eBay Australia Fashion Fund Winner Wins AU$100,000

Materials World is a weekly round-up of innovations and ideas in materials, covering everything from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable alternatives and future-proof textiles.

Dempster x eBay Australia

Ebay Australia, with support from the Australian Fashion Council, has named an Australian design practice that recycles textile waste into yarn that can be used in knitwear as the winner of its 2024 Circular Fashion Fund. .

Dempstah won the top prize of $100,000, and runners-up RCYCL and The Very Good Bra each received $50,000 to support their circular business solutions.

“eBay’s purpose is to provide economic opportunity for everyone, and we have a proud history of helping businesses grow through a variety of grants around the world. Circularity is the future of the fashion industry. , we all have a role to play in that transition,” said Anne-Marie Cheney, fashion leader at eBay Australia. “Initiatives like eBay’s Circular Fashion Fund are an important step towards achieving that goal, and we are very proud to launch it in Australia this year. We know we will bring positive change to the industry.”

Guy Dempster, designer and founder of Dempstah, says that after spending more than a decade researching and working with textiles around the world, he recognized the need to change the current approach to textile production and consumption. I did.

“I originally started studying fashion design, but I found myself becoming more and more interested in and critical of the textile industry and overproduction and consumption,” Dempster told Sourcing Journal, adding that this interest led to knitwear and knitwear. He explained that he dropped out of the Fashion Institute of Technology to prioritize his studies. Take a look at knitted textiles and learn more about the manufacturing process. “I felt like if you don’t really understand that side of things as a designer, you’re not really educated enough on how to make things more sustainable.”

His design practice works with a network of local and global textile mills to recycle Australian textile waste into yarn, and has established a mill in north-west Tasmania to ensure traceability of waste. , is on a mission to establish a textile recovery facility within Australia. The company currently offers spun yarn suitable for making knitwear and recovered fibers that can be used as an alternative to traditional synthetic filled clothing, household goods and furniture.

“I really want to set up [the winnings] Put that aside and only use it to do the necessary due diligence on machinery procurement,” Dempster said. “I think we will also need to raise funds after that. [the winnings] That’s the initial funding that gives us the impetus to get things going. ”

melina butcher

German luxury startup Melina Butcher has opened its first “factory” in Mannheim, specializing in vegan and bio-based materials.

There are not many training centers in Germany that offer apprenticeships for luxury bag makers. This, combined with an aging existing business, a lack of successors and a lack of knowledge about working with new and sustainable materials, is causing the decline of this specialty. But at Melina Butcher, the technique is making a comeback. Modern, flexible ways of working offer young people a ‘new perspective’ to incorporate their values ​​into their work.

Melina Butcher, founder of the brand of the same name, said: “We are fortunate to have had so many young people apply who want to learn this profession and make a difference.” She said: “The leather industry needs to catch up when it comes to sustainability. Most of the components in bags cannot be recycled. We are actively working on solutions here.”

And brands are recognizing the demand for those solutions, she continued. Therefore, the next logical step was to set up our own manufacturing plant. The company said that while promising bio-based materials are in development, no plug-and-play solutions currently exist and instead new solutions will be needed to process the new materials.

“Many projects have failed in recent years because brands don’t have the time or knowledge to carry out this development work,” Butcher said. “Conversely, innovators often do not know how materials are processed into products.”

That’s why the label wants to start by sharing its factory’s know-how in material selection, design and processing in order to increase the sustainability of this sector.

Lycra x Carrington

Carrington Textiles, a global military fabric manufacturer, will be showcasing its Spartan HT Flex Lite fabric at Enforce Tac 2024, a trade show for public security and military personnel in Nuremberg, Germany.

Engineered with military-grade Invista T420 nylon 6.6 staple fiber and featuring a “strategic” 2% Lycra fiber content, Spartan HT Flex Lite represents a “paradigm shift” in military textile development.

Paul Farrellat of Carrington Textiles said: “We are excited to unveil Spartan HT Flex Lite at Enforce Tac 2024.” “This fabric represents our commitment to innovation and commitment to providing the highest quality solutions for the defense sector. We look forward to introducing HT Flex Lite and our innovative defensive fabric portfolio and demonstrating how it can improve the performance and comfort of military uniforms.”

Incorporating Lycra into the Spartan HT Flex Lite offers “unparalleled” benefits, Carrington Textiles says, offering cotton-like comfort while offering added mobility with integrated stretch properties. Masu. This fabric is designed to withstand harsh military environments, making it an ideal choice for consumers looking for both performance and durability.

“For military professionals, the integrity of their clothing is extremely important,” said Virginie Bonafaus of The Lycra Company. “The incorporation of Lycra fibers allows military professionals to experience unrestricted mobility, allowing them to operate in any situation with confidence.”