It was recently announced that sustainable fashion startup Orange Fiber’s eco-friendly collection was chosen by H&M to go on sale online at hm.com and in selected stores. Described as the “most anticipated collection” by H&M, the joint venture was driven by the need to reinvent fashion in a greener way.
Sustainable Fabrics for Fashion
It is no secret that Orange Fiber has come up with a way of creating sustainable fabric obtained from the by-products of the industrial pressing of citrus fruits. This innovative patented process was developed to potentially allow for the transformation of the over 700,000 tons of by-product that the citrus processing industry produces every year only in Italy. The innovative process was patented in Italy in 2013 and extended to international PCT the following year.
The Italian company’s collaboration with the Swedish brand first came about after they won the Global Change Award in 2015, an annual initiative promoted by the H&M Foundation, that researches and supports innovative projects capable of making the fashion industry more sustainable. For H&M’s Conscious Exclusive Collection they have come up with a luxurious corset top featuring a Bardot neckline that has been made with a cellulose fabric similar to silk — but entirely obtained.
Launched once a year by H&M, the Conscious Exclusive is a unique collection that celebrates nature and sustainability, with particular attention to innovation and sustainable materials. On the partnership Enrica Arena, Co-Founder of Orange Fiber, comments: “The inclusion of Orange Fiber in the Conscious Exclusive 2019 is an opportunity for us to test the potential of our fabrics – enhanced by the creativity and design that distinguish the H&M brand – and help spread a new sensibility in the fashion world towards choice of materials, sustainable and innovative.”
ALSO READ: 7 Ethical Fashion Tech-Infused Activewear Brands Worth Saving Your Pennies For
So what is next for
Founding editor-in-chief of FashNerd.com, Muchaneta is currently one of the leading influencers writing about the merger of fashion with technology and wearable technology. She has also given talks at Premiere Vision, Munich Fabric Start and Pure London, to name a few. Besides working as a fashion innovation consultant for various fashion companies like LVMH Atelier, Muchaneta has also contributed to Vogue Business, is a senior contributor at The Interline and an associate lecturer at London College of Fashion, UAL.