Innovators driving London’s fashion and technology revolution

Europe’s largest tech ecosystem, London is where fashion and technology converge more than ever before. His Notpla, a London-based start-up, was recently named one of Prince William’s Earthshot Award winners. Each winner will receive a £1 million grant to continue their work on sustainability and environmental issues. Notpla founders Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez have found an alternative to plastic made from seaweed and plants. It is fully biodegradable and can be used in a variety of ways, including cosmetics and fashion industry papers. With a growing number of investment firms, the UK capital is fast becoming one of the most attractive locations to start or grow a fashion tech business.

Fashion tech isn’t just about climate change. As a city, London has set ambitious goals to become a net zero he carbon city by 2030. Opportunities in fashion technology bring new experiences and issues between brands and consumers. – Resolve in e-commerce. Harness the power of the Metaverse to implement more efficient digital payments, authentication and production methods. For example, the Mayor’s Business Growth Program supports fast-growing businesses in the areas of Creative, Urban Innovation, Life Science, Finance, Technology and Business Services. Engineering firm Nanoloom has used the program to expand its development of biodegradable graphene-based fibers. “or [program] It has been great at building relationships with many people in the ecosystem, said co-founder Victoria Mataczynski. “London is pretty thriving in fintech, which was really nice. Wherever you are, it probably makes a big difference, especially for deep tech start-ups. We are at the London Bioscience Innovation Centre. It’s a lab space, which means all safety is taken care of.”

Investment programs such as Innovate UK and Fashion District play a key role in building strong and sustainable networks within the UK fashion industry. Innovate UK recently awarded Nanoloom a grant to scale a new prototype and bring it to market. Between 2020 and 2021, Innovate UK has provided her £3.1 billion in grants to various organizations. The Fashion District works with leading companies such as the British Fashion Council and UAL: London College of Fashion to connect investors to designers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs to develop business ideas, especially those based on technology, the environment and social conscience. are interested in investing in

Meet some of London’s most exciting fashion tech companies across a range of sectors.

immersive technology

London is home to over 215 immersive tech companies, representing 48% of all UK business. Take Drest, his game, the world’s first luxury fashion styling mobile released in 2019. The app brings the world of fashion to everyone, providing a platform for brand discovery and engagement. “Since launching in 2019, users have increased her 250% year-over-year, among a very enthusiastic and fashion-loving community of mostly women between the ages of 18 and 29. “When Lucy [Yeomans] Founding Drest, London was the obvious choice for our headquarters. An innovative and forward-thinking cosmopolitan city with many connections to the world, from America to Europe to Asia. In the fashion industry, London is known not only for cultivating some of the world’s best creative talent, but also for being the birthplace of e-commerce. ”

Bridgett believes that “games can be used as a force for good” when it comes to sustainability issues. “As the metaverse debate progresses, it is becoming clear that more and more time will be spent in virtual worlds in the coming years. According to current research, 70% of Gen Z, 63% of millennials and Gen X players 53% of people say they plan to play in virtual game worlds in the future without even playing the game, dress up, and represent themselves physically or digitally via an avatar. How you express yourself is still so important that building a digital wardrobe will become as essential, if not more, than having a physical closet. I love that I can reuse most of my items for different challenges, meaning I don’t even have to buy new digital wear for each brief.”

e-commerce

A recent report by London & Partners and dealroom.co found that the UK ranks 4th in the world for VC funding of digital shopping, with London e-commerce companies expected to attract $5 billion in 2021. increase. Many technology-based fashion companies have been established in London, including By Rotation. is a peer-to-peer fashion rental app that allows other users and designers to rent, resell and rent her fashion. “We’re actually called the Instagram of fashion rentals,” says founder and CEO Eshita Kabra-Davies. “Users can download the app for free, create an account, and follow each other.

