Sustainable luxury designer Mara Hoffman has unveiled her first gown using Circ Lyocell – a filament lyocell derived from 50% recycled polycotton textile waste – and has committed to incorporating the new fibre into her collections for the next three years.

The 35 gowns in the capsule collection are independently numbered and were cut and sewn in New York. They feature a note from Hoffman on a special sewn-in label created by Circ investor Avery Dennison. The Digital Care Label, powered by atma.io, is made of cutting scraps from the creation of the gown and contains a QR code purchasers can scan to learn about its manufacture and waste footprint. Through the 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 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 organisations,” said Hoffman. “We first met Circ over five years ago, and the fabric made with Circ Lyocell looks and feels like silk. This inspired us 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 fibre.”

Each year, an estimated 46 million tons of polycotton textile waste is landfilled or burned because until now, recycling solutions could not separate the plastic (polyester) from the natural fibre (cotton) and recover both materials.

Circ’s recycling technology achieves this.

“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 feels like a deeply significant milestone in the journey towards true circularity,” said Peter Majeranowski, Circ CEO. “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’.”

www.circ.earth