Fashion is one of the most carbon intensive industries. Annually, it emits more CO2 than aviation and shipping combined (Check out our sustainable fashion buying guide here). From sourcing materials to unsold garments, issues exist every step of the way. Luckily, there are companies that are disrupting this trend of unsustainable mass production.
Laws Of Motion: Clothes and Data Science
Carly Bigi founded Laws of Motion to forever change the shopping experience for women. This New York-based startup uses data science algorithms to manufacture clothes that fit women perfectly. Linear sizes suit perfectly only 5% of women. Laws of Motion offers dresses in 99 microsizes, allowing customers to find the fit exactly right for them. This effective use of data science algorithms and precise measuring techniques help to reduce waste to the minimum. According to the founder of Laws of Motion, Carly Bigi, unlike fast fashion brands that waste around 20% of fabric while manufacturing a collection, Laws of Motion loses, at most, 2%.
It also addresses the issue of unsold clothes since dresses are manufactured only after an order has been received. There are almost zero returns since the garments fit perfectly, which means that very few clothes end up in landfills. It’s an incredible contribution in protecting the environment since, on average, 50% of returns on mass-market are simply destroyed. Laws of Motion is a company that also hired data scientists before fashion designers — the right choice!
For more, tune in to WSTP Episode 1
MI TERRO: Spoiled Milk, Shirts and Climate
Have you ever wondered what to do with a carton of spoiled milk? Of course not, that would be crazy! Until… Robert Luo, an entrepreneur from Los Angeles, created a purpose for spoiled milk: turn it into the fabric. He was inspired to pursue this idea after seeing a tremendous amount of waste on his uncle’s dairy farm. Approximately 128 tons of milk are lost annually, he says. Robert and his team came up with a shockingly simple and yet brilliant solution to this issue: extract, purify, and turn something that would otherwise be useless into a textile with a multitude of use cases.
Dairy products contain amino acids that have protein. In order to turn the spoiled milk into fabric for manufacturing, Mi Terro extracts and purifies the protein via dynamic flow shear spinning. This way of fabric production is more efficient than conventional alternatives, and uses 60% less water compared to cotton.
Currently, Mi Terro produces t-shirts and underwear. However, their plan is much more exciting. They want to completely disrupt the supply chain and provide fabrics made from milk to big brands. Since the fashion industry is so large, Robert’s main worry is that there might not be enough waste. This far-reaching approach is necessary for effectively tackling climate crises because big problems require extraordinary solutions.
For more, tune in to WSTP Episode 24
DAYWEARLAB: Very Italian. Very Sustainable.
From sourcing the material to creating every collection, DayWearLab cares about the environment at every production stage. The company offers luxury classics with a twist — complete eco friendliness. The company uses the highest-quality cotton from Egypt, which is later processed with low-intensity water technologies in Italy. All employees are paid fair wages, and the ethical treatment of both people and nature is the highest priority. All collections are limited to ensure that no garments go to waste. It’s so inspiring to realize that when shopping in DayWearLab, you don’t destroy the planet, but help save it instead.