allowing the company to preserve around 80% more water, and to reduce the chemicals used. According to Zoé, they’ve also been using ozone, in a closed-loop system where the chemicals can be re-used, over and over again, making production much safer.

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For Kuyichi, having solid partnerships is integral to making these sustainable advancements. One of their suppliers, Soorty, uses a measuring tool, provided

by Jeanologia, called EIM, making it easy to calculate the water, chemical, energy and worker impact of specific washing processes. With this, Kuyichi was able to measure the impact of their traditional wash processes and brainstorm how to reduce them, Zoé said. They’ve made connections with suppliers and partners who are also investing in going toward a sustainable future, making experiments in sustainability very possible. One example is Alliance for Responsible Denim, a Dutch organization that’s aiming to incorporate more post-consumer recycled denim into new garments. “You can be a pioneer in this and contribute to making new techniques possible on a greater scale,” Zoé explained, “by collaborating

“Kuyichi is working with E-Flow machinery, a system that uses steam instead of water”

with suppliers and everything, showing that things are possible, manageable and profitable.”

STRIKE A BALANCE The slow fashion movement is inspirational for Kuyichi. As Zoé, who has an academic background in arts and communication, points out, denim’s eternal popularity makes it well-suited for the movement. So, the company aims to create denim that lasts longer. They want to create styles, like their Black-to-Black jeans, that are meant to stay stylish for years, allowing customers to keep wearing them for the long term. According to Zoé, the most popular jean among women is the Carey, a high-waisted model available in four different colors. Meanwhile, the most popular jean among men is the Nick, which features signature straps on the waist, although she expects the slim fit of the new Jamie model to become the

next season’s bestseller. While the company aims to avoid overstocking, Kuyichi is serious about always keeping their most popular jeans in stock, choosing to carry most of their styles over from season to season, to allow customers to keep accessing their favorite pairs.

Kuyichi set itself apart as very different from traditional denim brands – it follows GOTS for the cotton it uses, it switched to jacron paper patches that are soon going to earn a PETA certification, and on top of that, the brand is always aiming to add more recycled content to its jeans.

Despite standing out from the norm, Zoé thinks it’s inevitable that even the biggest brands will have to move towards sustainability and reduce their impact – and for Kuyichi, that’s a great opportunity. “I think we’re moving toward a fresh industry where there is a sustainable basis,” she said. In an industry like that, Kuyichi would be quite the model.

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QUESTIONS

HOW CAN A

Graphite pencil

BRING PURPOSE TO THE DENIM INDUSTRY?

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I

As Matteo pointed out, Wrad has always worked backwards, beginning with a concept and chasing it back to innovative sourcing and then toward an inventive product. So far, Wrad has also created an anorak that uses beeswax for a natural, weatherproof coating, as well as undyed sweatshirts, avoiding the chemical dye process and instead opting to keep

TEX T: MOLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R I N TE RV IE W : S A R A V OLPI

Perhaps Wrad’s breakthrough product is its Graphi-Tee. Through researching traditional dyeing techniques from the Roman Empire, the team realized they could use graphite to both dye and print on fabric. That’s where the pencil comes in.

The collective began working with Perpetua, a pencil producer that uses recycled graphite via its parent, Alisea, to develop a graphite-based dye. Graphite is a big tech industry waste product, as well as an alternative to chemical dyes, according to Silvia. The “g-powder” dye process that Wrad now uses, patented by Alisea and developed with the company Ital Denim, made the dyeing much more environmentally friendly and efficient, reducing water consumption by 95% in the dyeing stage, Matteo explained.

PH OT OGR A P H Y: V IC TO R S A N TIA GO

t was the 2014 Rana Plaza collapse that helped creators Silvia Giovanardi, Matteo Ward and Victor Santiago realize something was very wrong in the fashion industry. Enough was enough, the trio agreed, and they founded Wrad Living, a fashion and lifestyle company that they hoped could be radically different from the rest. “The company was truly founded out of a necessity to empower people with the knowledge to make the right choice while approaching fashion,” Silvia explained. She and her team saw Wrad as a sort of “communication purpose company,” and they set out on an intensive research process to figure out how to accomplish this.

“We simply want to take from the past and reuse it in a smart, contemporary way” WEARME.FASHION 27

the hemp’s natural color. The company selects its inspiration from a wide variety of sources. “In terms of design, there are many aspects that blend history, philosophy, sociology, poetry, photography into the products,” Matteo explained. Silvia, for one, is inspired by the direction of contemporary art, especially the way today’s artists repurpose waste and found materials. “We translate all this huge world into something funny, direct, clear and appealing and genuine,” she added.

“So, for me, the huge amount of waste there is in fashion nowadays is due to the fact that nobody wants to be an artist.”

of Ital Denim’s Kitotex technology, Wrad was able to develop a dyeing process that was much more environmentally efficient. Because of this success, the collective is interested in opening up a business-to-business market, allowing more companies in the denim industry to take advantage of its eco-friendly technology, Matteo explained. But there’s more. The team is also looking to develop a sustainable black dye in the future, in order to break into the bigger sector of the market reserved for the darkest shade of denim, as well as one of the most traditionally chemical-heavy shades.

Wrad’s collaboration with Ital Denim is another way it is standing out in the industry. After successfully developing its graphite dye with the company, the young collective hopes to make changes with denim, one of the most polluting fabrics, according to Matteo. Taking advantage

As it looks towards the future, Wrad’s simple message could definitely be considered revolutionary in today’s fashion industry. As Silvia explains, “we simply want to take what is good from the past and reuse it in a smart, contemporary way.”

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STYLE The brand uses every part of the plant in creating its biodegradable, hypoallergenic Opera fabric for a classic, elegant handbag.

Stefanoturco, €155,00.

Kozii’s Kimono is 100% Cambric cotton, handblock printed and stitched in Kantha. Kozii, €98.

Diluted with white and beige to create a futuristic, chic look.

Regenerated leather, made from waste from tanning processes, makes up the functional, sustainable file bag. Regenesi, €117,00 (L) and €110,00 (R).

These sweet, summery wedges are from PETA-approved vegan brand Nemanti. €295,00.

The cult-favorite brand brings German-made highcut sandals that look like no other.

Trippen, €275,00.

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Made in Germany, the world’s first vegan wooden sneakers are sourced from ethically managed forests to deliver a unique, futuristic vibe. Nat-2, €390,00.

Crafted from fabric using 100% recycled plastic bottles, this architecturally-inspired pack is sturdy and chic.

Pinqponq, €119,90

Wood and recycled plastic bottles in bright summer shades

Organic cotton meets wild rubber and recycled plastic for a sneaker that’s waterproof and fashion-forward. Veja, €160,00.

These luxe, cruelty-free kicks are crafted of Pellemela, a biodegradable faux leather made from apple core waste. Nemanti, €269,00.

Only vegan and non-toxic materials compose this sleek, stark and sexy collection. Rombaut, €280,00.

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PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF M ON K E E G E NE S

IN TE R V IE W: MOLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R

STYLE

DENIM’S WILD CHILD A look around at the streets and the shops will tell you one thing: in the fashion world, the 90s are back.

FEATURING MONKEE GENES

P

hil Wildbore, the founder of UK-based clothing brand Monkee Genes, is one of the designers looking toward the past for next season’s designs. But beyond just retro styles, Monkee Genes is hoping

to bring back high-quality denim, as an antidote to cheap, unethical High Street jeans. “Throwaway clothing, how cheap is it?” Phil asks. “If you’ve had a pair of Monkee Genes and they’ve cost you three WEARME.FASHION 31

tents and purposes, they’re still black.”

