Houdini Sportswear, the Swedish outdoor-wear company has partnered up with Polartec to introduce Project Mono Air. The project aims to introduce the world’s first fleece jacket designed to battle plastic waste by reducing microfibre shedding by using recycled and recyclable materials. Project Mono Air is more than a garment and has developed into an initiative that is open for all to adopt the technology. In simpler words, the company is willing to offer it to whoever wants to utilize it.

Eva Karlsson, the CEO of Houdini Sportswear, stated that they were making it an open-source and sharing every component, design decision, and their circular principles behind the project because they feel collaboration is essential in order to transform the apparel industry from linear and wasteful to circular and waste-free.

The main essence of the Project Mono Air is the Mono Air fabric which the company claims shreds 80% lesser microfibres when compared to the traditional fleece, which has a loose textile construction that encourages shedding in the wash. An investigative study conducted by Plymouth suggests washing polyester, acrylic and nylon textiles in industrial laundries and households can generate 700,000 tiny plastic particles per cycle. Another study implied that a person wearing synthetic clothing could release over 900 million microplastics into the air every year.

The Mono Air has endless long and soft fibers that are knit into small pockets between two layers of breathable fabric. The company claims that these pockets trap warm air from the consumer’s body to create insulation while preventing the insulating fibers from escaping. The material is made up of 80% recycled and recyclable polyester. Karlsson stated that the mono-material construction was ideal for a circular flow where natural resources weren’t wasted. The company will accept all products for repair, reuse, or recycling.

The project is debuting a $200 Mono Air Houdi jacket, which boasts a slim fit, high collar hood and extra-long sleeves with thumb loops. Polartec has been working toward this innovation for years. In 2018 the company gained popularity for its launch of Power Air, which was a construction that wraps lofted fibers within a multilayer, continues yarn to ensure it shreds at least five times lesser than comparable premium fabrics without compromising on the warmth. 

As Houdini and Polartec finished the Mono Air they knew it was special and could keep to themselves. With their latest innovation, the company will be sharing all the design work and technology, along with circular principles they are aligned to on Houdini’s website.