Imagine a world where yesterday’s discarded textiles transform into tomorrow’s high-performance fashion. cycora®’s material achieves this with its innovative molecular regeneration technology, turning end-of-life garments into premium-quality polyester that rivals virgin materials. Backed by testing and adoption by leading brands, cycora® sets a new standard in sustainable fashion while showcasing the power of circularity.
hube: Cycora® represents a significant innovation in sustainable fashion by turning end-of-life textiles into high-performance regenerated polyester. What inspired the development of this material, and how did you overcome the challenges associated with creating a circular polyester that matches the quality of virgin materials?
Nava Esmailizadeh: The inspiration for this journey began with our co-founders, Shay Sethi and Moby Ahmed, during their studies in chemistry and engineering at UC Davis. They were shocked to discover that polyester comprises 54% of all fibre production, while less than 1% of our clothing gets recycled back into clothing today. This realisation struck them as fundamentally illogical: so much creativity and value are poured into clothing, only for it to be discarded and landfilled at the end of its life.
Driven by their scientific backgrounds, Shay and Moby developed a new chemistry capable of breaking down mixed-blend garments and regenerating them into high-quality yarn and fabric. However, the journey was not without challenges.
The first challenge was developing the molecular regeneration technology, which took five years of R&D to achieve lab-scale success. The second challenge was equally difficult – building the infrastructure to collect and divert end-of-life garments from landfills into a circular system. This required not only scientific innovation but also fostering collaboration to ensure these materials could be gathered and transformed, preventing them from going to waste.
Through perseverance and a commitment to circularity, we’ve turned these challenges into opportunities, paving the way for a new era in fashion that honours both the creativity behind clothing and the planet we cherish.
h: Your collaboration with leading fashion brands, including the recent partnership with Inditex, highlights cycora®’s potential to scale. How do you see these partnerships driving the adoption of circular materials across the fashion industry?
NE: For too long, sustainable material innovations have been limited to theory or stuck at lab scale, unable to create real-world impact. But now, we’re entering a new era where these materials can scale and significantly reduce the carbon footprint of clothing production.
Partnerships with leading fashion brands are essential for driving the adoption of circular materials across the industry. By committing to these innovative solutions at scale, brands can help drive a transformative shift in fashion.
Inditex has committed to a significant $75 million contract to utilise cycora® materials at a commercial scale, marking a pivotal moment in our journey. This partnership not only validates our technology but also exemplifies the potential of circular materials to meet the demands of the fashion industry. Additionally, GANNI has recognised cycora® as a key material for their Fabric of the Future program, integrating it into their collections and amplifying our mission further.