Today, adidas by Stella McCartney unveil a first of its kind sportswear garment designed to demonstrate the potential of a circular fashion ecosystem.
Joining forces with leading names and innovators in the fashion industry to create, test, and innovate, the tracksuit forms the pinnacle expression of the brand’s pilot circularity program, Made to Be Remade. A take-back scheme where consumers can wear it down and then return it by scanning a QR code via the product so it can be remade. Moving adidas closer to its goal to help end plastic waste.
It’s currently estimated that just under 1% of all textiles worldwide are recycled into new textiles, so it’s vital the textile industry comes together to learn and knowledge-share. Scheduled across a three-year period, the consortium which includes partners such as Frankenhuis have collected and sorted post-consumer end-of-life textiles, which using pioneering Infinited Fiber technology have been regenerated into a new man-made cellulosic fiber called Infinna™ – which looks and feels just like virgin cotton. This is then turned into a yarn blended with organic cotton, for garment production.
Designing the tracksuit, made using viscose (60% viscose, 40% organic cotton) as a consortium member took the process from a linear to a circular model, as the apparel’s function and style were of equal focus to the garment’s end of life existence.
Built on a foundation of comfort, the oversized tracksuit blends peach-soft material with a neutral light grey and black colour palette to provide a contemporary canvas for the next generation to move through the world.
At the end of the project, consortium partner Aalto University, a Finnish multidisciplinary community specialising in science, art, technology, and design, will distribute learnings with the industry and bring this potential circular design solution to the ever-eco-conscious consumer.
Speaking about the collaboration, Stella McCartney said:
SPORT IS ABOUT ALWAYS EVOLVING THE APPROACH, AND MATERIAL INNOVATION IS NO DIFFERENT. MORE THAN EVER, WE ARE BEING CHALLENGED TO FIND NEW SOLUTIONS TO DELIVER THE POTENTIAL FOR CIRCULAR FASHION, SO IT’S BEEN HUGELY EXCITING TO COLLABORATE WITH LIKE-MINDED THINKERS IN THE FASHION LANDSCAPE TO HELP NOT ONLY US, BUT THE INDUSTRY INVENT, INNOVATE AND CONSCIOUSLY DESIGN. WE ARE TRULY PROUD TO HAVE PRODUCED A GARMENT THAT PROVIDES AN END OF LIFE OF EXISTENCE, WHILST ALSO STAYING TRUE TO ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY’S SIGNATURE STYLE – FOR NEXT GENERATION ACTIVISTS.
The Made to Be Remade program is adidas’ first approach to extending the lifespan of products, following the launch of its FUTURECRAFT loop shoe – an early prototype in helping keep footwear in play for longer. The adidas by Stella McCartney garment is the latest milestone which demonstrates the efforts to produce a commercial end-of-life garment.
This means consumers can wear the new adidas by Stella McCartney sportswear set until it’s worn out, and then return it by scanning the QR code on the adidas app. The product can then be sent back to Infinited Fiber Company’s recycling stream where it can be broken down to be reused, ensuring less waste goes into the fashion eco-system.
The adidas by Stella McCartney Sportswear Tracksuit Viscose (GENDER NEUTRAL) is available from October 6 via the adidas app.
About adidas
adidas is a global designer and developer of athletic and lifestyle footwear, apparel, and accessories with the mission to be the best sports brand in the world. As an innovation and design leader, adidas engineers the best in high-performance products to make athletes better, faster, and stronger and creates a range of classic and fresh lifestyle and high-fashion lines. For more information, please visit: adidas.com
About adidas by Stella McCartney
Since 2005, adidas by Stella McCartney has been a pioneer in the women’s sports performance category, fusing adidas’ commitment to cutting-edge technology with Stella’s signature style. Collection after collection, the brand supports and empowers the modern woman who is constantly evolving and moving forward with strength, purpose, and vision. Committed to offering unrivalled performance and style for 15 years, the highly innovative collection consists of apparel, footwear and accessories across disciplines including Run, Training, Yoga and Swim. The adidas by Stella McCartney range is designed for the body, mind and planet, and is committed to using more sustainable and innovative methods and materials.
