UpcycleLino: upcycling waste fabric through circular design

Did you know that a considerable amount of fabric gets wasted to make one fashion item? So what you’re wearing right now is a result of a handful of fabric that gets discarded. Shocking, right?

Roughly 30% of fabric gets wasted in manufacturing a fashion item, even if some apparel makers use state-of-the-art machines and skilled craftsmanship to eliminate waste as much as possible. Because these fabrics are literally waste, they are hard to reuse. Until now, the apparel industry has treated these waste fabrics unfriendly to the environment—either disposing or burning them.

Apparel brands “nest Robe” and “CONFECT” came to realize this issue and took action. They came up with an idea to make clothes out of these “wasted fabrics” with a brand called “UpcycleLino.” By renewing these waste fabrics into thread, they found a way to recycle them into clothes again. First, they turn the waste materials into cotton, spun with organic virgin cotton to make into thread. They then recreate fabric using this thread, which they form into clothes. Thus, a complete waste-free clothes-making cycle is born!

Threads made from waste fabrics are often challenging to weave due to knots in the threads. Moreover, the surface of the fabric tends not to look uniform and beautiful as well. However, people who wear these upcycled clothes enjoy their soft texture. Most nest Robe and CONFECT clothes are originally designed to be worn for many years, so these recycled clothes are bound to fit your body each time you wear them, eventually become your own.

UpcyclingLino clothes are available at nest Robe and CONFECT shops and their online store. How about thinking about the future of sustainable fashion while enjoying these comfy upcycled clothes, which will grow on you over time?

This article was originally published on Life Hugger.
Translated by Ayako Karino.