Our Choice Circular Fashion continues to progress

What satisfaction have you obtained since the start of your adventure ?
We’ve received an incredibly warm welcome from the ecosystem, business landscape and community in Luxembourg and the Greater Region but also globally. Following the launch in November 2020 we have received requests from wide and far. For example, I’m humbled and honored to be dubbed a Social Impact Hero by Thrive Global and Circular Economy Pioneer by Fashion United in the UK. We are all about social and environmental impact, so I’d say the greatest satisfaction has been hearing from a few schoolteachers around the world who have brought in our campaign and circular economy into their classrooms. I’ve read through comments from 10-12-year-olds about why circular economy is good and what’s nice about the idea behind our sneakers. Buying one pair of our sneakers will save 14kgs of CO2 emissions annually but as we are now reaching a broad audience, educating young people and changing their consumption habits our impact in the end is so much bigger.

What were the results of your first fundraising campaign ?
We raised €24.230, reaching our funding goal with 563% ! We are about to manufacture 250 pairs of sneakers in Portugal and even though the pandemic has hit the country hard we’re very positive and hope to see circular sneakers on all our backers and supporters very soon !

We decided to launch a second crowdfunding campaign as we’re looking to continue making an impact with our business models and sneakers. We chose the Ulule portal as it’s grounded in its sustainable focus but also a well-known crowdfunding platform in France. We wanted to open the door to a French-speaking market while at the same time provide a call-to-action to everyone who is following our journey via social media. While the campaign is live in a time which is still very affected by the pandemic, we are working day and night to build our e-commerce platform which, we can assure you, will be a surprise.

Did you make any improvements to the models ?
Yes ! As we have enjoyed months of training with the Circular By Design Challenge hosted by Luxinnovation, we have been rigorously improving both design and raw materials. All sneakers will be equipped with QR codes for consumers to trace the materials and our circular supply chain as well as book repair and care packages. Adding on, we have a new supplier of waxed hemp thread that will ensure longevity of the construction.

Where do your customers come from ?
We have customers from 24 different countries. We are thrilled to be based at the University of Luxembourg Incubator and to have our major audience in Luxembourg and the greater region. We also have a big following in the US and Scandinavia. We have also sold sneakers in Australia, Israel, Costa Rica and Saudi Arabia to mention a few. Launching on a crowdfunding platform was very much shaped by the current situation but we couldn’t be happier looking with the result. The visibility from all different countries have given us great feedback on different continents. As an example, we are now partnering up with Sustainable Fashion Week US in collaboration with Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where we are hosting a contest and panel for young and upcoming sustainable designers.

What are their demands ?
Our supporters are looking to return to a unique and personal relationship with their fashion items. As the average lifetime of normal sneakers is 3-18 months, it is impossible to do so with other brands on the market while our sneakers can last them many years. Our customers are sick of greenwashing and unsubstantiated claims from brands. Instead, they seek connection and education in the field of circular economy which we can provide. Our backers appreciate transparency and traceability, which is why we decided to focus even more on displaying it. Our raw materials and manufacturing process have always been official but the QR codes inside the sneakers will make our circular supply chain even more accessible. We are super happy to have such an aware and conscious crowd of followers, as we really need to be spreading the word about what circular economy and responsible production and consumption really is. People want to do good but many brands out there are promoting credentials they do not have. Together, we are the antidote to greenwashing.

Interview by Sébastien Yernaux with Our Choice Circular Fashion
Thanks to Ielizaveta SHLIAKHOVA (Université du Luxembourg)
Photos : Our Choice Circular Fashion