Organic Flex denim - this sort of “hightech” denim that customers demand right now - could be especially useful for customers with an active lifestyle, like skaters and cyclists.

The style of Monkee Genes jeans might not resemble that of its sustainable competitors. “A lot of sustainable clothing, it’s quite safe,” Phil remarks. “So if you go to an ethical show, the clothing is not exciting.” Monkee Genes hopes to change that, with bold, wide cuts like the Skate style that call back the styles of the 90s and appeal to a much younger crowd, typical “hippie” kids that go to charity shops and the vintage store to source their clothes, not just big retailers. To Phil, it’s amazing to reach a new generation, kids who form their own style and don’t follow a uniform.

That’s what makes him so excited to share Monkee Genes with the world. “Let’s have ethical,” he adds, “and let’s have it kicking off the page.”

times as much, four times as much, but they’re your favorite pair and you love ‘em and they’ve outlasted your cheapie high street thing, then it’s false economy, you know?”

Monkee Genes has developed a specific type of denim with polyester at the core, not just elastine and Lycra, like other pairs, allowing the jeans to have true “recovery” and retention of shape, keeping them from sagging at pressure points.

According to Phil, this is the difference that allows Monkee Genes denim to last longer and be the most comfortable jeans that keep their sensuality, making you feel good every day you wear them.

Phil explains: “We did a black high-tech sports denim. This is incredible. I’ve now had them for nearly two years. For all in32 WEARME.FASHION

TEX T: MOLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R I NT ER V IE W: S A R A VOLPI PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF T RU E B OX E R S

THE MODEST COMMUNICATION

STRATEGY FEATURING TRUE BOXERS

Being a sustainable company, while also reaching a wider audience, isn’t always easy. But True Boxers has managed to do just that, and the team has chosen to share the secret with us. The True Boxers team has simply decided not to use sustainability as a marketing tool. “There

are so many wrong promises out there,” Marcus Stadler, one of the founders, explained, “and a lot of companies really use marketing like this and…actually work on the border of sustainability.”

“We don’t want to work saying we are green.” Odd words to hear from the creWEARME.FASHION 33

ator of an underwear company known for its commitment to sustainability, but Marcus was simply being pragmatic. “I don’t want to reach a customer just because of the fact that it’s sustainable fabric,” Marcus explained. “I want to win him because he understands what it means to make a good product, and what it means to receive quality…If you only go for sustainability you don’t reach the majority, and the majority is the one we want to confront and which we want to reach.”

Marcus founded True Boxers, which now sells boxers, briefs and swimwear for men, in 2014, along with his business partner, Alex Bayer. The two set out to change what they saw as fundamental issues with men’s boxers: pairs were often ill-fitting, poorly designed, overpriced and harmful

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for the environment. “If the cut of a product which has been out there for centuries hasn’t been touched ever again, it will not have a good fit,” Marcus said.

Marcus and Alex had to visit a lot of factories to find their perfect suppliers, a process which took almost a year, according to Marcus, and spanned the European continent. The two made efforts to visit each potential source spontaneously, surprising the manufacturers, so as to get a more genuine view. “That was a very long, time-consuming, and very costly journey. And that was actually one of the biggest challenges we’ve had when starting True Boxers,” he added. But to this day, the company still uses the suppliers they chose at the very start – the two make sure to visit each facility a minimum

of two or three times a year.

The True Boxers name itself is a purposeful callback to Andrew Morgan’s 2015 documentary film The True Cost that detailed the ecological and ethical consequences of fast fashion. The company’s founders intend to produce clothes that can last much longer than the “fast” garments currently on the market. According to Marcus, True Boxers products can last, at a minimum, twice as long as their competitors’. The team pours a lot of effort into making them uniquely soft, comfortable, fashionable and, of course, durable. The founders place the emphasis on quality because they feel that sustainability should be a given, something that is always present in clothing.

“We want to say we are the best boxers,

they will make you the happiest, and by the way, we are green,” Marcus pointed out. Still, the company’s dedication to being environmentally friendly is serious.

The company uses OEKO-TEX standards as a baseline minimum, and uses cotton that meets the GOTS certification, which holds companies to high standards of ethics throughout the supply chain. Although the team at True Boxers prides itself on commitments like manufacturing in Europe, using environmentally friendly dyes and supporting fair working conditions, they prefer to brand the company as a maker of quality goods, not just an eco-brand. “We want to surprise our customers,” Marcus shared. “People don’t like if you are always telling them what they are doing wrong…if they like it, we have to explain why they like it.”

And, as Marcus explained, this is a message customers have been hearing loud and clear: “Since 2016, we haven’t had one single complaint. Not a single one.”

As far as the fashion industry goes, this might be the best compliment a brand can receive.

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CASSETTE TAPES:

ICONIC ITEMS Have a look at these woven, up-cycled interior designs that have become iconic in sparking our memories

FEATURING JESSICA CHUAN YI XIN AND MUSIC CLOTH

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TEX T: MOLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R IN TE R V IE W: N A D IA ALP A R ISI PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF M U SI C CL OTH

“I am a Parsons alumna from NY who called [sic] myself a change maker. (…)I founded Rehyphen® studio with the mission to lead and inspire a sustainable way to be fashionable… we collect discarded cassette tapes from local community and weave them into a piece of MusicCloth®, as an effort to reduce and eliminate e-waste while giving the product new life.

When I came back from New York, I tidied up my room and I found these cassette tapes that were part of my media communication with my best friend, who lives in Australia. I was born in Malaysia, but I am now a permanent resident in Singapore.

Because it’s part of my memories with my best friend, I decided to make something out of it. I put the tapes out and I started to weave it into a piece of cloth…So, I decided to send this first piece of cloth to this library [Material Connection] and they quickly accepted it… this is how we started.

More than 5.8 million of tons of e-waste end up in landfills, and what we’re doing actually is to reduce and eliminate part of this e-waste in our globe…Products like cassette tapes, once they go into landfills, they cannot be recycled. So, doing the upcycle of these tapes, we also give the tapes a second life. And every piece of our MusicCloth is extracted from the original cassette tapes that we used to weave it. We weave it by hand, and each piece is unique and different because of the colors of the cassette tapes.

We also conduct workshops, big and small. The small one is in Airbnb platform. But we have also conducted bigger workshops before with Singapore press holding, and Singapore Chinese culture center…A lot of people were very curious about how we weave cassette tapes into a piece of cloth. That’s why they joined this workshop [through Airbnb, called “Ready, Cassette, Go”]. Through these

workshops, we share our techniques to the public as well. The workshop is about two and half hours. So, a lot of people actually think the weaving process is quite meditating and feels very calming.

I choose people that believe in us [for collaborations], in our social practice. I saw Fuzzoscope, the record company, during my search in Instagram and I saw that they still insist to produce cassette tapes in this era. So I approached them, and they liked our initiative project, and they decided to donate free tapes for us, and this is how we started our collaboration… We collaborated for the piece of scarf with them, they donated free cassette tapes to us.

I think music is a very powerful element.

Through the music, we can influence people to take a new, fresh perspective in the waste in their daily life, and also change their behavior and think out of the box…I think a lot of young students, nowadays, they want to come back to the craft, use their hands to make something. So, crafting culture is very popular right now, and people easily relate to music, as well, so it’s possible to become more spread and popular in the near future.”

