Lululemon establishes partnership with textile recycling startup, Samsara Eco

Lululemon store in Hamburg. Image: FashionUnited Sportswear company Lululemon has announced a new multi-year collaboration with textile-to-textile recycling firm, Samsara Eco, as it looks to scale its circularity practices. The brand said that through the partnership it is aiming to make infinitely recycled nylon and polyester from its own products using the startup’s circular process. Samsara Eco offers the ability to recycle high-performance nylon and polyester blends, with the duo to utilise apparel waste to create new materials and therefore bring “lower-impact alternatives” to the performance apparel industry. Speaking on the collaboration, Yogendra Dandapure, Lululemon’s vice president, raw materials innovation, said in a release: “Nylon remains our biggest opportunity to achieve our 2030 sustainable product goals. “This partnership demonstrates what’s possible through collective innovation to solve unmet needs. “Through Samsara Eco’s patented enzymatic process, we’re advancing transforming apparel waste into high quality nylon and polyester, which will help us live into our end-to-end vision of circularity.” The partnership builds on Lululemon’s ‘Be Planet’ goals, in which it is aiming to create a circular ecosystem by 2030, largely led by the implementation of sustainable materials, shopping experiences like its re-commerce programme and textile-to-textile recycling. Samsara Eco’s CEO and founder, Paul Riley, commented: “We’re proud that this partnership is disrupting the apparel industry. Samsara Eco's ability to infinitely recycle blended textiles including nylon, provides an important solution to tackle the challenge of textile waste. “This has never been achieved before, and partnering with lululemon is a significant milestone that will accelerate the journey to closing the loop on textile recycling.”
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Shein to host 30 pop-up stores in EMEA, opens Dublin headquarters

Photo Credits: Shein, campaign image. Fast fashion giant Shein has continued on its path of growth in EMEA with the opening of its new headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, as well as plans to strengthen its physical presence in the region. The new office will be home to Shein’s strategic IT hub for EMEA and will function as the core of its operations in the area. The company stated that the opening of the site will include the appointment of 30 key roles to be made by the end of 2023. The various positions will cover areas such as data analysis, security engineering, finance management and legal, and will also see the expansion of its graduate programme into Ireland. To further its emphasis on the region, Shein further unveiled that it plans to host around 30 pop-up stores around the EMEA region in 2023, forming “an integral part” of its business model. Its presence has been bolstered in the past through the opening of three new distribution centres across EMEA in 2022, as part of its efforts to strengthen its nearshoring capabilities in a bid to improve speed of fulfilment. Speaking in a release, Leonard Lin, global head of government relations for Shein, said: “I am delighted to launch our EMEA headquarters in Ireland. Ireland’s pro-business environment and great access to talent make it an excellent hub for companies, including Shein, to manage and grow our business in the region. “Our Dublin office opening marks an important milestone in Shein’s growth in EMEA – which is one of our most important markets. We look forward to contributing to the growth of the local economies and to supporting local communities.”
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Nat-2 presents vegan sneaker made from recycled aluminium foil

