Latest news with #Feben
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
EU's Textile Recycling Excellence Project Creates New Blueprint
The European Union-funded Textile Recycling Excellence (T-Rex) Project wrapped with the completion of a blueprint for scaling textile-to-textile recycling processes for post-consumer polyester, polyamide 6 and cellulosic materials. The blueprint, which spotlights insights and recommendations for each phase of the value chain, has been informed by in-depth analysis conducted by the T-Rex consortium throughout the project. That analysis included assessing the technical feasibility, economic viability and environmental impact of the recycling value chain. More from Sourcing Journal EXCLUSIVE: Feben's Mini Twist Finds Pulp Friction With OnceMore Is Europe Ready for a Textile-to-Textile Recycling 'Tipping Point'? Trump Threatens EU With 50% Duties, Says Trade Talks 'Going Nowhere' The plan was formulated to address four key challenges: technical scalability, business viability, environmental impact and policy recommendations. Within technical scalability, two major obstacles stand in the way of textile-to-textile recycling—inefficient sorting processes and the need for pre-processing of garments. Current manual sorting methods have proven to inefficient and costly to scale, but advancements in automated sorting technology such as near infrared (NIR) and AI-powered systems could improve yield, throughput and identification of multi-layer or blended garments. Though the market potential of textile-to-textile recycling in the EU looks promising—with volumes of post-consumer textile waste suitable for recycling projected to reach 1.2 million metric tons by 2030—business viability remains challenging. That's primarily due to limited access to quality feedstock and a lack of infrastructure at scale. Scaling textile-to-textile recycling in Europe will require coordinated financial, regulatory and industrial efforts to overcome these issues. Ensuring textile-to-textile recycling reduces the environmental impact of fiber production hinges on both the type of material being recycled and the specific recycling technology used. Energy efficiency during the recycling process, as well as the entirety of the manufacturing and supply chain is critical for decreasing environmental impact. While the EU has some of the most progressive regulatory protocols for textile sustainability through its Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the T-Rex Project calls for additional governmental support and oversight. Proposed initiatives include economic incentives, end-of-waste criteria, recyclability standards and setting realistic, achievable targets for recycled content. According to the European Environmental Agency, more than 6.95 million metric tons of textile waste are generated annually in the EU, and that's projected to increase to 7.3 million metric tons by 2030. Much of that waste is incinerated or ends up in a landfill, with only 2 percent of post-consumer textiles in Europe diverted to fiber-to-fiber recycling. The T-Rex Project launched in 2022 to help combat that problem, assembling 13 stakeholders from across the textile value chain, including Adidas, Aalto University and Infinited Fiber Company, to develop a plan for closed-loop recycling of post-consumer household textile waste in the EU. While the project's recommendations create a framework for implementing scalable textile-to-textile recycling, the group maintains that this should be just one aspect of a larger-scale effort to reduce textile waste. That strategy should also prioritize reuse, repair and demand management of garments and other textiles. The full T-Rex blueprint will be available on the project's website,
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Feben's Mini Twist Finds Pulp Friction With OnceMore
Feben made waves in 2022 with her eponymous label's spring 2023 collection, which struck a chord by balancing wearable art with true comfort. The London-based Ethiopian designer's latest (perhaps flirtatious) spring 2025 line, too, showcased pieces crafted in collaboration with her longtime artisans in Accra, Ghana. 'There are other ways of doing things,' Feben's Vemmenby told WWD. 'I'll take cringe any day.' More from Sourcing Journal Material World: Modern Meadow's Innovera Goes Global Ksubi Debuts Cap Collection with New Era EU's Textile Recycling Excellence Project Creates New Blueprint Feben collaborated with Swedish textile brand OnceMore from Södra, which recycles blended fabrics, for the flamenco dancer-inspired collection as well. 'I actually had my eyes on Feben long before that,' Tina Lemke, OnceMore's marketing and brand experience manager, told WWD. 'I saw her collection before [collaborating] and I thought her designing was really cool; she was, aiming for not the regular, thin-type of person, but for the every-body, real person. I think she has a really cool way of doing that.' Following an initial partnership for London Fashion Week last September, the OnceMore x Feben collaboration has expanded into commercially available garments. One item designed exclusively for this partnership is the Mini Twist, crafted entirely from OnceMore's fabric, made from recycled textile waste and responsibly sourced wood pulp from Swedish forests. 