WEARME.FASHION 37

PRAGUE’S SECRET GARDEN Get lost in the green. Amongst statues and flowers, visions of an inspiring future: soft, silky fabrics in a wild fantasy of colors.

38 WEARME.FASHION

HA V E C OLLA B OR A TE D : D OR IS M A RT INE Z, N AT AL Y B OLN Y K H , C IR O C EN N A MO, JU LIA SOLOD OVN IKOVA

White blouse and skirt

made made with with ramie, ramie,

Sanikai.

WEARME.FASHION 39

40 WEARME.FASHION

From left to right, Kimono Kimono blouse blouse made made with with ROLVA, ROLVA, MonCinta.

Earrings, bracelet, necklace, ORISHAS by Doris Doris Mar Martinez. tinez.

T-shirt made of tencel.

Green Devi culotte made of upcycled silk, Maria Maria Seifert.

Seifert.

WEARME.FASHION 41

Bomber and trousers made with recycled plastic bottles, Sanikai.

42 WEARME.FASHION

A DAY IN THE GARDEN Like discovering Prague’s Troja during spring, the mood is fresh, authentic, baroque.

Fashion merges organically with nature, where casual pieces blend with shimmery jewelry jewelry for afor result a result that that is unexpectedly elegant.

WEARME.FASHION 43

44 WEARME.FASHION

From left to right Necklace, ORISHAS

by Doris Mar tinez.

Jumpsuit with cutout back made with organic cotton, Lavandera.

White blouse and skirt made with with ramie, ramie, made Sanikai. Jacket made of recycled recycled leather, leather, of Better World Fashion.

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R E TA I L

THE STORE OF THE FUTURE: ENHANCING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

46 WEARME.FASHION

PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF E . L.S .E . C OR P

IN TE R V IE W: S A R A VOLPI

ED ITOR : MOLLY B R IN D ’ AMOU R

Picture the shopping trip of tomorrow: instead of shelves and racks overflowing with merchandise, a boutique may have very little physical products – if any at all. Rather than offer customers simply a place to choose from the merchandise already available, the retail stores of the future will move toward a more experience-centered model. This is all thanks to the integration of technology, mobile, cloud and social media, according to the World Retail Congress. Tomorrow’s shops may be smaller, but they’ll be more efficient than ever, designed to offer the customer a unique, enjoyable, high-tech experience that differs dramatically from today’s shopping.

Technology has, no doubt, played a huge role in recent changes in purchasing patterns. Apps and websites for favorite brands and stores are accessible anywhere there’s internet, and new, online-only retailers like Zalando and ASOS make a huge selection of goods available widely, cheaply and quickly. On a global scale, people’s purchases on the internet are reaching higher levels each year. In 2017, e-retail sales accounted for 10.2 percent of all retail sales worldwide, as compared to only 7.4 percent in 2015, according to Statista. That figure is expected to reach 17.5 percent in 2021.

It might still be a surprise that, as of November 2016, 58% of global internet users purchased fashion-related products online, making it the sector with the highest score, higher than travel services, books and IT, according to another survey. With fast deliveries easily comparable prices and a wider selection of retailers than any mall could offer, it’s only logical. But still, there are distinct downsides to this development.

For instance, the beneficial conditions of return policies encourage customers

to give back what doesn’t fit, or return goods they were wearing prior to the end of two year warranty, as is the case in the Czech Republic. This could explain why brands are pressured more than ever to have more and more products available.

Although this model might give a wider offer to consumers at the beginning of the season, some consider it detrimental, with consequences of overproduction for brands and overstock for retailers at the end of the season. Change is needed, and although there is no definite recipe for success, the general belief is that offline stores must evolve by investing in innovation, transforming into places that provide an experience, according to RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).

For the future of fashion retail, technology is not all bad. Viable solutions offered by virtual and augmented reality, 3D scanners and artificial intelligence are disrupting the future of the in-store shopping experience and proving to be the path fashion retailers need to embrace in order to adapt to consumers’ new demands.

This can come in handy especially when providing customers what they can’t get WEARME.FASHION 47

elsewhere: entertainment and personalization. This new, experience-based model, the small store described above, is already here. Leading US department store chain Nordstrom has launched a revolutionary concept called Nordstrom Local, where customers can pick up items they previously ordered online, try them on and even get style recommendations, all while enjoying a beverage. It takes advantage of our conception of shopping as an activity, an experience, and provides something that online-only retailers simply can’t match.

E.L.S.E. CORP Technology, though, can do even more to benefit both customers and brands.

Founded by Andrey Golub in 2014, E.l.s.e.

Corp is an Italian virtual retail specialized start-up, focused on innovative solutions to revolutionize the fashion sector. The company aims to provide brands with solutions to engage with customers, offering them a satisfying shopping experience, while improving production and sales.

“Shopping is like hunting,” Andrey explains, “looking everywhere and finding something. Here, it’s like exploring.”

Traditional shopping in brick-and-mortar stores – and even online – can be incredibly frustrating when that one perfect item can’t be found. With its virtual retail concept tethered to a physical location, E.l.s.e. hopes to help people transform into reality what they are looking for: a personal, well-fitting item.

What’s better than a bridal atelier to prove such an idea? The comparison, suggested by Andrey, is apt: the first collaboration of E.l.s.e. was, in fact, with bridal designer Michela Rigucci. When a bride is shopping for her wedding dress, she treats it like an experience, consulting 48 WEARME.FASHION

closely with her friends and the bridal associate. The dress is never expected to fit perfectly from the rack – it will be carefully tailored to the bride’s size, and even other details, from the color to the sleeves to the embellishments, are all customizable, for the ideal garment. By installing an elegant yet technological station, E.l.s.e. provided the atelier’s clients with a personalized virtual service, allowing them to customize their perfect wedding shoes, just like the dress.

Perhaps the best embodiment of E.l.s.e.’s service model is else.shoes. As an item we wear every day, in direct contact with the environment, there is little room for shoes to be anything but comfortable and well-fitting – not to mention stylish. Else. shoes provides a solution based on technology. Thanks to the use of a 3D scanner installed in the store, people can have their feet scanned to find the most suitable model of shoes among a brand’s offerings. Once the best shape is found, the customer can move on to explore materials, colors, heels and accessories already available via a digital interface. A simple interaction with a tablet and a screen allows the customer to visualize the virtual version of a product that doesn’t exist yet

“...this online trend isn’t sustainable. It relies not on “pulling” customers toward the product they need, Andrey explains” that will be produced especially for the client. Although consumers won’t exactly become designers, Andrey explains, they will be able to customize their pair of shoes within the possibilities offered by the brand.

The innovative service adapts to various kinds of brands, from small to medium and even bigger companies, with positive effects on several levels, including reduction of costs and overstock. As mentioned previously, brands offer a wide selection of products, wider than what they are able to sell, leading to a lot of unsold items: waste. As Andrey points out, this online trend isn’t sustainable. It relies not on “pulling” customers toward the product they need, he explains, but on “push-

ing” them toward more and more items they didn’t seek out.

Better sustainability and satisfaction, then, could be achieved by creating the economist’s definition of equilibrium: when supply perfectly matches demand.

If customers are able to customize products to their own exact specifications, less unwanted overstock is created. By combining traditional and virtual retail, companies can first understand their customers’ needs and build brand loyalty; secondly, they can have direct feedback on which models and styles are most appreciated, developing further collections based on clients’ preferences.