Unisex, vegan Sleek Alchemist sneaker by Nat-2. Image: Nat-2 German footwear brand Nat-2 is dedicated to discovering unusual, natural materials for shoes, including stone, coffee grounds, corn, cork, mushrooms, fish leather, flowers, cannabis, red pepper, oxblood, leaves, moss and more. Now the brand has expanded its offer with a ‘Reduceusecycle' line that aims to find new, never-before-used materials to reuse and upcycle, and presents a vegan sneaker made from used and then recycled aluminium foil. To do this, Nat-2 has teamed up with the Israeli start-up for innovative textiles, Remeant. The result is the vegan, unisex Nat-2 “Sleek Alchemist” sneaker, whose upper is made from upcycled aluminium foil and reflective glass. The lining consists of Nat-2 bio-ceramic and the removable insole is made from real cork, while the outsole is made from 100 percent rubber. The heel and tongue have a smooth, reflective glass surface. Unisex, vegan Sleek Alchemist sneaker by Nat-2. Image: Nat-2 The Nat-2 Sleek Alchemist sneaker was designed by Sebastian Thies, sixth generation shoe designer and the brand’s founder. The shoes are produced under fair conditions in a small family production in Italy. The new Reduceusecycle line is not only about finding new, never-before-used materials for re- and upcycling, but also about accelerating new approaches and views on circular product design, solving existing problems and providing inspiration to rethink the way we consume. “Is it really okay to use aluminum foil for mostly unnecessary purposes like as a sandwich wrapper that lasts an hour if we recycle it afterwards again?,” asks the label. “Or would it be better to wrap your lunch in a paper bag and use other natural materials for your footwear?” The answer is “yes," of course, but until then and “while there are tons of aluminum waste every day, shouldn't we recycle it into new purposes and establish new aesthetics in fashion?,” continues Nat-2. So it is not about avoiding the problem of textile-to-textile recycling and taking away other industries' waste, it is about showing sustainable solutions for waste recycling until these waste volumes have been reduced and avoided. The Nat-2 Sleek Alchemist sneaker is available through the online shop Coilex via worldwide, carbon neutral delivery. No details have been given on the price yet. Unisex, vegan Sleek Alchemist sneaker by Nat-2. Image: Nat-2 Also read: *
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Aeffe swings to Q1 loss, sales decrease

Image: Moschino SS21 via Catwalkpictures In the first quarter of 2023, consolidated revenues at Aeffe amounted to 93,243 thousand, a 8.2 percent decrease at current exchange and 8.4 percent at constant exchange rates. The group posted a net loss of 330 thousand euros compared to a net profit of 8,943 thousand euros in the first quarter of 2022, recording a 9,273 thousand euros decrease. In the first quarter, consolidated adjusted EBITDA was positive by 12,304 thousand euros, down compared to 20,443 thousand euros last year. Consolidated EBITDA was positive by 11,518 thousand euros with a margin of 12.4 percent on turnover. Aeffe’s sales performance across core geographies The group’s sales in Italy with an incidence of 45.9 percent on turnover, were constant compared to 2022 at 42,757 thousand euros with the wholesale channel recording a decrease of 4 percent offset by 35 percent increase recorded by the retail channel. Sales in Europe with an incidence on turnover of 29.4 percent, increased 13.1 percent at 27,448 thousand euros. The company said in a release that retail shows an 11 percent decrease mainly linked to the closure of the Moschino boutique in London for the renovation works completed in March 2023. In Asia and the Rest of the World, the group achieved revenues of 17,539 thousand euros, with an incidence on turnover of 18.8 percent. At current exchange rates, sales in America, with an incidence on turnover of 5.9 percent, recorded a decrease by 42.9 percent. Aeffe reports drop in Moschino sales In the first quarter of 2023, Alberta Ferretti brand sales increased by 4 percent, generating 7.8 percent of consolidated sales, while Philosophy brand increased by 17.4 percent, generating 6.5 percent of consolidated sales. In the same period, Moschino brand sales decreased by 13.2 percent contributing to 73.5 percent of consolidated sales. Pollini brand increased by 23.1 percent, generating 11.2 percent of consolidated sales, while the other brands sales decreased by 50.1 percent contributing to 1 percent of consolidated sales. The revenues of the wholesale channel, which represents 71.8 percent of turnover, recorded a decrease of 14.3 percent at current exchange rates. The revenues of the retail channel, which represents 25.7 percent of group sales, showed an increase of 22.5 percent at current exchange rates compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. The company recorded 35 percent retail sales growth in Italy and 91 percent in Asia due to the change in the distribution model in China. The revenues for royalties, which represent 2.5 percent of consolidated turnover, decreased by 39.9 percent compared to the same period of 2022.
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