Fashion District at London College of Fashion, UAL, a hub for fashion innovation in East London, connecting fashion, technology, business and education, has announced 11 innovative start-ups on the shortlist for its Innovation Challenge Prize: Manufacturing Futures accolade.
The annual award is aimed at challenging pressing industry issues and supporting emerging innovations and SMEs with a focus on seeking technological and sustainable solutions capable of tackling the complex challenges facing fashion manufacturing, including materials innovation, digital innovation, manufacturing processes, waste management, supply-chain and logistics, transparency and traceability, circular economy, and end-of-use.
This year’s shortlist includes companies producing revolutionary plant-based dyes, industrial water recycling systems, new materials, such as plant-based feathers and a fully biobased, seaweed-derived elastomer for stretch textiles, as well as solutions to treat textile waste.
The shortlisted start-ups are: Brilliant Dyes, developing scalable, sustainable natural dyes from algae; Circle-8, building the infrastructure that makes textile-to-textile recycling viable at scale; Danu Water, developing industrial water recycling systems to enable on-site water re-use; Dye Recycle, transforming fabric waste into high-performing materials; and Fevvers, producing plant-based feathers for luxury fashion and design.
Alongside Grouse Fibre, which is developing next-generation protein-based fibres; Infinity Blue, which turns discarded denim waste into a reusable dye source; PulpaTronics, developing fully-recyclable and metal-free RFID tags for inventory management; Solena Materials, engineering entirely new AI-designed, protein-based fibres for high-performance and luxury textiles; Süss Fabrics, which is turning fabric waste into eco-friendly paper; and Tera Mira, developing a fully biobased, seaweed-derived elastomer for stretch textiles.
Each business will pitch the Manufacturing Futures judging panel with the chance to win 15,000 pounds and a package of support to accelerate the impact of their novel solution within the fashion industry. Additionally, two runners-up will each receive a prize of 5,000 pounds.
Helen Lax, founder of Fashion District, said in a statement: “The breadth of thinking and level of innovation we’ve seen this year is exceptional. These businesses are not only responding to the toughest challenges facing the fashion industry today, they are actively shaping its future.”
The shortlist was chosen by the Manufacturing Futures judging panel, featuring Adam Mansell, CEO at UKFT, Georgia Parker, innovation director at Fashion For Good, Lauren Bartley, sustainability innovation manager at Ganni, Philly Grogan, sustainability manager at Nobody’s Child, and Matthew Drinkwater, head of Fashion Innovation Agency, UAL: London College of Fashion.