Today, sustainable luxury designer Mara Hoffman released her first dress design using Circ® Lyocell, a filament lyocell derived from 50% recycled textile waste. Dubbed “The Dress that Changes Everything,” this collaboration between Mara Hoffman and Circ, the fashion technology company that recycles polycotton textile waste back into new fibers, is the first time Circ Lyocell is being used in the luxury market. The dress also heralds an ongoing partnership as the designer announces her commitment to transitioning to from virgin lyocell to Circ Lyocell in her collections over the next three years.
Image Credit: Circ
As a leader in sustainable and responsible design, Mara Hoffman was the first in the luxury market to openly replace silk with lyocell. This was a pivotal step forward, but one of many—as traditional lyocell uses wood pulp from trees as its main component. Her decision to use a regenerated version of the yarn, made from textile waste diverted from landfill and incineration, is indicative of the industry’s appetite for circularity and further elevates the brand’s commitment to sustainable materials, as well as Hoffman’s pursuit of eco-conscious materials.
As a capsule of 35 gowns in Mara Hoffman's signature poppy color and strappy silhouette, each dress holds industry significance and is independently numbered as a collector's item. True to the designer's New York heritage, the gowns were cut and sewn in New York City, and customers can purchase the gown at the Mara Hoffman store in Soho. The dress features a note from Hoffman on a special sewn-in label created by Circ investor Avery Dennison, a materials science and digital identification solutions company. The Digital Care Label, powered by atma.io connected product cloud, is made of cutting scrap from the dress and contains a QR code individuals can scan to learn about the making of the dress, including its waste footprint. Through the Digital Care Label, Mara Hoffman encourages dress owners to return the garment to the brand's retail store so that it can be sent back to Circ for recycling after its long use.
"In 2015, we made a commitment to make sustainability our framework, and part of that journey has been to connect with like-minded people and organizations," said Mara Hoffman, Founder and Creative Director of her namesake brand. "We first met Circ over five years ago, and to finally get to work with their lyocell, a feat of passion, science, and technology, was amazing. The fabric, which looks and feels like silk, inspired us to want to highlight the duality of the innovation with a more formal design. Our hope is that this collaboration will generate awareness and inspire other brands to make similar commitments to Circ's fiber so we can build a circular fashion industry."
Mara Hoffman, a recipient of the CFDA Environmental Sustainability Award, and Circ, an Earthshot Prize finalist, along with fellow brands, innovators, and supply chain partners throughout the market, share the perspective that we must address the fashion industry’s carbon footprint—which accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions—for people and the planet. Each year, an estimated 46 million tons of polycotton textile waste is landfilled or burned because existing recycling solutions cannot separate the plastic (polyester) from the natural fiber (cotton) and recover both materials.
Circ´s innovative recycling technology is the only platform to successfully separate polycotton blended textile waste and recover both cellulosic and synthetic fibers. Utilizing this technology, Mara Hoffman and Circ have created a garment featuring lyocell made with 50% cellulosic pulp derived from recycled polycotton textile waste and 50% FSC-certified cellulosic pulp.
"We've said for years, 'we have all the clothing we need to make all the clothing we'll ever need,' so this dress, and Mara Hoffman's commitment to converting to Circ Lyocell from recycled textile waste, feels like a deeply significant milestone in the journey towards true circularity," said Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ. "Mara's seal of approval helped to initially elevate lyocell and place it on the map for others in the luxury market. Offtake commitments are what innovators need to move the needle, so as we move forward and take on new partners, there is special alignment in being able to say, 'it began with Mara.'"
“We are excited to be working with leaders like Mara Hoffman and Circ. Avery Dennison believes in the power of digital IDs to unlock traceability and circularity, and this partnership demonstrates that,” said Mike Colarossi, vice president, innovation, product line management and sustainability, Apparel Solutions, Avery Dennison. “It’s going to take partnerships with courageous brands like Mara Hoffman and investments in recycling technologies like Circ that are going to help the apparel industry tackle some of its most challenging issues around traceability and waste. Avery Dennison is committed to acting as a positive force in accelerating the industry towards a more sustainable future, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with our customers and partners to advance their sustainability journeys."