Sustainable Materials: FLWRDWN
Traditional material supply from manufacturers to brands and retailers is not determined by what consumers and designers need or want, but rather by what textile mills and manufacturers choose to develop, or even more randomly, what has trickled down from military and other industrial material developments. As such, sustainable design innovation on a large scale basis has lagged behind technological advancement for decades.
So how does an eco-conscious consumer grapple with this? Winter calls for heavy materials, and puffer coats are often filled with either traditional goose down, while vegan alternatives are typically produced using synthetic petroleum-based fibers like polyester. Enter, Pangaia.
Photo: Courtesy of Pangaia
The science-backed line which launched last year seeks to address this technological gap with their latest release: FLWRDWN, a capsule of puffers filled with natural wildflowers. It’s a rare sustainable solution that’s neither cruel to animals nor to the planet; in addition to being ultra-warm, fluffy, and hypoallergenic, the “flower down” is 100% biodegradable.
What sets Pangaia apart from its competitors is a mandated commitment to sustainable innovation and progress. As a hybrid company, its goal is to coalesce material science through research and development with tangible products that demonstrate its textile prowess via its own-brand fashion collections. Instead of developing exclusive, proprietary materials and products, the company essentially functions as an open-source platform, working with scientists and innovators around the world to make sustainable solutions available to everyone.
Photo: Courtesy of Pangaia
FLWRDWN is arguably Pangaia’s most popular product/solution thus far, but it also follows the brand’s quiet release of a number of products over the past year. Recycled-cotton sweats, seaweed-fiber T-shirts, and botanical-dyed basics all echo the company’s philosophy of ‘high-tech naturalism’ which emphasizes sustainable solutions that are based on pre-existing elements of the natural world.
More FLWRDWN products will likely be released in 2020, for now, shop the first capsule here.
Cody Rooney is a Glossi mag contributor.
He is a photography aficionado, masters candidate, fashion enthusiast, avid Ariana Grande fan and lover of all things aesthetically pleasing.
