A New Solution For Textile Waste
We're lucky enough to meet a lot of new sustainable brands with brilliant ideas, but when Teresa Albor came in to show us the Re/DRESS collection we were blown away by the quality, the price and the ambition of Re/DRESS.
“We aim to make amazing clothes people will want to keep, from textiles comprised of nearly 100% recycled fibre” says Albor.
Currently less than 1% of the world’s textile waste is recycled into new clothing. Re/DRESS want to demonstrate that it’s possible to use higher percentages of recycled content in garment production, especially cotton. Based in Bangladesh, they are using nearly 100% recycled textiles to create their minimal, unisex collection. Their breathable fabrics are knit or woven from yarn spun from pre-consumer cotton waste and recycled polyester fibre. The fabric feels amazing - it's soft, breathable and durable.
'Pre-consumer' means the scraps of fabric discarded during the manufacturing process are turned back into fibres that can be reused in the production of new products. Post-consumer textiles are more difficult to recycle because garments need to be deconstructed, cleaned and shipped back to factories to be sorted before recycling.
The issue with using recycled fabric in textile production is that the recycling process can damage the integrity of the fibre, and often the fibres are not as soft or durable. Re/DRESS are developing new processes in order to address this, and importantly their process is not proprietary - in fact they are encouraging other brands to copy them in order to spread the word. It's a circular fashion initiative and a social enterprise which uses all proceeds to promote responsible fashion. This is a brand on a mission to change the industry!
The capsule collection is truly unisex and beautifully simple, consisting of six pieces available in two sizes (smaller and larger) and two colours (light and dark). If only everything could be so simple! Re/DRESS have used their friends, inspirational role models to model their first collection, and we're delighted to have it available in store and online. View the collection.
For more information about Re/DRESS, visit their website: ReDRESS-recycle.com
Rahul Abdin, 36, community organiser/urbanist based in Bangladesh and Pat Kerr, 71, founder of a mother/child residential centre in Bangladesh. Both wearing 100% recycled cotton/polyester raw-edged sleeveless t-shirt and tapered trousers from Re/DRESS. (Photos courtesy of Re/DRESS)