upcycle

Interdisciplinary designer Iris van Herpen has partnered with Magnum ice cream to create the world’s first vegan, haute couture dress made from cocoa beans. Van Herpen is known for her integration of technology into fashion, and Magnum’s entry into haute couture is another step in the brand’s embrace of sustainability.

Waste cocoa bean husks from the production of chocolate were transformed into an organic, vegan biopolymer material. The design was then 3D printed before being finished by hand with upcycled organza, copper coating, and intricate, plant-inspired details.

A new brand is designing sustainable and comfortable loungewear that is chic enough to be worn to the office

One effect of the pandemic is that many of those working from home got used to spending the working day clothed in loungewear – or even pyjamas. Many of those returning to the office have found themselves thinking wistfully back to a time of wearing comfortable clothes. This is the thinking behind Lezé the Label, an entire brand created around loungewear that is comfortable enough to be worn at home and chic enough for the office or an outing.

A startup has developed dissolvable threads and a thermal disassembly system for recycling clothes

In the drive to become more sustainable, the fashion industry faces a number of serious challenges. One major issue is how to recycle clothing that is made from several different materials. Taking the clothes apart in order to recycle their constituent materials is costly and time-consuming, and often leads to a large loss of usable material. Now, startup Resortecs has an innovative solution.

The low-cost, disposable batteries can be used for household appliances such as clocks and lamps

The global population has been using more than 130 billion masks every month during the COVID-19 pandemic. And when these masks are thrown away, they create hundreds of tonnes of polymer waste. This waste is difficult to recycle and emits toxic chemicals if burnt.