Next gen materials news and archive

Natalie Portman joins Uncaged Innovations as a strategic partner

Academy Award–winning actor and producer Natalie Portman, who has been a long-standing advocate for animal welfare and veganism, is joining biomaterial company Uncaged Innovations as a strategic partner and an “advocate for sustainable luxury”. New York-based Uncaged Innovations, founded by serial entrepreneur Stephanie Downs and biomaterials...

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Textile innovator Piñatex heading for liquidation

Madrid – The outlook is bleak for the disruptive and renowned textile innovation company Ananas Anam, founded in 2013 by Spanish national Carmen Hijosa. The company owns a range of sustainable solutions for the textile industry, including the vegan pineapple leather marketed under the Piñatex brand. It is currently in pre-insolvency proceedings...

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H&M and investors back Indian innovator AltMat

Indian material developer AltMat has completed a new funding round, the company announced on LinkedIn. The investors include major names such as H&M, investment funds Rainmatter by Zerodha and Turbostart, and the sustainable innovation platform Fashion for Good. AltMat started with the latter 14 years ago through a startup programme. AltMat...

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Stella McCartney takes on 'barbaric' feather industry

British fashion designer Stella McCartney is showcasing plant-based alternatives to real feathers in her latest collection, as the animal-rights campaigner takes on the "barbaric" farming of birds for clothing. "I've been having the conversation about not killing cows and goats and snakes or any living animal to be made into a shoe or handbag in...

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Vans partners with Ernest to create first-ever skatable cardboard sneake

Footwear and apparel brand Vans has partnered with Ernest Packaging Solutions to create the unthinkable - the first-ever skatable sneaker made from cardboard. Developed as part of Ernest’s Cardboard Chaos series, the sneaker pays homage to Vans’ skate culture roots, innovative drive, and authentic expression. Vans sneakers have been favored by...

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Gen Phoenix secures 15 million US dollars in investment

British next-gen material supplier Gen Phoenix, which offers sustainable recycled leather fibre material manufacturing at scale, has secured 15 million US dollars in a funding round led by venture capital firm Material Impact and increased investment from Tapestry, the fashion group behind Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman. In a statement,...

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Decathlon partners with Rheon Labs on next-gen sports apparel

Global sporting goods retailer Decathlon has announced a global partnership with British materials technology company Rheon Labs to bring advanced material science to apparel for “everyday sport”. The collaboration will allow Decathlon access to Rheon Labs’ technology platform, including current and future innovations in strain-rate sensitive...

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Mango partners with Circulose to increase textile circularity

Spanish fast-fashion retailer Mango is the first brand to partner with Swedish circular material company Circulose since its restart, as the retailer aims to integrate the next-gen material into its production chain. The partnership underscores a milestone in Mango’s commitment to working more sustainably and sits in line with its long-term...

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Arda Biomaterials secures 5.25 million US dollars to commercialise technology

Arda Biomaterials, which transforms brewery and whisky waste into novel materials, such as leather-like materials, for fashion and retail use, has raised 5.25 million US dollars to commercialise its technology leveraging plant proteins. The British-based chemistry technology company closed an oversubscribed 5.25 million US dollars (4.05 million...

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Lululemon invests in scaling bio-based nylon with ZymoChem

Canadian athletic apparel company Lululemon has entered into a multi-year collaboration with California-based biotechnology firm ZymoChem to expand its use of sustainable bio-based nylon in its products. Lululemon said it would work with ZymoChem to sustainably transform a key building block of nylon 6,6, a foundational material used in many of...

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Fashion for Good & BCG: Demand for next-gen materials could outpace supply by 2030

“Materials lie at the heart of the fashion industry. They form the foundation of every garment, shaping the design, feel and functionality of the product. They also define the brand’s narrative and its appeal to consumers,” starts a new report published today and created by global sustainability initiative Fashion for Good together with the...

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Parley launches new label and incubator to accelerate eco-innovation and design

Parley for the Oceans, the global environmental organisation and impact network, has announced a long-term partnership with the Paris-based Dover Street Market Paris Brand Development (DSMP-BD) to launch a new label and investment incubator to accelerate eco, natural and biofabricated innovations. The new partnership will see Parley launching a...