24 Jan 2020

Kowtow: the Kiwi fashion label making swimwear out of fishing nets

From Nine To Noon, 9:37 am on 24 January 2020

The sustainable New Zealand fashion label Kowtow is branching out into swimwear – but not made of any ordinary fabric.

The first non-natural fabric the brand has used is made from used fishing nets.

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Photo: Kowtow

Kowtow's creative director Gosia Piatek was at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit when she overheard someone talking about Econyl - a fabric made from fishing nets dragged out of the sea.

Because fishing nets are made from 100 percent nylon they're suitable for regeneration as a fabric, she says.

"When you have a fibre that is 100 percent something it's easier to re-melt and regenerate… then they can recreate it into the yarn."

The regeneration process doesn't affect the quality of the nylon which can be infinitely regenerated, she says.

Gosia Piatek Creative Director of Kowtow

Gosia Piatek Creative Director of Kowtow Photo: Supplied

Kowtow takes responsibility for the end product used in their garments, Gosia says.

They offer repair workshops for their clothing and a take-back programme to save it from landfill.

They're also currently exploring options for how to recycle and repurpose these used garments in the most sustainable way.

When Gosia started Kowtow in Wellington 14 years ago, sustainability wasn't something she could discuss with consumers. She's amazed that it's now front and centre in the fashion industry.

The Rana Plaza disaster – in which 1,134 garment Bangladeshi garment workers died when a building collapsed – dramatically raised awareness of ethical fashion production, she says.

"It has to start with the producers, it has to start with the raw material. And how are these people being looked after and cared for?"

Related:

Clothes with a conscience

No Slave to Fashion: The Story Behind Kowtow