The fashion industry faces a critical materials challenge: accounting for 91% of the industry’s total emissions and 30% of a product’s cost of goods sold (COGS), 1 materials are pivotal to achieving climate goals and long-term competitiveness. Yet, the path to replacing conventional fibres with next-generation alternatives is riddled with systemic barriers.

For brands, integrating next-generation materials presents signifi cant operational hurdles, from limited production capacity to premium pricing and complex sourcing logistics. Meanwhile, material innovators struggle with the capital-intensive scaling process, diffi culty securing consistent offtake commitments, and navigating a fragmented manufacturing infrastructure ill-equipped for novel inputs.

These mutual challenges create a systemic deadlock: despite signifi cant innovation in alternative materials, widespread commercial adoption remains elusive. Without structured collaboration frameworks that distribute risk and align incentives, the disconnect between promising innovations and commercial implementation continues to impede the industry's transition toward innovation.

To address the scaling challenges that have historically hindered material innovation adoption, Fashion for Good has partnered with AltMat through a collaborative framework that enables brands to pool resources and commit to minimum order quantities, thereby reducing fi nancial risk for both innovators and manufacturers.

The Altag® Fibre Club brings together a consortium of forward-thinking value supply chain partners — including Adalberto, Alok, Arvind, Bhaskar Denim, Jindal Textiles, Maharaja Shree Umaid Mills, Ltd, Positive Materials, Sambandam Spinning Mills Limited, Shahi Exports, Sutlej Textiles, Sweaters India and Industries Limited, and Vrijesh Natural Fibre & Fabrics (India) Pvt. Ltd. — to integrate AltMat's fi bres into mainstream production processes. This collaborative model, which builds on Fashion for Good's successful fi rst Fibre Club with textile-to-textile recycler Circ in 2024, in collaboration with Canopy, aims to overcome key barriers to adoption such as scalability, processing compatibility, and cost competitiveness. “Advancing the Fibre Club with Altmat marks a signifi cant step in scaling innovative materials with real commercial potential,” said Katrin Ley, Managing Director at Fashion for Good. “By connecting breakthrough innovators like Altmat with committed brand partners, we’re building the infrastructure and demand needed to bring next-gen materials to market faster and more effi ciently.”

“There’s no shortage of intent to adopt next-gen materials, but there is a lack of systems to actually make it happen. With the Altag® Fibre Club, we are closing that gap by connecting every link in the value chain, from farm to fi bre to fashion. We’re not just introducing a fi bre; we’re building the foundation for a new class of materials rooted in regeneration, resilience, and real-world scalability.” - Shikha Shah, CEO and Founder at AltMat.

Altag® Fibre Club will be launching at the Future Fabric Expo in London on 24-25 June 2025, and this marks an open call for interested brands to join in.

Read more about Fibre Club and Fashion for Good collaboration with Altmat at this link.

https://www.fashionforgood.com/case-study/fibre-club/

1 Fashion for Good & Boston Consulting Group. (2025, February). Scaling next-gen materials in fashion: An executive guide.