How can more sustainable choices be made when purchasing water repellent clothing?

Through the process of research and design development we came to conclusion that the current process of waterproofing textiles is unsustainable with the chemical coating techniques used to layer the fabric. There is not yet a concrete solution to replace these chemical coatings, and therefore we decided to pursue a natural waxing technique as an sustainable alternative.

All of the garment materials, including the base fabric, the trims and the lining is made from post-consumer PET waste, upcycled into new materials. Our aim was to focus on the circular economy and consider every step of the product’s life cycle, including the end of life. The product itself is designed to fulfill multiple needs by offering a coat that has customizable functions with versatile add-on products for different scenarios. We found the most it important aspects in the design of our raincoat were durability and multi-functionality. We strive to educate the fashion customer about the impact of their garment that will hopefully result in consumer behavioral change to build towards a more sustainable fashion industry.