Today is Prinsjesdag, an important day in Dutch politics where the cabinet presents its policy for the coming year. And for the occasion the Dutch Minister of Medical Care and Welfare is wearing a suit made from 100% recycled fabric! The fabric of the suit is in fact composed of post-production cutting waste that has been spun into yarn again, by none other than Upset, and hand woven into fabric by none other than Khaloom! Suit Supply then transformed the fabric into a spectacular suit.
The suit
The suit’s fabric is composed of 65% cotton and 35% silk: Both entirely from cutting waste! Compared to a suit created from brand new materials, this one saves an estimated 5kg of CO2, 300 grams of pesticides, and 6,500 liters of water. That is amazing!
Collaboration throughout the entire textile chain
Collaboration throughout the whole textile chain was set in motion to come to this product: Upset, Khaloom, and Suit Supply. Upset uses a revolutionary technology to recycle cotton and supplied 100% recycled yarns; Khaloom then took those yarns and wove them into fabrics using handlooms; Suit Supply then transformed this fabric into a fabulous circular suit for the Minister.
And Minister Bruins is now giving the circular suit a platform! During the Dutch trade mission to India this Spring, Minister Bruins was inspired by Enviu’s innovative textile entrepreneurs. He got to know Pals Brust, former CEO of C&A Benelux and now the CEO of Upset, and they agreed to produce a circular suit for Prinsjesdag. Where Minister Sigrid Kaag made a statement with her circular red dress (also made possible by Upset and Khaloom, together with Ronald van der Kemp), Minister Bruno Bruins also took the opportunity to showcase that sustainable and circular clothing is possible.
Pals Brust himself says it best when emphasizing that the Minister’s suit demonstrates that technological innovation and cooperation is a necessity to bring about positive change.
Part of a bigger story
Upset and Khaloom are both world changing companies part of Enviu’s circular textile program: Reweave. A disruptive business intervention strategy causing change throughout the textile industry by building multiple disruptive social ventures that together realize a circular chain. Starting at the heart of the industry: India, world’s second largest producer of textile.
The 100% recycled yarns and fabrics are of course also available for other textile companies. This means that all textile companies will be able to produce 100% circular clothing. By initiating this circular chain we hope to speed up the sustainable transformation of the textile sector!