As Andrey points out, some fashion companies aren’t ready for such a model yet.

“We are not the company to push them.

We simply show them an alternative reality.” Many big fashion companies are already heavily invested in a mass production model that simply isn’t compatible with the customization E.l.s.e. supports.

Until these brands can change their own supply chain from the mass production, E.l.s.e. technology can’t help them. This change, Andrey notes, is something their smaller competitors are already taking on.

Reflecting on the future of retail, Andrey Golub still imagines a traditional store, with a corner hosting the innovative E.l.s.e. station. But such technology could also fit into a hotel or a beauty salon. People go to these places to have a pleasant experience, to relax. For Andrey, this could be an excellent place to host the E.l.s.e. interface, allowing customers to have a quiet, peaceful shopping experience on their own terms. Service is key, and Andrey is sure that the store of the future will be all about experience and satisfaction.

It’s a return to the roots of fashion, but in a unique, more technological way.

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WEARABLES

Biodegradable Fabric, Fresh from

the Lab

Name of the project

MycoTEX

Year of establishment

2016

Country

The Netherlands

50 WEARME.FASHION

A

PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF M Y CO TE X

E D IT OR: M OLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R

IN TER V IEW: S A R A VOLPI

niela Hoitink, Netherlands-based founder of the sustainable fashion company Neffa, is pioneering the use of a lab-grown sustainable material that will change the face of the fashion industry for good. “If I succeed with mycelium or with another material, I will succeed, I’m positive about that,” Aniela told us. Aniela explained that she was rethinking the entire structure of the fashion industry through MycoTEX, a 100% biodegradable textile made with the root of mushrooms, known as mycelium.

The ongoing project, developed in collaboration with the University of Utrecht, is the result of all the time and energy Aniela spent studying and doing research in scientific fields like microbiology. With an education in fashion design from the Art Academy of Utrecht, and an extensive career as womens and menswear designer for Dutch and international brands, like Gaastra and Tommy Hilfiger, working with bacteria and biomaterials was not Aniela’s usual fare. But after 12 years of designing, cutting and sewing, Aniela found herself asking, “How many more jackets do I need to design?” Realizing that there was much more to fashion innovation than designing new garments for each season, she decided to take her talent to fashion’s frontiers.

Fashion innovation, to Aniela, is about looking at what’s out there – in not just the fashion industry – and asking, “Can I combine it with fashion?” Her personal belief, Aniela explained, is that “we can only truly innovate if we look at, and cross over with, other industries.” This hybrid approach to fashion is what inspired her to build her own company, Neffa, in 2004.

This project allowed her to put her rediscovered interest in microbiology to good use; Aniela started investigating what was happening in the field of technology,

as well as what was going on in the fashion world, in order to eventually merge both with textiles.

But it took several projects, experiments and failures before MycoTEX could become a reality. The original concept behind it was a far cry from the innovative fashion textile it would go on to become.

In fact, the ethical solution to sustainability offered by MycoTEX had its roots in a very practical problem. Around three years ago, Aniela was living in a house with lot of moisture in it. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she could hear noises coming from the neighbors’ apartment all the time. This frustrating situation was the spark that kindled her idea for a wall covering that could absorb moisture from her house and simultaneously insulate her from the noisy neighbors.

Aniela carried out many tests and experiments, aiming to successfully combine mycelium with textiles. But after six months, the results were not what she expected, and Aniela had to let the idea go.

From the ashes of these attempts, however, a new project sprung into life: a textile made of pure mycelium, which could be composted or put into the ground at the WEARME.FASHION 51

end of its lifetime.

In a society where the fashion industry’s machinations compel people to consume at a rapidly increasing rate, waste levels are also increasing. And this waste is often difficult to recycle, which makes the task of changing such ingrained behavior look, without a doubt, very hard – and very important. What if, instead of trying to change human behavior, we worked to adapt materials themselves to sustainably fit patterns of consumer behavior?

This is Aniela’s goal.

Made with the vegetative part of mushrooms, MycoTEX is proving to be one such adapted material. Its organic and biodegradable origins in mycelium make this textile fully compostable – perfect for the twenty-first century consumer’s common habit of throwing away clothes after just one or two years of use. Not only does MycoTEX cause no harm to the environment once put into the ground, but it even acts as a source of nourishment for plants. The wearer will enjoy several benefits as well. The material itself possesses lots of favorable inherent qualities: it can be water repellent or water resistant, and it even has antibacterial properties that can care for your skin.

MycoTEX refers not only to the physical material, but also to the entire non-conventional supply chain. MycoTEX starts life not in a field in Africa, as is often the case for textiles such as cotton, but in a lab in The Netherlands where Aniela grows mycelium. Once grown, the material is put on a 3D mold and, after a drying phase, the sections are assembled to obtain a final garment that perfectly fits its wearer’s body. Aniela expects to benefit from fashion’s burgeoning alignment with science, for example, through devel52 WEARME.FASHION

opments in body scanning techniques, which will allow people to wear perfectly fitted garments. Poor fit is, in fact, one of the reasons why people discard so much of their clothes.

The savings, in terms not only of waste, but also of transport, storage and environmental footprint, will be massive. Since the material is artificially grown in a lab, it doesn’t need expensive farmland or any particular weather conditions to be produced. Neither chemicals nor pesticides are required to grow mycelium, and the process requires an average of 12 liters of water, as compared with the 2500 liters needed for conventional cotton. The shorter supply chain also decreases the

Electronic components No Durability To be tested Measures Any size Resistance to weathering Clean with cloth Recycle Biological life cycle

steps between factory and consumer, meaning a reduced need for transportation and storage. And, of course, consumers who tire of wearing the garment can simply bury it in the ground or compost it until it returns to nature.

Using MycoTEX to cause a much-needed disruption in the fashion industry hasn’t been an easy process for Aniela. She first needed to proof the concept, then proof a prototype, then carry out further testing before she could bring the product to the market. She also had to face consumer skepticism over the material itself during her research. However, the challenge is part of what makes the work so appealing to Aniela. As she pointed out, “We need

more solutions on new materials.” As well, according to Aniela, a big part of these solutions will be raising awareness and convincing consumers to go in a new direction with the materials they wear. Her next challenge is the process of dyeing: she hopes to learn about the history of dye, and aims to use modern technology to update the traditional, environmentally friendly techniques that have been used for generations. It is this confluence of the old and the new that will ensure the survival of fashion going into the future.

WEARME.FASHION 53

WEARABLES

A FEMALE’S FRIEND FOR ANXIETY AND STRESS RELIEF W

hen it comes to technology, many people feel like their devices are contributing to their stress – not minimizing it. But what if we could use portable technology to actually ease stress and anxiety? That’s exactly what Jacob and Flavia Wahl intend to do with their creation, the iBreve. The iBreve is a small

device that attaches to the wearer and monitors breathing patterns, suggesting remedies to regulate breathing and reduce stress. It will analyze these patterns and send out a vibration, as well as feedback to the user’s phone, via Bluetooth, when it senses changes in breathing that indicate stress.

The Wahls, both with degrees in business, first became inspired to create their own start-up during their time working for Google in Ireland. On a subsequent trip around the world, they were particularly fascinated by the way breathing exercises were incorporated into Indian culture, something they felt was lacking in the West.

“So we just thought, let’s bring some of that back with us ,” Flavia explained. “That was how the idea was born for iBreve.”

