Adidas by Stella McCartney unveils “industry-first” viscose sportswear

Adidas has unveiled a new viscose sportswear range as part of its collaboration with British designer Stella McCartney to demonstrate the potential of a circular fashion ecosystem.

The tracksuit has been made as part of the New Cotton Project, an EU consortium of 12 partners, and took the process of making the apparel from a linear to a circular model, as the design was as much about function and style as ensuring the garment’s end of life existence, added Adidas.

The oversized gender-neutral silhouette is made from 60 percent viscose and 40 percent organic cotton and blends peach-soft material with a neutral light grey and black colour palette. It also forms part of Adidas’ pilot circularity programme, ‘Made to Be Remade,’ a take-back scheme where consumers can wear it down and then return it by scanning a QR code via the product so it can be remade.

Adidas states that currently, just under 1 percent of all textiles worldwide are recycled into new textiles. The consortium, which includes partners such as Frankenhuis, have collected and sorted post-consumer end-of-life textiles, and by using pioneering Infinited Fiber technology they have been regenerated into a new man-made cellulosic fibre called Infinna, which looks and feels just like virgin cotton. This is then turned into a yarn blended with organic cotton for garment production.

Adidas unveils circular tracksuit in collaboration with Stella McCartney

Speaking about the collaboration, Stella McCartney said in a statement: “Sport is about always evolving the approach, and material innovation is no different. More than ever, we are being challenged to find new solutions to deliver the potential for circular fashion, so it’s been hugely exciting to collaborate with like-minded thinkers in the fashion landscape to help not only us, but the industry invent, innovate and consciously design.

“We are truly proud to have produced a garment that provides an end of life of existence, whilst also staying true to adidas by Stella McCartney’s signature style - for next generation activists.”

The ‘Made to Be Remade’ programme is Adidas’ first approach to extending the lifespan of products, following the launch of its Futurecraft loop shoe, an early prototype in helping to keep footwear in play for longer. The Adidas by Stella McCartney garment is the latest milestone demonstrating its efforts to produce a commercial end-of-life garment, moving the company closer to its goal to end plastic waste.

The Adidas by Stella McCartney Sportswear Tracksuit Viscose will be available from October 6 via the Adidas app.