Love for nature drives Houdini fabric choice
Stockholm-based outdoor brand Houdini Sportswear has said the new Flow Shell jacket and pants that it had on show for the first time at ISPO in November represented “a sneak peek” of a new impact assessment that the company is preparing to publish in January.
Houdini began publishing formal reports on its environmental impact in 2015. It bases its reports on the Planetary Boundaries Framework, a system developed by Swedish scientists for assessing the impact of human activity on the planet.
It will release a new assessment in January, based on a 2023 Planetary Boundaries update, and on the brand’s own research and progress since its last report in 2018.
Chief executive, Eva Karlsson, said: “We are using world-leading science to evaluate all aspects of the impact our business has on our planet’s ecosystems. It is a very tangible way for us to improve and to show our love and respect for nature.”
Part of its response is a programme for snowsports that it calls Ride Clean. For this, Houdini has developed a complete layering system, from base to shell and insulation garments, that it says are made with circular fabrics, completely free from PFAS or other toxic chemicals.
Among the materials it is using for these garments is Polartec Power Shield, a three-layer shell fabric now made with Biolon (see image). Polartec describes Biolon as a renewable, non-GMO plant-based nylon, with a 50% lower carbon footprint than virgin nylon-6,6 and a reduced reliance on fossil resources.
“For a long time, many thought that more sustainable options meant a loss in performance, but Polartec has proved that this is not the case,” said the fabric developer’s business manager, Ramesh Kesh.
