Danish made-to-order and B Corp certified fashion-tech brand Son of a Tailor continues to push innovation, this week with the launch of the Graphite Sweatshirt, using g_pwdr in the dyeing process. The latter is a patented innovation by fellow B Corp Alisea srl SB and co-patented by Italian studio WRÅD. It’s comprised of 50% recycled graphite powder — a byproduct from the production of electrodes for the aerospace industry — modified and enhanced using a patented method. The remaining composition includes 45% water and 5% of a binding agent. For every square metre of fabric, approximately 18-20 grams of recycled graphite are reclaimed. The sweatshirt is constructed from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton at Son of a Tailor’s own production site SON Supply in Portugal.
Kay Litzinger, Senior Communications Manager, how did you come across g_pwdr?
— When we started exploring collaboration opportunities, it became clear very quickly that considering our business model and overall concept, the ideal partner would be complementary to our supply chain. We have been following WRÅD’s work for some time as the team shares our focus on tech, innovation, and reducing waste. Besides their work on g_pwdr, they, for example, produced a documentary on waste in the clothing industry which is available on Sky Italia.
Can you take us through the development process?
— It was very collaborative with WRÅD leading the production and dyeing of the fabric in Italy, and us leading the construction of the garments at our production facility SON Supply in Portugal. As we produce custom-fit clothing, the main challenge was to guarantee the perfect fit of the final product. Every fabric behaves differently so our supply chain teams worked closely together to conduct all tests necessary to make sure that each produced garment would match the patterns.
Jess Fleischer, co-founder and CEO, what other material innovations are you looking at and are curious about now?
— Material innovations as such are not currently a priority at Son of a Tailor. Not because we don’t find this area important but because we’re in the middle of an exciting new project that takes most of our attention — we’re opening our very first store in the center of Copenhagen. As an online-only, made-to-order brand this is a huge step for us. We can’t share much about it yet but I can say that the shopping experience will be very unique and include some fascinating tech.
You are a strong sustainability voice in the Nordic fashion industry. What are the main keys in order to create a more sustainable industry in 2024? Can the Nordics serve as a good example here?
— The key focus area from my point of view is lowering consumption per capita. Over the recent years, the consumption of clothing has gone through the roof, making it a main pollution driver. An effective way to address this would be taxes on consumption. Of course, this should target the most polluting business models and garments, so the approach needs to be nuanced. However, speed is also crucial so we must not let ’perfect get in the way of better’. The Nordics seem to be more agile when it comes to many government matters related to sustainability but our track record isn’t amazing either so yes, we can and should lead by example, Fleischer states.