By Rotation and many businesses hit a roadblock when the pandemic hit. But Kabra-Davies believes the lockdown period has “educated people to rethink how many things they actually need,” especially when it comes to clothing. “I think a lot of people have become more concerned with how much they need it and have come to appreciate consumer behavior,” she says. “Instead of shopping from these fast-fashion retailers, you can actually rent someone else’s dress for the weekend. For the same price, or even less, and even higher quality than the fast-fashion pieces themselves.” This community-driven platform helps users consume fashion by empowering and connecting like-minded people to help reduce landfill waste, improve our carbon footprint, and more. We are determined to change the way we do things. “I think London has helped create a landscape of global citizenship that many tech founders really need, especially as we look to scale our businesses,” she says. “I think London is known as the Silicon Valley of Europe.”

sustainability

From developing new materials (such as Notpla’s alternative plastics) to new e-commerce platforms, London is home to many companies focused on sustainability. The purpose of Save Your Wardrobe is directly focused on ecological balance. Co-founded by his husband and wife girlfriend Mehdi Doghri and Hasna Kourda, the program is a way for consumers to get the most out of their existing wardrobe and reconnect with what’s in their wardrobe to buy less. to guide “The idea was that she [Kourda] Working in the fashion industry, I was looking at how wasteful the industry is and how unsustainable consumer behavior is,” Doguri says. “We wanted to impact the industry by changing consumer behavior first.”

There are many companies with a similar vision of digitizing your wardrobe, but what sets Save Your Wardrobe apart is its dedication to extending the life of your clothes. “You have a digitized item, but you have to find the right one. [repair] service,” he explains. “How to find out what repairs are needed, how much they cost, and who can actually do it is what Save Your Wardrobe does best.” For this company, clothes matter. Being smart is key to a sustainable fashion mindset. This is the core idea that we hope users will adopt. “We’re trying to solve the problems people have in their homes and wardrobes right now for years to come, and hopefully others will solve the industry from the ground up,” he says.

Fashion brand Petit Puri, specializing in sustainable children’s clothing, started as a student project in 2017 and won the UK’s James Dyson Award for the concept of growing children’s clothing. Founder and CEO Ryan Mario Yasin developed the Petit Pli patented technology while studying as a Global Innovation Design student at Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art. “London is the perfect place to start and grow a sustainable circular business,” said Yasin. “It is the investment hub of the UK and the heart of the mindful shopper. Shows how we are helping investors explore green opportunities: In the first half of 2021 alone, investors will join 16 new investment firms focused on renewable energy infrastructure. We have invested £100m which means that sustainability-based SMEs can not only survive but thrive in London.”

Investment & VC

Investors and VCs underlie all successful businesses, and London is on par with Silicon Valley when it comes to startup ecosystems. Especially in the fashion industry, The Mills Fabrica is accelerating innovation in the tech style industry. Their goal is to build a sustainable future with technology-enabled solutions, from supply chains and production to materials and product creation. Head of Europe Nikita Jayasuriya credits the fashion industry with contributing to the company’s successful facility. “The only way to have a real impact in today’s industry is to invest in the infrastructure of the textile manufacturing supply chain, the production side of the industry,” he explains. “If we can fix everything behind what I call the velvet curtain, which no one sees, we will solve it, turn it around, and invest in sustainable solutions that can help fundamentally change the industry. can do.”

The Mills Fabrica has a Hong Kong heritage, but expanded to London in 2018. Collaborations with institutions such as Central St. His Martins are just one example of the company’s commitment to partnering with like-minded entrepreneurs and British talent. “We have the Click Institute, Central Saint Martins, UCL (University College London), the British Library, Google’s second largest office on earth. It will be the epicenter,” he says. A partnership with Central Saint Martins gives selected students cash prizes and a three-month stint in a co-working space in Hong Kong or London. Each student has access to Fabrica’s lab, which is equipped with laser cutters, wash tests, cutting machines, and 3D printing. “We want them to believe in themselves,” he explains. “We want them to get out of college and out there, believe in themselves, invest time in themselves, and move their ideas and innovations forward.”

Fashion and technology combine at their best in London. This is a testament to the support from bodies such as the British Fashion Council (BFC), which brings together designers, creatives, brands her partners, media and retailers in the UK fashion industry. There is also the Fashion Innovation Agency (FIA), part of the London College of Fashion, working to use new technologies to change the status quo of the fashion and retail industry. Her CEO of London & Partners, Laura Citron, appreciates London for her cutting-edge approach to her business. “From financial services and fashion to retail and healthcare, technology continues to disrupt traditional industries,” she says. “With strengths in all these industries, London is at the forefront of converging trends.The combination of world-class fashion and technology industries makes London a unique opportunity for fashion to grow and expand her technology business. It will be a great place.”