From that moment forward, the Wahls hit the ground running. They spoke to doctors and psychologists, learning more and more about how breathing, meditation and stress intertwine. The idea be-

54 WEARME.FASHION

TEX T: S A R A VOLPI, MOLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R INT ER V IE W : S A R A VOLPI PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF I B RE V E

hind the iBreve sprung rather organically from the Wahls’ own life. “This was really something we experienced ourselves,” Jacob explained. “We look a lot in our phones and laptop, and sometimes forget about our posture and breathing correctly.” Flavia, as well, noticed issues within the wearable market for women. “I love tech, but I don’t own a wearable because there’s no additional information,” she said. “If you look at Fitbit, for example, if you push a stroller, it won’t even count your steps anymore. “ The couple wanted to create an intelligent device that could help reduce stress through these beneficial breathing techniques, but one that would really appeal to women and integrate smoothly into their lives.

“It’s not only enough to educate people and say how important a breathing exercise can be for you in your stressful life,” Jacob said, “but also, we wanted to give them a data outlet to see themselves, we wanted to create a biofeedback wearable where they can actually see how good they are breathing.” The device would detect shallower breaths and propose solutions, in the form of fun games, connecting the iBreve to a smartphone app. By using the iBreve, the Wahls believe, women would be more aware of what situations make them stressful, and how to destress in such situations. Thanks to user feedback, the Wahls are working to make the iBreve capable of being a standalone device, meaning that the user wouldn’t need to look at her phone in order to receive the feedback. Instead, the Wahls chose to have the device itself, which would attach to a bra, emit “gentle haptic feedback.”

The stress that the Wahls seek to address is a problem that is increasingly prevalent, particularly in Western societies.

According to the World Health Organization, 25% of the European population

Device application

suffers from depression or anxiety. WHO also reports that, across the world, women are affected by conditions like anxiety and psychological distress to a greater extent than men.

THE DEVICE’S DEVELOPMENT The realization of an innovative project, Flavia said, takes not just time and creativity, but also persistence. “It’s not about having an idea and then just dreaming about it,” she explained. “You have to take further steps and talk to other people, grow your network.”

Jacob explained that the couple was able to gain a lot by studying the scientific and medical proof behind breathing exercises and meditation. Armed with WEARME.FASHION 55

this knowledge, they set about finding a technical partner to help with the actual design of the device. They started with the Institut Quimic de Sarria, of Barcelona, a leading university for the sciences.

With the help of a faculty member experienced in physics and wearables, they were able to build a proof of concept prototype. The next step was to find a company that could help with the production of the iBreve. The couple chose Zinc, a company that had already produced several wearables the Wahls admired. Together, they are part of WEARSUSTAIN, a budding network that focuses on promoting sustainability and responsibility in wearables and smart technology. IBreve, along with 25 other innovative projects, was awarded by WEARSUSTAIN. “The help coming from WEARSUSTAIN goes directly into product development, rather than marketing or…communication channels,” explained Flavia.

As far as sustainability goes, the fashion and technology industries may have a long way to go. According to BBC, elec-

Name of the project iBreve Year of establishment 2017 Country Ireland 56 WEARME.FASHION

tronics and other devices are increasingly designed to fail prematurely, in order to guarantee more future sales, a phenomenon known as “planned obsolescence.”

The fashion industry, BBC reports, also relies on this phenomenon, with some garments designed to last less than one season. The Wahls, emphasizing sustainability, hope to counter what they consider “throwaway culture.”

Alongside Zinc, the Wahls turned toward Elisava Design School, which has been helping them find the right sustainable materials to suit the device and its casing.

“We have explored materials like wood, or different type of fabrics,” Flavia said. At the time of this interview, the Wahls were looking into production in Berlin or Barcelona, keeping manufacturing relatively local to the EU.

FOLLOWING THE FEEDBACK The initial idea for iBreve was formulated as a small, smart device to be attached between the hooks of the bra, but the Wahls scrapped this idea after speaking directly to the people concerned. “We learned a lot from in-depth interviews with women,” Flavia said. One example she cited was that women wanted an easier, simpler attachment mechanism, which motivated the Wahls to switch to a clip-on attachment method, allowing the device to work on the side of bras and on other types, like sports bras.

Social impact was another topic of concern that arose in their chats. The Wahls found out that some women were worried about the potential social stigma associated with wearing a stress management device at work. That strengthened the Wahls’ quest to make the device ‘‘disappearable,” which meant paying close attention to the device’s thickness and hap-

en want (for example, materials that are hypoallergenic, washing machine safe, or sweat-resistant) has helped provide clarity for the Wahls in regard to the device’s design.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Electronic components Low energy Bluetooth, wireless charging Durability Sports-friendly casing Fabrics Soft, hypoallergenic material

Measures Disappearable design Resistance to weathering Water, sweat and washing machine safe Recycle Return for dissembly and recycling

tic response system.

“It should help you in the moments you need it,” they explained via email. “Otherwise, it stays calmly in the background, not visible to anyone.”

“Listening to users and implementing feedback is an ongoing process, which never stops,” the Wahls said. The two have kept a keen eye on user feedback, using surveys, interviews and product tests to solve challenges and answer questions. Learning what features wom-

The device, according to the Wahls, has potential not only for everyday usage, but also for medical purposes. They explained that while the data would not be sold, users would have the option to send anonymous data to researchers, which could be helpful in correlating breathing patterns with conditions such as asthma, anxiety and heart problems. The Wahls are already working with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, for Health, looking to get the device clinically certified in the future.

But right now, the iBreve is not yet available to the public. The Wahls are still in development for the device, running user tests and perfecting the wearable’s attachment component. In the meantime, they’ve been bulking up their social media channels, working on providing followers with information on how to breathe better and relax – whether they use a wearable or not. As for the future, the Wahls are planning on starting a crowdfunding campaign for an iBreve preproduct, or prototype, in June, focusing on women who are active in fitness, but also environmentally conscious. If all goes well with the first edition of the iBreve, the couple will look toward their next market: men.

“It’s really amazing,” Flavia added, “if you inspire other people and they say like, ‘Oh, I really like your idea and I want to help you.’ The most amazing thing is to see it to come to reality.”

WEARME.FASHION 57

WEARABLES

When a Tech Garment Can Come In Handy

Name of the project Closed Loop Smart Athleisure Fashion Year of establishment 2017 Country The Netherlands 58 WEARME.FASHION

D

PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF C LO S ED LO OP S MA R T A TH LE ISU R E FAS H ION

E D ITOR : MOLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R

IN TER V IE W: S A R A V OLP I

utch fashion technologist Marina Toeters has spent more than ten years making smart garment prototypes for the medical sector, as well as for sportswear and workwear. Marina has now turned her ambition to innovating everyday garments, working with a team of technicians, fashion designers and business experts to bring a smart, closed-loop athleisure collection to the market.

The journey that Marina shared with us highlights the challenges and complex issues that need to be addressed in order to turn dreams into reality. But these issues don’t seem to be stopping her. Perhaps the biggest difficulty for Marina is actually her own ambition: “It doesn’t matter what is currently existing and what is not yet, I’m always going towards these complex things,” Marina explained, laughing.

Thanks to an interdisciplinary approach she developed as a university student in Utrecht, the determined Dutch fashion technologist learned early on the importance of positive collaboration between designers and technologists, a concept she fully embraced in her jobs as a freelance prototyper and educator. For more than ten years, Marina created innovative garments for many different firms, including Philips, playing a designer role with technology companies and the role of a technologist with design companies.

