The process started with a miserable bike ride in the rain and ended with a new company, Labo Mono, and development of its first product: the Urban Jacket.
London-based designer Ali Namdari sought out a fashionable and useful jacket after being caught in a rainstorm while biking home. With no luck finding this combination, he decided to make his own. The idea for bold prints on a jacket that can be worn socially as well as functionally repel rain has hit home with followers on the Kickstarter campaign, which has raised more than twice the original goal.
It’s not just the colorful, stand-out look that has appealed to backers, but also the goal to produce the Urban Jacket with ethical manufacturing practices and sustainable materials.
Related: Everlane introduces long-lasting outerwear made from recycled water bottles
With this in mind, Labo Mono incorporates over 30 recycled plastic bottles into each jacket. The company notes that this not only provides a second life for water bottle waste, but also significantly reduces water, energy and carbon dioxide emissions during production. Labo Mono also set out to find an alternative to the traditional waterproofing material known as PFC (perfluorinated chemicals) that endangers water, humans and wildlife.
The goal was to offer a trendy option coupled with functional design, so the Urban Jacket features high waterproof protection, discreet armpit zippers, roomy pockets, a hood created to allow room for a helmet, a long back to protect against road spray, reflective components and breathable fabric.
“We definitely don’t aim to blend in. Colors, prints and usability are frontiers that we are always exploring,” Namdari said. “We’re on a mission to create pieces of clothing that aren’t just fun and pleasant to look at, but also cleverly functional and versatile. All that while using the most sustainable materials possible.”
In seeking out partners for manufacturing, the company placed an emphasis on finding companies that share its philosophy of ethical practices. Labo Mono found what it was looking for in a production facility in China that specializes in outerwear and a German manufacturer that creates the PFC-free, water-repellent finish that will be applied to the fabric of the Urban Jacket. Looking ahead to future products, Labo Mono selected a company in Portugal for manufacturing tees and pants made from recycled materials.
The Kickstarter campaign ends on June 20, 2019.
Images via Labo Mono
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