Luxury knitwear brand Hania New York is making a formal commitment to reduce waste, recycle materials and extend the life cycle of its products.
The brand recently announced that it would be supporting the Global Fashion Agenda’s 2020 Commitment, which has been signed by 94 of the world’s top footwear and apparel brands.
Hania said in a statement that it has adopted a “Circular Design Model,” and that its pieces are designed to be easily repaired, or disassembled and remade into other garments. Repairs are guaranteed for any purchase, and this year, Hania will launch a re-purposing program that allows consumers to send in used or unwanted Hania pieces to be re-knit into hats for children’s cancer charities.
“I am proud to commit to principles I have been living by my whole life,” said Anya Cole, Hania’s founder and designer. “Growing up under Communism, if I needed something, I made it. Nothing went to waste, so I was practicing sustainability out of necessity.“
Cole founded the brand in 2012 with the intention of using every scrap of the luxe cashmere and silk yarns she employs in her designs. Yarn fragments are used to repair existing garments, secure hang-tags, or to create one-off pieces.
The brand became a Global Fashion Agenda signatory in 2018, and has just released updated goals, including incorporating existing stocks (at least 80 percent) into the creation of new collections and using at least 60 percent mono fibers. Designers will be trained to follow circular, sustainable design principles, and the brand will update its website and hang-tags to include information about how to extend the lifecycle of its products.
“Hania New York believes the sustainability of the future of fashion might just require looking back to how clothing was made, taking care and time,” said Julie Conroy, Hania’s executive director of branding and sustainability.
As Global Fashion Agenda signatories, Adidas, Asos, Gap Inc., H&M, Nike, Target and others will report annually on their progress in implementing supply chain sustainability measures. The initiative’s goal is to create a truly circular economy in the fashion industry through recycling, upcycling, waste reduction and life cycle extension, and each brand will create its own roadmap for change.