With millions of tons of waste being generated by the global apparel market every year, it’s nice to see an increasing number of designers coming up with ideas to rethink the way clothes are produced within the industry.
The latest of such initiatives come from London designer Alexander Taylor who will soon launch an online platform called ATID that will sell technical apparel made from biomaterials and leftover inventory. The website will act as a showcase of the brand’s sustainability-led material concepts and products, serving as a source of inspiration for other eco-oriented brands.
The online platform, which launches on 4 August 2020, will start by selling a series of introductory garments made from biomaterials and unused fabrics – deadstock – taken from outdoor garment factory KTC.
Tired of the “endless production to feed the consumer world”, Taylor decided to do away with the traditional seasons of the fashion industry, which are the cause of mountains of waste “due to deadlines, consumer demands, unsold inventory, and the endless creation of new textiles”.
ATID will work exclusively with waste materials that have been leftover as unsold garments from KTC’s other brands, where possible, as well as biomaterials such as AlgiKnit – a material comprised of yarns and fibers made from macroalgae.
Each product is designed in London before being made at the KTC partner factory in China from the waste materials. The final pieces are then shipped by boat to Alexander Taylor’s London studio, from which they will be sent to buyers.
To further cut down from the line’s environmental footprint, the studio plans to set up a network of deadstock material partners, and ship products directly from the factory to the consumer, which will cut out energy-intensive fulfillment centers or retailers.