'Working with OnceMore has felt like an organic relationship that I've learnt so much from. I'm hoping more brands, designers and students will become more aware of where their fabrics come from and finally connect the dots between fabric suppliers, stores and consumers,' Feben said. 'I believe OnceMore is something more fashion brands should invest in. I'm excited about the project we have coming out and the pieces we have collaborated on for SS25.' OnceMore's garment-grade dissolving pulp is a circular solution made by blending post-consumer textile waste with wood from sustainably managed Swedish forests. Developed by Södra—Sweden's largest forest owners' association—OnceMore reportedly represents the world's first large-scale process for recycling mixed fabrics into regenerated cellulosic fibers for man-made cellulosic fiber (MMCF) products. 'With recycled materials becoming the new standard and policies like the European Green Deal and ESPR gaining momentum, the industry has a real opportunity to scale next-gen solutions,' said Ida Fager Stark, communications manager at OnceMore. 'At OnceMore, we are committed to turning vision into action by enabling true fiber-to-fiber recycling and supporting the shift toward circularity across the entire value chain.' Since its 2019 debut as a 500-kilogram pilot, the process scaled to a 19-metric ton demonstration that boosted textile content in the pulp from 3 percent (at launch) to 20 percent by 2022. Now, The Mörrum mill produces 6,000 tons of OnceMore pulp annually and aims to reach 60,000 metric tons as it works toward a goal of 50 percent textile waste content. 'We hope this collaboration will shed light on the potential of viscose,' Fager Stark said. 'We believe the material is often viewed too narrowly in terms of its applications and possibilities, which simply isn't true.' Fager Stark has a point. For context: Södra's OnceMore process exemplifies water-efficient practices in both production and transportation. In production, Södra minimizes water consumption through advanced water-conservation measures at its pulp mills. To that end, viscose is often (and mistakenly, per OnceMore) regarded as a synthetic fiber. This misunderstanding—something of a 'poly-washing,' if you will—is so deeply ingrained, the company said, that the need to 'emphasize viscose's natural origins and how it is derived sustainably' is crucial. And something of a red thread within the Mini Twist. 'The process is, like, 90 percent water; to be able to send it, we need to take the water out,' Lemke said. 'So we send really dry paper pulp sheets and then they add water again to create the fibers.' The Mini Twist's unique packaging begins as a compressed shirt that expands when placed in water. It's worth noting, however, that this creative direction from Feben was totally tangential to OnceMore's water-saving transportation process. 'I wanted to create something special for us with this piece, but also as a fun way to introduce people to sustainability because, in a way, sustainability has become such a buzzword,' Feben said. 'But sustainability doesn't have to be all educational efforts—it can be playful and wearable. Take the Mini Twist: it layers effortlessly or stands on its own, and you don't have to put it in water—you can just hang it as an ornament.' The buzzwordification of sustainability spans the supply chain, and it's a similar situation OnceMore finds itself in. Highlighting MMCF products—such as viscose and lyocell—that incorporate recycled materials is crucial, yet still a relatively small segment within the industry, Lemke said. While partnering with brands like Feben helps the Bestseller partner shine a light on these materials, challenges persist. 'The demand right now is not where we would like it to be when it comes to our pulp, Lemke continued. 'When the demand comes, we are ready to increase.' Since Södra has the capacity to scale when appropriate, the next goal is to recycle even more complex textile blends, she said, expanding beyond polycotton to manage materials like elastane blends and other textiles. Collaboration across the value chain is essential to raising awareness among brands, although it's challenging when positioned so early in the supply chain, as brands like Feben operate closer to consumers. 'Although collaboration has become something of a buzzword, it's genuinely vital to our success,' Lemke said. 'Promoting our recycled solutions and emphasizing the sustainability of viscose fibers is key.' While the market for emerging designers—and materials—is complex, the other side of the hype cycle is nigh. 'We've made something from an authentic place. Although it might not sell out straight away, it's a piece that people will wake up to later when they've understood more,' Feben said. 'Whatever you put out and whatever you collaborate on during these difficult times, I think, it's really good to create a really good product that's interesting for some, and then for others to pick up later.' Available in three sizes, the top maintains Feben's signature twist style. The Mini Twist will be available on Feben's website for about $128 (95 pounds) starting May 29.
