FASHION
THE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS AND FORWARD-THINKING FUTURE OF FASHION

Article written by Studio BLUP ‘Futurewears’ writer Symeon Oshea
As part of its sustainability commitment, German sports and footwear giant Adidas has pledged to only use recycled polyester, in all products. This is part of an ongoing effort to make the business more environmentally friendly, with the goal for it to be fully implemented by 2024.
Adidas also rolled out the Stan Smith Mylo™ this year. A new concept where the shoe is completely produced from nature. Mycelium to be exact. Yes, you read that right. Mycelium is the root system of a mushroom, composed of a dense mass of fine, thread-like tissue, which allows for it to be used like fabric or leather. The collaboration between Adidas and biotechnology powerhouse, Bolt Threads, made it possible to ‘grow’ the new line of Stan Smith’s.

Los Angeles-based Ultracor, is revolutionising the eco-luxury activewear market. Launched by female entrepreneur, Asha Kai, her designs are made to order, in the U.S. and in-house, to ensure no overproduction.
Ultracor stands out in the crowd due to its major investment in a vertical fashion. With a waterless and no inventory or waste model, the brand can boast a reduction of its carbon footprint by 95%. Featuring patent-pending ‘Compression 360’ performance technology with ‘best-fit’ engineering to sculpt and support each body. Each couture-inspired piece is sustainably produced in a spectrum of saturated monochromes and alluring, timeless prints.

‘Vertical Fashion’ is when a designer or fashion label decides to go without middlemen or wholesalers. This maximises the quality of goods, as the consumer can provide direct feedback on the process. Vertical means controlling each step of the process; designing, producing and selling the goods independently.
In Louisville, USA, Kenmark Eyewear is becoming a leader in crafting and distributing original optical eyewear and sunglasses.
Paradigm, their independent collection, boasts a continued partnership with the National Forest Foundation. This includes a collaboration on the ’50 Million for Our Forests’ tree-planting campaign, aiming to plant 50 million trees across the country. For every dollar Paradigm receives, they will plant one tree. By participating, Paradigm hopes to help reduce our collective carbon footprint and protect the forests for future generations.

Soorty, Pakistan’s largest vertically integrated denim company, has launched the Soorty Organic Cotton Initiative (SOCI), a new drive towards creating an organic cotton revolution. For their latest project they’ve partnered with the pioneers of organic cotton farming in Pakistan: WWF-Pakistan, and the Department of Agriculture Extension, Provence of Balochistan, along with support and input from the Laudes Foundation. The SOCI aims to stimulate a more sustainable economy and provide a foundation for ethical work environments and conditions.
Yet another unique implementation of reducing the carbon footprint of the overall industry. Apparel and textiles amounts to a large part of the environmental issues we face. It’s a breath of fresh air to see new companies pop up taking initiative, and legacy brands starting to take responsibility for the part they’ve played in the situation we’ve currently in.
Article written by Symeon Oshea [@symeonoshea]
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FASHION
HOUSE OF SUNNY DROPPING ITS FIRST MENSWEAR COLLECTION LATER THIS YEAR

Its been an impressive 2020 for the London-based label.
Designed in-house out of its East London studio, House of Sunny prides itself on producing small sustainable runs of collections in a bid to act against fast fashion. Now, as the label celebrates its tenth anniversary, its founder Sunny Williams has unveiled his plans to drop a first menswear collection later this year.
“We are at a stage where the audience organically asks us for men’s options,” explained Williams in a recent interview with Forbes. “We got to the point where I’d see guys wearing our cardigans cropped even though they bought a size 14 or 16 — and I am amongst those who want to wear pieces from the women’s line”.
Having garnered a reputation in women’s fashion for its use of vibrant colorways and unique designs, Williams alludes to its menswear offering continuing in much the same vein: “I love vintage sportswear at the moment and the style menswear will have is going to be very much my style.” Except the capsule menswear collection to drop September 2021.

FASHION
SELFRIDGES LAUNCH RENTAL SERVICE

Selfridges have just launched a fashion rental service which will allow their customers to rent items for 8, 10 or 20 days for as little as £20. Thanks to a new collaboration with HURR, you can borrow designer items from big brands like Prada, Saint Laurent and Off White in bag, shoes, tops, jeans, jacket or jumper form.
Found of HURR, Victoria Prew, said, “In a daring move, Selfridges is the first UK department store to take the plunge into the fashion rental market. The collection is built for the next generation of customers whose aspirations exceed their income, yet it is also appealing to customers who can afford to pay full-price but want the convenience of swapping out last season’s fashion for current season”.
This new way to wear designer is an “earth-conscious way to shop”, as Prew continues, “Extending the lifespan of clothes that already exist is one of the best things you can do to reduce the environmental impact of your wardrobe.”.
Find out more information and start renting on the Selfridges website here.
FASHION
VIRGIL ABLOH CONFIRMS ANOTHER NIKE DROP

What began as ten trainers in 2017, has spun into an iconic partnership between Virgil Abloh and Nike. Today Off-White designer confirmed that he’ll be releasing 50 pairs of Off-White x Nike Dunk Lows this summer. The drop will be part of his upcoming collaborative “Dear Summer…” collection.

Announced on Instagram, Abloh revealed the packaging for the Dunks which includes a set of 50 numbers (we assume to represent the 50 pairs available) and tape to give the box a vintage and pre-used feel. Holes also cover the box and these have featured on his Air Jordan 5’s before, so perhaps this is a nod to the new trainer design. Release dates and designs haven’t been confirmed yet, however no doubt all will be revealed soon.

Abloh captioned the Instagram post with: “@off____white™ c/o @nike, summer 2021 collection name is “Dear Summer”… it’s a whole thing…it was 2017 i started drawing on those 10 Nike shoes. in my mind they are not literal shoes, but are more like sculptures a full-on art object made in multiple editions, somewhat scarce. they exist in a space all their own. where the plot thickens on the design side is the portal to tell stories as vivid as a HOV triple entendre or a Jeezy ad-lib…”
[Image Source: Instagram]
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