“When I started to work in this field in The Netherlands, I was the only one doing it.

So, I was quite a pioneer,” Marina noted. For this reason, she began educating people, building a bridge not only between institutions, but also between different approaches of developing a common language.

Marina’s continuous role-shifting helped boost her confidence to focus on her own

fashion project. “We have so much to win in the fashion industry,” she pointed out.

This inclusive perspective can be beneficial, she explained, “for us as human beings, and for the environment.” She also elaborated on how she and her collaborators wanted to help alter the state of fashion, to the benefit of the customer. After all, Marina believes that clothing should take care of its owner – and that in the current fashion climate, innovation is struggling to be heard.

Conceived with active working women in mind, the collection, which is set to include four smart items and some complementary pieces, addresses the inconveniences of stress. It is one of the most relevant issues today, as mental problems at work are now eclipsing physical problems, Marina said, at least in The Netherlands, her home country. That’s when a tech garment can come in handy.

As conventional athleisure clothes, the items are conceived for women to wear during regular office work and to a yoga session or a light training activity right afterwards, without any need for an outfit change. The sensors embedded on the upper back of the garments, tight to the skin – the optimal position for sensing on the female body – allow the wearer to learn more about her own breathing patterns and heart rhythm, helping to promote self-awareness.

A better conception of what goes on within our own bodies, like how the body responds to stressful environments and stress-relieving activities, can give people the knowledge and opportunity to take action accordingly, whether it is simply changing behavior and mindset or seeking medical support. The choice is up to the person. “I really want these data to be for personal use. It’s not my purpose, nor interest, to store or sell them,” Marina WEARME.FASHION 59

ments, which measure health parameters and inform the user about their personal data on a smartphone screen, via a wireless connection to an app. “During the making of prototypes, we found out that sensors would move to the back and that female wearers would come into scope, so these key vital body signals are measured at the back through a sensor technology,” Marina explained. “There’s not at all a focus on innovation for women yet,” she added, speaking of one industry issue that was on her mind while developing the technology. explained.

“We have been contacted by a lot of companies from different sectors that are interested in gathering data through our products,” she said, “but this is, actually, something quite scary. Especially for those companies that want to arrange employments based on the employees’ data.

Not to mention the ethical dimension that this behavior would involve. I’m certainly going to do my best so that my technology is used for the better, but I guess that at some point it will be out of my influence. That’s why I am making sure that these items are for the wearer, and that we are not going to enable the data to go out or be hacked through the wireless connection. It’s totally out of scope.”

To develop the right technology for the realization of the closed-loop athleisure collection, Marina got the support of the Holst Centre, an independent research and development center specializing in technologies for wireless autonomous sensors and flexible electronics, which she has worked with since 2015. Marina teamed up with Margreet de Kok, an expert in the field, to create the subtle, printed sensors embedded in the gar60 WEARME.FASHION

The technological core of the project remains invisible, thus enhancing the more fashion-forward aspect of the garments.

On the surface, nothing screams “technological toy;” rather, the clothes appeal with the everyday feminine look that Marina – a trained fashion designer herself – and team member Melissa Bonvie, a designer specializing in ultra-personalized fashion, want to confer. Though embedded electronics components are invisible to the eye, when it comes to detaching and recovering these pieces, things get more complicated. It is already challenging enough to create, care for and recycle ordinary garments, but more technologically-savvy garments require an even more complex process.

The printed sensors require metal dyes for conductivity and although they prove to be completely skin-friendly and harmless to the wearer, the same does not apply for the environment. “That’s why we are putting this delamination and recycling process into place,” Marina explained. “We don’t want to get those into the environment.” The process of delamination is the first step in closing the loop and enabling the tech components to be easily removed from the garment. They are recovered to be eventually recycled,

so that they don’t get dispersed into the environment. “That was the second thing I was really concerned about,” she said, “also because I like being inspired by tech and by innovation, but always of course for the better, not to make even more rubbish in our world.”

a small percentage of elastane to guarantee adherence for better sensing and for performance requirements, the collective is looking for alternatives, since elastane itself is difficult to recycle, and solutions concerning that are still being researched.

Marina explained: “All this has to come into society and – in my opinion – to do so, we need a new business model that can embrace the complexity of these items, a sort of service model. This one could deal with how we are going to get along, how we are going to work with guarantees, how we are going to service them, to update them, or to repair them. A whole new business model needs to be put in place, especially now that we are coming close to the market, but we still don’t have an appropriate market for our items.”

Combining a designer approach with a technological push is what Marina eventually wants to achieve, although she will admit that the fashion industry and its labels are not yet ready for it. “So, for me, WEARSUSTAIN represents a huge opportunity to take things further. I can finally seduce tech companies to work in the direction that I think is the most efficient on the long run,” she added, referring to everyday garments and recyclability. In order to develop a new business model, hopefully supported by a new mindset, Marina is also working in collaboration with Catherine Delevoye, from Technoport, a firm supporting innovative and technology-oriented companies. They aim to successfully engage in innovating everyday garments while using a circular perspective, setting a precedent for many other companies to follow.

The concern for the sustainable outcome of the project also extends to the fabrics and raw materials. Following the circular, closed loop perspective, mainly recycled fibers have been selected, specifically recycled polyamide, recycled nylon (ECONYL) from Carvico, and recycled cotton.

Although the clothes currently contain

Electronic components Printed Sensor Technology, PCB, BLE & Lipo Durability 25 washes Fabrics PA-EA Nylon

Measures Female Size 36/38 Resistance to weathering Water, sweat and washing machine safe Recycle Return for dissembly and recycling

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WEARABLES

Where Therapy

Meets

Technology

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E

PH OT OGR A P H Y: C OU R TE S Y OF S E N S EW E A R

ED ITO R : M OLLY BR IN D ’ AMOU R

IN TER V IEW: S A R A VOLPI

veryone remembers the fidget spinner. The spinning device, frequently promoted as a concentration tool to help people with anxiety, autism and ADHD, flew quickly into popularity and became the hottest toy on the market. It became a fad, a way for kids to distract themselves, and the device’s popularity waned not long after. The trajectory of Emanuela Corti and Ivan Parati’s Sensewear collection may have nothing in common with that of the fidget spinner, but the comparison is interesting to study.

Developed by Emanuela and Ivan to inhabit the crossroads of design, medicine and fashion, Sensewear is an ongoing project of technological, playful garments and accessories for people suffering from sensory disorders, stress, anxiety and more. Like the fidget spinner and the similar fidget cube, the garments in the collection are intended to provide an enjoyable sort of therapy – as opposed to the existing medical solutions that Emanuela and Ivan felt put too much emphasis on the disability itself. “Our aim was not to stigmatize the problem, nor the person affected by it,” Emanuela said, “instead, we wanted to make something playful and wearable in daily life.”

Playful and wearable are certainly apt words to describe the Sensewear collection. The video for the collection is bright, whimsical, and artistic, with two dancers acting out challenges people with sensory issues might face and using the Sensewear products to cope. It aims to communicate its purpose metaphorically, the couple explains, addressing a delicate subject in a poetic way.

Perhaps another apt word would be “successful.” Starting with the Grand Prix of the Lexus Design Awards in 2015, fol-

lowed by first prize at Venice Design Week, the collection has already won its fair share of accolades. Without these contests, Sensewear might not even exist.

