Fashion for Good accelerator selects startups to boost sustainability in clothing industry
The Amsterdam organisation and museum dedicated to sustainable fashion has chosen 14 innovators for its accelerator programme.
Fashion for Good startup accelerator supports innovations in sustainability
Fashion for Good, the world’s first museum dedicated to sustainable style innovation, has selected 14 startups for its accelerator programme in Amsterdam. This 8th group will receive mentoring, guidance and industry expertise over nine months to scale technologies that will help reduce the carbon footprint of the clothing industry.
The chosen firms come from the US, UK, Germany and France and include the highest number of women-led startups selected so far, with six of the innovators founded or co-founded by women. Innovations include a digital textile dyeing process that reduces wastewater and energy use, a gamified retail experience to reduce (air) travel and returns, and a leather alternative made from garden and park waste.
Announcing the newcomers, Fashion for Good’s managing director Katrin Ley said: “The world needs innovation to lead the vanguard on positive, long-term climate action and sustainability – the case for supporting innovative startups such as these who are driving the change, is looking stronger than ever,”
Amsterdam’s sustainable style scene
The Dutch capital is home to more than 100 fashion houses, many of which reuse, recycle and upcycle existing materials. It also serves as a great launch pad for fashion innovation.
Students at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute follow a curriculum centred on sustainability, making sure the next generation of professionals shaping the sector employ green practises.
The city’s focus on sustainability is resonating globally. Couture designer Ronald Van der Kemp transforms deadstock fabrics and old textiles into high-end clothing seen on Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga and other celebrities. Major labels present in the city are also advocating environmentally-sound practices, including outdoor brand Patagonia, which says its primary mission is saving the planet, and Tommy Hilfiger, which runs an annual impact challenge to support socially-minded fashion entrepreneurs.