Virtual influencer Imma.Gram has been signed up to promote a new line of sustainable clothing created by Finnish design house Marimekko.
The label has been using partly regenerated fibres from cutting waste and other leftover materials generated in Marimekko’s production in a closed-loop circular economy initiative to reduce waste and boost its value chain.
While the three-piece capsule collection won’t be released for sale until next year, the first iteration – a Unikko-printed hoodie – has made its debut on Imma.Gram and will premiere as a digital garment on Marimekko’s 3D avatar ‘Mari’ on the brand’s ‘immersive flower field’ inside the metaverse platform Decentraland. The launch was released at the start-up and technology event Slush in Helsinki.
“At Marimekko, we believe that, in the future, timeless and sustainable products will be made in balance with the environment, in line with the principles of the circular economy,” said Rebekka Bay, creative director at Marimekko.
“Our upcoming capsule collection partly using regenerated fibre from the closed loop is an example of our long-term work towards achieving this goal. Through our material strategy including investing in new material innovations, our long-term ambition is to move towards fully circular materials that can be recycled several times without a decline in the quality or durability of the fibre,” said Bay.
Marimekko’s pilot project has been created in collaboration with Portuguese textile manufacturer Pedrosa & Rodrigues which has been working to develop closed-loop innovations for several years, aiming to find ways to reduce the environmental impact of textile production. The clothing will comprise a minimum of 20 per cent of regenerated fibres, with the balance being virgin cotton.
This is not the first sustainability initiative launched by Marimekko. The company had previously launched a resale marketplace – Marimekko Pre-loved – in Finland, and released the first joint commercial capsule collection with sustainable fibre company Spinnova, featuring styles made from a denim-like material blend consisting of approximately 20 per cent wood-based Spinnova fibre.
Marimekko says it aims to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of textile materials by 20 per cent and its water scarcity score by 50 per cent per kilogram of sourced textiles by the end of 2025 and even more by 2030.