Emanuela and Ivan, who are based in Dubai, developed the concept of Sensewear in order to take part in the Lexus Design Awards, a competition which centered around the senses. Despite skepticism, the pair wanted their project to address autism because, the designers explained, people with autism suffer from various sensory issues, such as how they filter information through their senses.

Sensory disorders involve all of the senses, though many people are especially concerned with tactility. Some people who have high sensitivity to touch are made extremely uncomfortable when they are in contact with seams, labels, and certain textures. Meanwhile, others may benefit from a reassuring presence and touch, such as that of certain fabrics with a richer texture, Ivan explains.

Emanuela and Ivan developed their smart garment and accessory prototypes in response to issues faced by those with sensory issues, as well as the everyday difficulties faced by people who suffer from stress, panic attacks and anxiety. It’s very common, the couple cites, for people to bite their nails or a pen cap, for example, in stressful situations, just as it is common for children with autism to bite their clothes and nearby objects. One of the prototypes is a tubular necklace that can be bitten for immediate stress relief. Another is a scented scarf that can release familiar fragrances to reassure and calm the wearer.

Using smart technology, the couple plans WEARME.FASHION 63

Name of the Project SENSEWEAR Year of establishment 2017 Country Italy Electronic components Textile sensors and actuators Durability 10 hours Resistance to weathering Tested to 200 washes Recycle Components are ready to recycle to upgrade these prototypes, introducing a new version of the necklace that can detect the pressure of a bite and communicate different moods, potentially through a color change. The scarf, too, would be adjusted to automatically activate and release aromas at the detection of a stressful situation. With the presence of sensors, these smart garments would be able to detect the parameters of the wearer, interpret them based on algorithms, and trigger the appropriate response. This would all occur through a device, via an app, helping communicate the emotional state of the wearer to someone like a therapist, Ivan states.

The technological content is being developed in partnership with ComfTech and Alessia Moltani, CEO of the Monza-based company specialized in textile sensors.

Instead of using conventional sensors 64 WEARME.FASHION

that are normally applied directly on the skin using adhesives, the ComfTech textiles’ sensors are an integrated component of the textile and, therefore, of the garment itself. This means people don’t feel the presence of additional extraneous elements that could trigger negative reactions. The designers also stay true to the concept of using as few seams as possible, to maximize wearability and comfort. For Emanuela and Ivan, every detail counts. For the first prototype of their garment, they paid tribute to the automotive sector, using the Alcantara fabric and 3D textiles from Gaetano Rossini – fitting for the sponsor of the competition, Lexus.

They explained that Alcantara was ideal because it felt like a second skin when in contact with the wearer’s body. The 3D textiles, meanwhile, had a tactile quality the pair really appreciated, praising it for its technicality. “In fact, it absorbs the sound and it cushions the blows,” Ivan

explained. For the newer collection, they haven’t completely settled on a fabric choice, but the couple is confident that they’ll keep sustainability in mind when choosing.

The choice of fabric is essential in determining what effects the garment will have. Sensewear’s planned collection will be divided into two: one series of garments to stimulate the senses, and another to create a buffer, like a safe zone, and reduce sensory input for the wearer. For example, the collection includes a prototype for an inflatable shirt that can register the wearer’s parameters and apply a mechanical pressure when it detects distress, helping calm the person down. This could be beneficial because many people with sensory issues want to avoid physical human contact, but still have a need to feel mechanical pressure – similar to how some kids hide under a mattress to feel the pressure on their body, Emanuela explains.

Another example is a scarf that looks conventional but can be stretched over the body like a dress to activate a calming pressure as needed. The couple has also developed a musical poncho, with the technology to allow the wearer to explore their acoustic surroundings and choose which sounds to concentrate on and

which to tune out. The pair believes that children will be first to benefit from this collection, but it could certainly later be extended to adults and people who don’t have autism, but instead suffer from issues like stress or anxiety. After all, childhood is the phase when we first learn how to educate our senses, and it is also the phase when it is especially essential to exercise the senses for those with sensory issues, Emanuela says.

But in order to bring these dreams to fruition, there is still much to be done. The garments must pass through further research and validation processes, particularly those from a therapeutic perspective. For this step, the couple is collaborating with Casa San Sebastiano, an avant-garde autism center located in Trento, Italy. They plan to develop case studies and begin testing phases. “It’s a complex, quite ambitious project,” Emanuela explained, “because it implies lots of different skills and knowledge to develop.

It can’t just be an appealing product, it must be functional and useful, therefore it will take quite some time before it will be ready to hit the market.”

Despite the long road ahead of them, Emanuela and Ivan seem heartened. Unlike the fidget spinner, which fell victim to a fast market and became a novelty, the two are prepared to make their collection into lasting, real answers for people, neurotypical or not. “We feel like we need to make it happen, from a social perspective, because it improves people’s condition,” Emanuela said. “Of course, it is not a solution, it doesn’t solve the problem, but if you, as a designer, can do something to improve people’s daily life, I think it’s a good aim, to invest your energy into carrying on with this project.”

WEARME.FASHION 65

WEARABLES

How the

Massage Shoe

66 WEARME.FASHION

E D ITOR : MOL LY BR IN D ’ AMOU R

“The project was developed through my practice-based master’s project. I did my undergrad studies in Fashion Design and Technology in Manchester, in the UK. After working in the fashion industry for quite a long time, I decided that I wanted to do my own things. So, I quit my job and got into the Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation course at London College of Fashion.

During the course, there was an opportunity to come up with a triple ‘bottom line’ business model to generate a new product idea, which integrated innovative, sustainable and commercial viability. That’s how the initial idea of the massage shoe was born, really.

Typically, in London, working women carry two pair of shoes, either the flat ballerina type or trainers, just something comfort-

P HO TOG R AP H Y : C O U RT ES Y OF TIN K E R

F

rom the spark of an idea first conceived during a classroom brainstorming session, Thushara Sabreen, of the United Kingdom, is bringing a trailblazing concept to our feet. Integrating fashion, technology and sustainability, she is bringing Tinker to life. Her wearable project aims to offer a lifeline to all the women struggling from all-too-common concerns: uncomfortable shoes and the problems they cause. We caught up with the smart shoe’s creator and developer, Thushara Sabreen, to understand how her idea came about and how, exactly, to feel relaxed in our own shoes.

IN TER V IEW: S A R A VOLPI

Was Born

able to slip into, especially if they are on their heels for a long time during the day. That’s how the idea came about, to develop a shoe which is both comfortable yet fashionable, and actually able to give you a massage for your feet. I was really looking at super busy multitasking women, the busy mums, the ladies that are working on their feet or traveling, that don’t have time to go get a pedicure. Just to have that little luxury at hand, to be able to put their shoes on and to relax while they are having a cup of coffee. Just a very simple ten-minutes-relaxation pair of shoes.

There are lots of people who suffer because of the shoes, like having cold feet or poor circulation. Also, there are different points within your foot which are connected to different parts of your body. So, the aim is looking at stress relief and offering health benefits in terms of a more holistic approach, as opposed to a medical approach. It’s about being able to enhance one’s comfort and to take care of your feet. In the simplest form, the shoe would be to be able to detect when you are feeling uncomfortable; you’ll be able to see how stressed your feet are on your phone and to activate a massage. The technology is seamlessly

WEARME.FASHION 67

integrated, so you wouldn’t even know it’s in there, that is the objective: making it look like a normal pair of shoes, for you to be able to wear it and experience the tech in it. It’s not showing off. It’s about having a simple pair of shoes…to give you the hidden benefits of tech, inside it. When I conceived the idea, the purpose was to deliver intrinsic value and to create an immersive sensory product experience for feelings of comfort and relaxation, which were seen as areas untapped within fashion technology.

