In recent years, the nature of the fashion industry has become more and more problematic. Large businesses flood the market with high volumes of low quality products with short lifespans. As a result, fashion is now the second most environmentally damaging industry in the world, surpassed only by the oil industry.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 15.1 million tonnes of textile waste was generated in 2013, with the average person discarding 82 pounds every year. Ki Made, a contemporary athletic leisurewear brand based in Toronto, Canada, has developed a built-to-last MOD system as an alternative solution to the problem of fast fashion.

The company has launched its MOD system on Kickstarter, with a goal of raising US$ 3,000 to bring modular clothing to market. “As the world’s first modular clothing system, MOD is an award-winning convertible tracksuit collection that features multiple variations of modular top and pant sets,” the company explains. MOD uses premium technical fabrics, along with zipper attachments, to create a uniquely customisable experience and puts the user in control of the design.

The MOD system is a recipient of the 2016 Kimel Family Campus Linked Accelerator award, a semi-finalist in the EPIC Canada Business Model Canvas competition, a current member of the Design and Fabrication Zone at Ryerson University, and a graduate of both the City of Toronto Starter Company Grant programme and the Fashion Zone incubator. “MOD has been recognised as a one-of-a-kind solution that promotes quality, creativity, functionality, and sustainability,” the company reports.

MOD system

The brand’s modular system aims to provide an effective solution that delivers comfort, aesthetics, creativity, durability, efficiency, and convenience. “Most importantly, it offers a way to involve the user in the design process, an experience that is not offered by other competitive products,” says the manufacturer.

The MOD system uses a specially treated polyester fabric that is infused with Chitosan, a natural, hypoallergenic polymer derived from the shells of crustaceans. Chitosan is said to provide lab proven anti-microbial and anti-odour properties. Additional qualities of the fabric include SPF50 protection, advanced breathability, anti-static properties, four-way stretchability, and enhanced moisture wicking.

“Ki designs and manufactures the MOD system out of a facility in Toronto, Canada, at which the highest of social, ethical, and environmental standards are upheld. As an eco-conscious company, Ki prides itself in using Chitosan, as it is one of the only treatments that is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency,” the company reports.

Made for convenience

MOD is a low-maintenance system. Wrinkle-resistant and machine-washable, it is perfect for busy travellers and explorers. With compatible hardware, MOD components are interchangeable between systems and generations, allowing users to collect and create their own unique modules.

MOD uses custom YKK zippers to allow users to change the setting of their clothing instantly, with the top set easily changing from a no-sleeve core, to a short sleeve, to a long sleeve, and the bottom set changing from pants to shorts. Although the thought of using hardware like zippers at the shoulders and knees may seem uncomfortable, MOD uses a double-layer cover design that allows the user to reveal or conceal the zipper on the outside, while protecting users from feeling the zipper on skin on the inside.

KI is a contemporary athletic leisurewear brand based in Toronto, Canada that puts fashion, innovation, and sustainability at the forefront. They are the makers of the award-winning MOD system, the world’s first modular track suit. Founded in 2016, Kelvin Li, Alice Chun, and Dylan Griese, with respective degrees in business, fashion communications, and economics, lead the team. As architects of functional aesthetics, the team wanted to create a new way for users to interact with their clothes, starting a system that brings modularity to apparel.

www.kimadelab.com