New York Times
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
On Oscars Night, More Celebrities Tried the Nearly Nude Look
About a month after Bianca Censori caused a commotion for posing on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards in a completely sheer minidress, another woman with ties to Ye arrived in a similarly nearly naked look to Vanity Fair's Oscars after-party on Sunday. This time, it was Julia Fox, who previously dated the rapper and designer formerly known as Kanye West. Ms. Fox's sheer garment of choice, by the Turkish designer Dilara Findikoglu, was a maxi dress that involved some ruching to give it a bit more shape. Strands of Ms. Fox's wavy hair extensions were strategically placed underneath the dress, covering the necessary areas. It was a look that drew a great deal of attention and one that invited numerous comparisons to Ms. Censori, whose outfit reveal at the Grammys was bold enough that some falsely said it had led to her and Ye, her husband, being asked to leave. On Sunday night, Ms. Fox was not the only one at the Vanity Fair party in a provocative look. Historically, Vanity Fair's annual event has allowed celebrities the freedom to be a little more risqué and experimental in their fashion choices after the comparatively conservative red carpet at the Oscars. In 2023, Emily Ratajkowski wore a long-sleeved, see-through chain mail gown by Feben. Hunter Schafer's Ann Demeulemeester look from 2023 consisted of a single leather feather for a bandeau top and a silky slip skirt. In 2024, Vanessa Hudgens revealed her baby bump in a sheer black Alberta Ferretti dress with a cape. This year, though, naked dressing seemed to particularly thrive at the event. Zoë Kravitz wore a satin long-sleeved gown by Saint Laurent that exposed her bottom through a bead-embellished mesh cutout on the back of the dress. Olivia Wilde also opted for a barely-there get-up with a frilled peignoir-style dress from Chloé, which she styled with a pair of matching briefs and a clutch bag. Kendall Jenner and Ms. Ratajkowski both arrived in black lacy dresses: Ms. Jenner in vintage Mugler and Ms. Ratajkowski in Ludovic de Saint Sernin. And Megan Thee Stallion wore a moss-green ensemble with a long skirt and feathers around the bodice but no top, requiring her to wear matching green pasties. A few men also participated in the trend, at least to some extent. The actress Elizabeth Hurley showed up to the Vanity Fair party in a sheer, crystal-studded number with her son Damian Hurley, who revealed his bare chest underneath a silvery suit. The actor Jeremy Pope wore a black jumpsuit that exposed a large portion of his upper-body, and the actor Michael Urie wore a skin-baring suit. The trend was present at the Oscars main event as well. Doja Cat swapped her strapless leopard-print Balmain dress for a nude slip covered in more than a million cascading Swarovski crystals for her performance of 'Diamonds Are Forever' during a tribute to the music of the James Bond film franchise. In Doja Cat's case, nearly nude dressing is a consistent theme. At last year's Met Gala, she wore a wet, white T-shirt gown. And at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2023, she opted for a Monse dress made of cobweb-like fabric that bared her nipples and thong for perhaps her most naked look thus far.