I went on developing it because I’m interested in fashion and wearable technology; besides, it’s quite a hard area where a lot of people weren’t interested in, especially back in 2015. At the time, my course director Chitra Buckley introduced me to a professor at UCL (University College London) where I worked collaboratively with the engineers to realize the product development. I did collaborate also with somebody who was more

Name of the project Tinker Year of establishment 2016 Country UK

68 WEARME.FASHION

experienced in making shoes because that’s not my skill. We nearly had three months, but together we managed to develop a prototype. Along the same period there was the Fashion Matters Award, which I applied for and won. That gave me the funding to go to Sri Lanka and work with some artisans to develop a handmade fabric. The initial product was made with indigenous and contemporary Sri Lankan artisanal fabrics. I went up there and interviewed quite a few people. I went out to the outskirts and met with traditional artisans to look at indigenous work and really trying to think how that could be brought to the UK, and how to add a contemporary twist to it.

The initial concept, in fact, applied the guiding principles of sustainability to rejuvenate heritage industries and therefore investigated ways of updating artisan craftsmanship. The new version is still applying the same principles, but also exploring the wider context of how technology can help to unlock the resurgence of artisan fabrics through a fusion with it. But technology can have some downsides, too, especially in terms of sustainability.

That’s why I’m looking at modular design, to be able to separate the technology. And when I say modular design, I mean that at the end of the product’s life, you need to be able to separate the tech from the shoe, otherwise it’s a huge problem in terms of properly recovering wastage. Once this will be set, I want to concentrate on fabric. I want to give the shoe a handmade feel, as opposed to synthetic, because I want to make it feel like natural on the body. It’s all connected to a feeling of comfort and to create relaxation. The context is on addressing real consumer needs, resulting in an experience of the product that is more emotionally connected and satisfying. The value will lie within the blending of fashion and tech with a focus on comfort, addressing key needs of maintaining wellness, starting from our feet.”

WEARME.FASHION 69

TREND REPORT

ILLU S TR A TIO N : E LIS A D I LE O

SPRING / SUMMER 2019 SEASON

WEARME.FASHION 71

This season sees stripes standing out from Riviera-inspired colors, and instead taking bold stances, pairing mint and lime green, or bold lines of bright orange and fuschia, with brightness reminiscent of Central American folk art. Classic micro jacquard stripes play with light, summery shades, while uneven lines on leather provide a bold, almost pop-art look.

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P H OTO GR A PH Y C O UR TE S Y OF P RE M IÈR E V IS ION PA R IS 20 18: 1. C OLOMB O IN D U STR IE TES S ILI, 3. LE MAR , 4. R U B IO EX P OR T– TIMB R A D OS R U B IO, 6. U N I TE X TILE S , 7. TIN TE X ,

STANDOUT STRIPES

8. BE N N E TT S I LK S/ H EN R I P OR TI ER , 9.D IA S RU I VO, 10 . R IC A MOU R EMBR OID E R IES , 11. TOSC O, 12. R ITE X ; MU N IC H FAB R IC S TA R T: 2. A E R R E J E R Y E S , 5. ÖZD OK U

EARTH & SAND Next summer is all about rediscovering the primal bond between human and nature, man and Earth. The scorching sun turns the earth into soft sand dunes of intense orange and burnt sienna colors.

A powerful volcanic eruption creates strange rock formations of lava, reflected in fringes and sequins. Designers’ choices of fabric, like sand-washed linen, washed cottons and unevenly dyed and frayed silks, draw inspiration from marble’s undulations, traditional designs, and desert imagery.

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The proposals for SS19 are alive with vegetables, fruits and animals. A light spirit and a sense of playfulness are two key concepts we see in the season’s prints.

They take us on a trip around the world, starting from Africa, introducing beautiful animal species and tropical paradises, where the heat of the sun calls for a healthy and refreshing break.

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PH OT OGR A P H Y C OU R TE S Y O F P R EM IÈ R E VI S ION P AR IS 20 18: 13. YOON IA TEX , 19. S OFILE TA , 20.MON OTE X – S H IN H EU N G, 21. MIN A MI, 22. N ILB A TE K S TIL,

FRUITS ‘N’ FRIENDS

23. R A FA N E LLI – LA N IFI C IO F .LLI B AL LI; MU N ICH FA B R I C S TA R T : 14. KB C , 15. LIC A D ES IGN STU D IOS , 16. C A R V IC O, 17. LIC A D E S IGN S TU D IOS , 18. LIB E R TY , 24. P H ILE A

LIGHT AS AIR An impalpable lightness is evoked by silk, layered tulle and kaleidoscopic satins and muslins in iridescent colors, featuring lunar reflections. The fil coupé fabrics have a beautiful texture created by floating lines, as if lifted by a light breeze.

The aesthetic is cyber-futuristic, with the powerful, yet poetic aura of a ballet dancer. Colors are soft and luminous, like the morning sun, or celestial, green and light blue, recalling the Northern Lights.

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Lightweight linen, flowing jerseys and delavée denim offer a naturally textured surface, giving a comforting sensation at touch and calmness on sight. The aesthetic takes inspiration from the soft, breezy summer season. Colors are neutral and light, from hues of yellow and white to creams and sands, evoking a peaceful beach or a lush country retreat.

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P H OTO GR A PH Y C O UR TE S Y OFP R E MI ÈR E V IS ION P A R IS 20 18: 26. FON TA N E LLA , 31. C U R TID OS BA S S OLS, 34.AN GELO V A S IN O, 35. GD A , 36. S FA TE & C OMB IE R ;

NATURAL HAPTIC

MU N IC H FA BR I C S TA R T: 25 . M A ST ER LOO M, 27.O LIM P IA S P OR D EN ON E, 28. D A V A R IS TEX TILES , 29. C A P P IO, 32. MAS TE R LOOM, 33. FIV E OL

AQUATIC GLOW The glory of the underwater world reveals itself this season, with many shades of hidden treasures. The deep blue of the darkest seas gives way to the crystalline reflection of fish scales and the vibrant yellow sandy sea floor. Fabrics are shimmering and coated, often also prioritizing water-repellency and breathability.

Shimmering pleats, nautical decorations, eroded effects and translucent fabrics complete the undersea look.

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Managing Editor VERA ARTEMYEVA Acting Writer and Researcher SARA VOLPI Acting Copy Editor MOLLY BRIND’AMOUR Graphic Design FEDERICO SCUDERI Cover Photography CIRO CENNAMO, JULIA SOLODOVNIKOVA Illustrations ELISA DI LEO, DEYSE MARIA COTTINI Collaborators NADIA ALPARISI, ZINA BALKIS ABDELKARIM

WEARME FASHION ® Publishing MOMENTFACE s.r.o.

Zvěřinova 3413/14, 130 00, Prague, Czechia – Tel: +420 608 099 970, pr@wearme.fashion IČO 01900030, DIČ CZ01900030 Issued: May 2018 – Registration: MK ČR E 22701 - ISSN 2533-5618 “The Smart Issue” comes in two formats, with the digital version available toread for free www.wearme.fashion. For those who value print, a hard copy can be purchased and delivered with a courier to any location.

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