YOOX’s Responsible Fashion Award Winner Launches a Plant Alternative to Down
Last year, YOOX and Vogue Italia launched the Vogue YOOX Challenge, a collaborative design challenge focused on supporting the new generation of creatives and creating space for more responsible and sustainable approaches to fashion and design. The challenge's initiative asked participants to create and highlight innovative concepts regarding materials, manufacturing, design, distribution, and beyond. Now, the winners, Saltyco, are releasing a capsule collection with YOOX’s private label 8 by YOOX.
Founded in 2020 by four graduates from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, Saltyco is a materials science company that makes vegan and, as they call it, “planet-positive” textiles from plants that are watered by seawater and grown in dry and salty regions. Their main goals are to create entirely new supply chains in the fashion industry by rethinking all steps in the production of clothing from farming to manufacturing and to preserve freshwaters by using saltwater instead.
The capsule collection was brought to life through a mentoring program awarded the Vogue YOOX Challenge winner along with a cash prize to support the business. The 8 by YOOX powered by Saltyco collection merges both brands’ visions for the present and future of clothes making and conscious shopping.
At the heart of the collection is Saltyco’s innovative Biopuff material, a plant-based fiberfill material, that's grown in wetlands through regenerative agriculture and serves as an environmentally-friendly alternative to animal and petroleum-based materials. Due to its heat-storing cluster structure, Biopuff has one of the warmest weight-to-fill ratios while also being lightweight and water repellent. The lack of man-made chemicals used in Biopuff helps make it biodegradable and easily compostable.
The capsule collection includes a Biopuff blue oversize quilted jacket, matching quilted trousers, bucket hat, an oversized padded tote bag, and a shirt. All pieces are unisex and minimal wardrobe staples, that are specially designed to keep you warm.
The 8 by YOOX powered by Saltyco collection drops on December 2nd on YOOX.com .
