The RISE Worldwide IMPACT HUB - presented by The WoolMark Company - is a platform that brings to the forefront the latest innovations, ideas and processes making fashion more sustainable and circular. From waste management to packaging solutions to business models, every step of the value chain is brimming with potential when it comes to contributing to the quest for sustainability. For this inaugural edition, we conceptualised a showcase of six organisations that are harnessing this potential to great effect.

RISE Worldwide Impact Hub at Lakme Fashion Week

RISE Worldwide Impact Hub at Lakme Fashion Week

RISE Worldwide Impact Hub at Lakme Fashion Week

Humanity Centred Designs

Humanity Centred Designs is a material innovation hub that transforms textile waste from micro & small scale apparel manufacturing enterprises into recycled textile materials. They have designed and developed a circular recycling framework that currently helps and supports more than 150 apparel manufacturing MSMEs in sustainably transforming and recycling textile waste. 

One of the outcomes of this framework has been the innovative recycled textile material termed as HCD-Tex™ (Humanity Centred Designs-Textile). Recycled from mixed pre-consumer textile waste, it is a highly durable and flexible material with numerous potential applications in fashion as well as the lifestyle accessories space. Its patent application is currently under process and it has been recognised by the United Nations, UNEP and numerous other organisations.

Humanity Centred Designs @ RISE Worldwide Impact Hub. Lakme Fashion Week

Humanity Centred Designs @ RISE Worldwide Impact Hub. Lakme Fashion Week

Relove

Relove is a technology that enables brands to run their own thrift shops. 

A business model innovation that's making fashion brands sit up and take notice, Relove has built the technology that allows brands to deploy a peer-to-peer resale platform right on their Shopify stores. And that's not all. Relove also manages the entire peer-to-peer resale process end-to-end. That covers everything from technology integration and listing approvals to shipping, communication, customer care and traceability.

So what makes Relove a gamechanger in the sustainable fashion space? 

9 billion pieces of clothing are lying idle in our closets. And every time a garment is resold, it saves 5 kgs of CO2 and thousands of litres of water. Put those two things together and you're looking at a significant step towards making fashion circular - a step that's completely trackable and measurable.

Relove @ RISE Worldwide Impact Hub. Lakme Fashion Week

Craste

India produces 500 million tonnes of crop residue every year. Around 16% of it ends up being burnt, leading to the release of 150 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. 

Craste works towards efficient crop waste management by converting it into solutions for packaging and furniture applications. 100% eco-friendly and locally produced, Craste's in-house processes generate pulp and paper for packaging as well as engineering boards for furniture applications - all from crop residue. 

Apart from crop residue-based sustainable packaging solutions, Craste also has a more direct impact on fashion. Every year, 92 million tons of textile-related waste make their way to landfills. Craste's technology can convert this textile waste into 100% recyclable packaging material too, thus adding a whole new dimension of circularity to the fashion ecosystem.

Craste @ RISE Worldwide Impact Hub. Lakme Fashion Week

Fleather by Phool

Phool made a splash in the circular economy landscape a few years ago when they began transforming floral waste from temples into charcoal-free incense and biodegradable packaging material. Today, they have taken things to the next level with Fleather - an animal-free alternative to leather that’s also made from temple flower waste.

Based on the principles of Biomimicry and Cyclicity, Fleather is a breakthrough material that performs like - and has the aesthetics of - leather. But it is non-animal and non-plastic. Fleather is biodegradable too and can be composted at the end of its life. 

The journey of Fleather begins with nutritional extract from flowers being fed to microbes. As they grow, sheets of Fleather start taking shape. They are tanned and dyed with natural plant-based extracts to obtain the final product. 

Due to the tunability of Fleather’s properties, it can be utilised for a wide range of applications such as garments, handbags, wallets, watch straps, accessories, upholstery, etc.

Fleather by Phool @ RISE Worldwide Impact Hub. Lakme Fashion Week

200 Million Artisans

200 Million Artisans are an impact-first ecosystem enabler championing India’s artisan economy. They partner with organisations to generate insight, inform strategy, and inspire action that will benefit the 200 million-strong community directly or indirectly dependent on craft for livelihood.

Some of their key areas of focus include:

Research: Building evidence for the artisan sector to address information asymmetries, direct investment, and influence policy decisions. This includes drafting flagship reports featuring insights and stories presented through a digital-first approach.

Investment: Mapping investment needs of India’s craft-based enterprises with the goal to inform investment in the artisan economy globally.

Collaborations: Driving radical collaborations to bridge gaps in knowledge, resources and partnerships. This includes diverse initiatives like fundraising for artisans during Covid-19, enabling market access for craft enterprises, and offering scholarships to first-time creative and social entrepreneurs.

 200 Million Artisans @ RISE Worldwide Impact Hub. Lakme Fashion Week