Three partners, Lenzing, Södra and Riopele, have joined to create a new textile made from recycled and sustainably produced materials for the Swedish fashion brand Filippa K for its s/s 2024 collection, which will be presented to the fashion world this autumn. 

The Lenzing Group, a global supplier of specialty fibers, Södra, a leading pulp producer and the largest forest owners association in Sweden with 51,000 family forest owners as members, together with the Portuguese fabric manufacturer Riopele, have started this strategic partnership to promote circularity in fashion. 

This new project is launching the first fashion collection worldwide to contain Tencel x Refibra lyocell fibers based on the further developed OnceMore brand pulp. 

OnceMore pulp, which was jointly developed further by Lenzing and Södra, is the world’s first process for large-scale recycling of textile waste from blended fabrics. 

Using the Refibra technology, Lenzing produces lyocell fibers from it in a closed-loop manufacturing process. With Riopele’s expertise in yarn and fabric production, the sustainably produced pilot fibers are subsequently turned into fashionable fabrics that Filippa K uses in the collection. 

"We are very excited to be the first brand to develop products based on OnceMore pulp and Lenzing's Refibra technology, supported by Riopele's creative expertise in yarn and fabric production. Collaboration is an essential step in the sustainable transformation of the industry. For us at Filippa K, it's important to align ourselves with like-minded partners who are innovators in their respective fields,” said Jodi Everding, vice president of sustainability at Filippa K.

"Our goal is to always create a better product than the alternatives and generate as much value as possible throughout the value chain from the forests of our 51,000 member farms. This world-class collaboration is an important step in achieving this goal and further challenging mixed fiber waste to create a circular textile system,” added Lotta Lyrå, CEO, Södra.

"One company alone cannot solve the pressing problem of textile waste. It's proactive partnerships like this that allow us to move forward and create real systemic change. We are working hard to make our industries even more sustainable and to drive the transformation of the textile business model from linear to circular production. For this transformation to happen, further efforts from the entire industry are needed,”  commented Robert van de Kerkhof, chief commercial officer fiber, Lenzing Group.

"At Riopele, through innovation and creativity, we are able to transform a new fiber into a sustainable, differentiating fabric with outstanding quality. This collaboration shows how companies from different backgrounds can work together to create a circular future. With this pioneering project, we are setting an example of how fashion can be made with respect for people and the planet,” José Alexandre Oliveira, chairman of the board of directors, Riopele.