It just became easier for fashion designers to find materials they know are healthier for people and the planet.
The Fashion Positive Materials Collection, a digital resource comprising 39 materials that are Cradle to Cradle certified or have received a Material Health Certificate, debuted Thursday.
“For many brands, designers and suppliers, it’s a long journey to circular fashion. Fashion Positive meets our members wherever they are on that path and provides the leadership, the vision and methodology to assist our partners in the transition to circularity. The Materials Collection is a big step in that direction,” Lewis Perkins, president of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, said. “Materials are also assessed against our standard, so not only are they potentially circular, they are also making a positive impact right now.”
The collection spans fabrics and yarns to buttons, labels and elastic, as well as dyes. Thirty-two are Cradle to Cradle certified, meaning that each has been assessed and improved based on material health and reuse, renewable energy, water stewardship and social fairness. Seven have received a Material Health Certificate, which at higher levels of certification ensures they’re suitable for circular design.
Each entry in the digital library includes information on sizes, weights, colors, up-to-date stock and a range of other specifications. Among the certified materials are Lauffenmühle’s Infinito toolkit, DyStar dyes and Maiyet’s Fair cashmere.
“Being a part of Fashion Positive’s materials collection is huge for us. The assessment process was thorough and incredibly rigorous, which is why we’re proud that our dyes received a Material Health Certificate at the gold level,” offered Fanny Vermandel, vice president of global marketing coloration at DyStar, which in May became the first textile dye company to earn Cradle to Cradle Material Health at the gold level.
Visit fashionpositive.org for more information about the materials collection.