Dhana, a California-based B Corp. brand, has launched what it bills as the “world’s first circular memory jacket,” one that embodies the wearer’s “story, values and a global movement toward circular fashion,” where no materials are wasted.
Currently available on Kickstarter, the memory jacket is a one-of-a-kind garment that incorporates 10 of the wearer’s favorite clothing items—sentimental concert tees, old Comic-Con costumes, treasured football swag—in the form of a custom lining. The jacket’s water-resistant shell comprises deadstock or castoff fabrics and is “100 percent water- and chemical-free.”
Though Dhana says the garment is built to last, customers are invited to send it back for repairs and—at the end of its life—recycling. It’s all part of encouraging consumers to #WearYourValues, said Shamini Dhana, founder and CEO of Dhana.
The memory jacket, which will be made to order in the United States, is limited edition: only 1,000 will be made for a minimum pledge of $350 apiece. But Dhana intends the garment as a springboard for its upcoming “circular fashion collection,” which it says will address the tenets of the Global Fashion Agenda’s 2020 Circular Fashion System commitment, in particular designing for cyclability, increasing the use of post-consumer recycling textiles and increasing the volume of used garments collected.
To promote longevity over disposability, Dhana also seeks to promote a greater personal connection between people and their clothing. Of the backers who share images and videos of their garments—and the memories they represent—on Instagram with the hashtag #WearYourValues, Dhana will select 300 to display in a “live art experience” in 2020.
“We believe the customer plays an important role in the creation of a garment and that the memories the customer values will have a powerful force to extend the life of their clothing, while also creating more awareness of their social and environmental impact,” Dhana said in a statement. “Dhana is transforming how we empower and engage the customer to wear their values with our circular memory jacket so that collectively, we move from a fast-fashion business model to one that is restorative and regenerative—circular fashion.”
The Kickstarter campaign ends Nov. 6.