Houdini measures up to planetary boundaries
03/06/2024
The formula reads: Product x Volume + Life (usage) = Impact or P x V + L = I.
To integrate usage into the calculations of its impacts, the Swedish brand surveyed 400 customers who had bought its Power Houdi, a flagship product, to assess how many times it was worn on average. This result was found to be 1287 times, covering a period of more than 10 years. The report notes that “good product design can radically extend product lifetime, promote circular use and transform the entire apparel system from linear, fast and wasteful to circular, slow and waste free.”
Houdini has also been innovating in its business practices with the launch of a Houdini Circle store, in Stockholm, where customers can buy or rent products that are either new, repaired or remade or can subscribe to services which also include access to workshops, experiences or exclusives.
The report includes detailed information on the materials Houdini uses, in actual volumes, something that few brands do. The report reveals that the share of pure natural fibres in the SS 2023 and FW 2023/24 collections increased from 6.2% in 2014-15 to 11% in 2023. Its use of Tencel Lyocell increased from 0% to 7.3%, while wool’s presence in its ranges decreased from 4.9% to 3.8%.
In that same 10-year period, the brand’s reliance on mechanically recycled polyester went from 12.9% to 38.3% and chemically recycled polyester went down from 20.6% to
2%. While use of conventional fossil-based synthetics – polyester, polyamide and elastane –
decreased significantly, they still make up 48% of all fibres in Houdini collections. This, the report notes, leaves plenty of room for improvement.
The brand recognises that progress has been slower than expected, due in part to a lack of availability and of industry incentives to scale up recycling technologies and market competitively-priced fibres that have the requisite quality.
The assessment also points out that accurate data on fibre production impacts is lacking, for both natural and synthetic fibres, and that LCAs either do not include all impacts covered by a planet boundary scope or are not considered fully reliable.
“We are using world-leading science to evaluate all aspects of the impact our business has on our planet’s ecosystems,” says Houdini CEO Eva Karlsson. “It is a very tangible way for us to improve and to show our love and respect for nature. Outdoor companies have the power to change their ways, to phase out toxic chemicals such as PFAS, in favour of planet-compatible alternatives. We can and should all do better,” she concludes.
PIctured: Houdini's Power Houdie
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