Future Fabrics Virtual Expo - Digital & Sustainable

normal schedule for Studio 104’s product development team would involve meeting with mills to see the latest collections, visits to factories to discuss pattern development and regularly attending fabric fairs in London and further afield. Fabric Fairs are crucial to what we do at Studio 104 creating bespoke uniforms for our clients. They allow us to build our relationships with our suppliers and discover new ones whilst keeping up with the latest trends and advances in the industry. This year the schedule was disrupted by the pandemic, therefore the industry took a step back to see how it could evolve to suit the current situation.

The Sustainable Angle did this by going digital earlier in the month, launching The Future Fabrics Virtual Expo. A specially curated week of resources and talks, with open access to their digital archive.  The Expo is a not-for-profit organisation that initiates and supports sustainable projects within fashion and the related industries, a core focus for Studio 104. Acting as a hub for fashion designers and product developers seeking out sustainable fibres across the global market and displaying a diverse overview of high-quality sustainable fabrics -from organic cotton denim and man-made cellulosic to low impact wool and much more.

The Studio 104 team was delighted to virtually attend and learn more about sustainable and eco responsible fabrics that are at the cutting edge of innovation, continuing to expand their knowledge in the area. As this growing trend is key to our clients, we are proud to be one of Marriott International's like-minded suppliers, committed to integrating leading environmental and social practices into their supply chain.

Our product development team strives for ethical sourcing and sustainable manufacturing to bring our bespoke hospitality and luxury retail uniform designs to life. We always use first class materials and processes developed by responsible manufacturers and suppliers, such as heritage wools, as seen for Gleneagles and The Fife Arms, each using Tartan and Tweed made in Scotland.

The Expo highlighted some of the futures cutting edge developments. New biodegradable textiles are being created using natural by-products; a silk derived from Indian rose petals, a waterproof fabric originating from seaweed and algae or a durable leather alternative from pineapple leaves.

These fabrics are in clear response to the impact fashion has on our resources and the waste it produces, which sees millions of garments ending up in landfill every year. This, along with the rise of veganism across the globe has also led to a rapid increase in interest for cruelty-free, plant-based fibres being produced.

Whilst we might not be making uniforms out of algae just yet, we learnt lots about responsible cellulose fabrics such as viscose and lyocell. Produced on a closed loop spinning process, with minimal impact on the environment and significant reduction of water and energy, we can almost imagine them now as a gorgeous, draped hostess dress!

Sustainability is at the centre of Studio 104’s focus when creating new uniform for our ethically and ecologically conscious clients. Every step of our uniform creation has been considered in order to achieve a first class sustainable approach, and is constantly refined with the latest initiatives, processes and materials. To learn more about how we value sustainable design, responsible sourcing, reduced transport, ethical manufacture, smart quantity, conscious packaging, and long-life garment usage, head to our Sustainability page.

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Written by Bethan