Developed in Italy by the startup of the same name, Orange Fiber is an orange fabric, made from citrus waste. The result is a “cream to dress”, that is, pieces that moisturize the skin and whose effect lasts up to twenty washes.
We liked so much fabric made from leftover food that we created a series of posts entirely dedicated to the subject (here, here and here) and then it came the beetroot fabric (here). This one is new, it is an orange fabric, made from the residues that are discarded by the industry.
An orange is composed of only 50% of pulp. This means that in Portugal, for example, 100,000 tons of fruit are barley residues every year. This leftover is used for the extraction of cellulose necessary to produce silk-like yarn. The fiber of the fabric also has nanocapsules of essential oils of citrus fruits, which contain vitamin C and dissolve in the skin gradually, nourishing it while you wear it, hence the expression “cream to dress”.
Patented, the product won the H&M Conscious Foundation 2016 Global Change Award that will allow the company to expand its operations. For now it is only available in three colors: white, cream and orange, but the perspective is of growth.
The startup, founded in February 2014 by two Italian students, now has 5 members and underwent a startup acceleration program. They continue to develop research in this industry to create ecological clothing collections, and to expand and reach new markets.
Unfortunately the fabric has not arrived here yet, but it already signals a sustainable future for fashion and food, meeting global demand for a greener textile industry, or in this case more orange.
Originally published in my i9 magazine column on 04/04/2016 and updated on 09/28/2017.
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