Closer partnerships between material innovators and brands will help ensure development of products that meet the expected needs and standards of the industry while providing a more equitable sharing of resources and expertise, both financial and in-kind, says a new primer for the fashion industry on biomaterial innovations co-authored by Biofabricate and Fashion for Good.
This report provides the first comprehensive review of biomaterial technologies for fashion by collating key learnings and insights from leading industry experts from both biotechnology and fashion.
Where brands do not have specific technical expertise in house, they need to assist innovator partners with access to key supply chain associates, supporting those relationships throughout, it recommended.
The report recommends the fashion industry should move to align on language as relates to bio innovations for the benefit of brands, innovators, investors and ultimately consumers.
It also suggests the use of process diagrams to understand different biomaterial innovations and to enable transparency, discussion and comparison in a world of confusion and misinformation.
As more materials come to market there will be a need for increased communication efforts to help customers understand the different purchasing choices available and their potential impacts. Where and how further standards and guidelines might be required for emerging biomaterial categories will likely be an ongoing conversation for the fashion industry, it adds.
The report recognises that two key concerns arise in discussion of biomaterials: use and treatment of genetically-modified organisms and end of use
