Eco-conscious product development hits a new high in Fall ‘21 in styles that feature responsible materials and manufacturing. Biodegradability, ocean plastics recycling and regenerative practices are now boxes to check in today’s advancement of circularity and a climate-positive approach to textile innovation. Here, we highlight a trio of stand out introductions for F/W21 that raise the sustainability bar.

The Finisterre BioSmock is a clean insulation layer, which can be worn as part of a layer system, or work on its own as a shell. The garment features PrimaLoft BIO technology combined with HD Wool Active Insulation with an outer shell made with new PrimaLoft BIO woven technology, a PFC-free synthetic material produced by Amaterrace of Japan that is biodegradable in both land and marine environments. HD Wool Active Insulation uses a blend of non-Merino wool known for its greater physical durability and is sourced from farmers who have started the ReGenerative Agricultural process.

The Patagonia men’s DownDrift jacket is the next chapter in the company’s NetPlus story. The outerwear features NetPlus fabric made from discarded fishing nets that brand partner Bureo collects off the coast of South America and repurposes into a 100 percent recycled nylon material that is weather resistant with a PFC-free DWR finish. Insulated with 600 fill Recycled Down (duck and goose down reclaimed from down products) the DownDrift is also Fair Trade certified. NetPlus now features in a full outerwear collection for men and women for Fall 2021.

‍Fjallraven pushes the eco envelope in the newest iteration of the iconic Kanken style with the intro of the Tree-Kanken, a backpack made from a new, 100 percent plant-based fabric for Fall 2021 delivery. Called Pine Weave, the textile is derived from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) blend of spruce and fir tree fibers. Along with using Bluesign approved dyes, the PineWeave manufacturing uses 65 percent less water, 40 percent less energy and 50 percent less chemicals to create a sustainable functional material. An important differentiator in this Fjallraven development is that the Tree-Kanken represents a large volume projection for PineWeave and an eco-first fabric targeted to a mainstream audience.