Introduction to Sustainable Fashion
The collaboration with Iris van Herpen, an outstanding couturier, was sought after due to her inspiration from nature and commitment to sustainability, values that align with the mission of promoting eco-friendly practices in the fashion industry.
The Collaboration
Iris van Herpen is known for her breathtaking designs, and the collaboration aimed to leverage her expertise in creating stunning pieces while incorporating sustainable materials. This partnership highlights the potential for high fashion to embrace environmentally conscious practices without compromising on style or quality.
Goals of the Collaboration
The primary objective of this collaboration is to diversify the global supply chain and strengthen peace in the world through sustainable practices. By working with high-fashion brands, the mission is to penetrate the supply chain more effectively and encourage the adoption of biotechnology in the fashion industry. This can lead to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to fashion production.
Strengthening the Supply Chain
To achieve the goal of strengthening and diversifying the global supply chain, the focus is on creating a sustainable, decentralized production ecosystem. This involves utilizing undeveloped biomass from various regions worldwide, such as agricultural waste and used bio-based textiles, as the starting material for producing brewed protein polymers. By efficiently using these resources without expanding arable land or increasing cattle production, it’s possible to scale up the production of sustainable materials for textiles and other applications.
Scaling Sustainable Production
The potential for scaling up sustainable production is vast, with estimates suggesting several billion tons of underlying biomass available worldwide. By leveraging microbial fermentation and proprietary technology, the production of high-quality protein materials can be highly efficient. This approach supports the development of a completely new sustainable industry, with applications in textiles, food ingredients, and more.
Global Accessibility
To make sustainable materials more accessible worldwide, plans are underway to establish polymer production and spinning systems outside of Japan, in addition to existing facilities in Thailand and Japan. This expansion will help shorten lead times, reduce dependence on a single location, and make sustainable materials more readily available to fashion brands and manufacturers globally.
