Hedoine Debuts First Biodegradable Tights
NEW FRONTIERS: London-based legwear company Hedoine is releasing one of the first biodegradable tights in the market in its quest to make hosiery more sustainable and address the issue of billions of pairs ending up in landfill every year.
The new 30 denier sheer tights combine the brand’s signature ladder-resistible technology with a biodegradable yarn sourced in Italy. The company said a fully biodegradable yarn does not yet exist, so it has used a yarn that saves 85 percent of otherwise non-biodegradable materials from landfill, while the remaining 15 percent will adhere to the standard waste management process.
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The tights also have the same luxury features that Hedoine tights have become known for, including a soft, seamless feel; ladder resistance, and a comfortable yet strong waistband that underwent multiple testing rounds.
The aim is for the new style to be the first of a wider biodegradable collection and eventually to ensure that all Hedoine products are fully biodegradable.
“We envision a future where all Hedoine styles will be made of not only biodegradable yarns, but also recycled yarns. We have seen incredible strides over the past few years in terms of more sustainable materials, and we are keeping a finger on the pulse of this evolution. We believe that there will be a future for 100 percent biodegradable yarns,” said the brand’s founders Alexandra Tymann and Anna Rauch.
This is one of many steps Tymann and Rauch have been taking to tackle the big waste issues around tights — which, on average, don’t last beyond a single wear, according to Hedoine.
They started by incorporating ladder-resistant technology to increase the lifespan of their tights, and are now tackling the afterlife of their products by developing biodegradable ones and a soon-to-launch recycling project where customers can send Hedoine old leggings or tights from any brand for them to be recycled into non-fashion items such as tires or insulation materials.
“Even the strongest pair of tights is not unbreakable, so the next thing we’ve been focused on tackling is the afterlife of our products to ensure that tights no longer contribute to landfill. Hence, our new biodegradable tights launch, and community programs that close the loop,” the founders added.
The brand, which has been operating entirely as direct-to-consumer so far, also plans to start working with Selfridges, its first wholesale partner, later this year. A 12-week pop-up at the British department store, highlighting the new biodegradable range is in the works, as well as a launch on rental platform My Wardrobe HQ, to ensure customers have a sustainable hosiery option to go with their rental dresses.
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