Julian Lings: Nature’s champion
Julian Lings, senior sustainability manager for outdoor brands at VF Corporation.
New Zealand-based outdoor brand Icebreaker has unveiled a strategy to become plastic free by 2023, which is true to its philosophy of remaining close to nature, and its love of merino wool. However, the brand does still use some synthetics for performance attributes: 13% of materials are not natural, according to its latest sustainability report, Move to Nature. It removed 59 styles from its collection because they did not align to the new brand purpose, and is seeking alternatives to synthetics.
The company is also raising awareness of the impact of microplastics and microfibres in waterways and the ocean, partly through a sponsorship of Ben Lecomte, who swam 350 nautical miles through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. As part of this, it promotes to consumers that natural fibres need washing less often, and therefore reduce their impact on the environment. How do Icebreaker’s strategies and goals fit in with being part of the wider US-based VF Corp group of brands? We ask Julian Lings, senior sustainability manager for outdoor brands at VF Corporation (He is also a keen triathlete).
Which breakthroughs or programmes that Icebreaker has implemented over the past few years are the most important?
At the heart of Icebreaker is a belief that nature provides the answers. For 25 years we have developed clothing based on natural fibres as an alternative to plastic-based synthetic apparel. In recent years, we’ve made significant strides in transitioning to 100% natural materials in our products and have set the ambitious goal to have 100% plastic-free materials by 2023. To do this, we’ve been at the forefront of finding new natural alternatives to materials such as elastane and nylon, and incorporating these innovations into our product line.
We also believe in doing business in a better way. A critically important aspect of this is working in partnership with our wool supply chain to drive positive environmental and social change throughout the value chain. We’ve invested in long term partnerships with our key merino growers since the 1990s, but in 2018 we went even further by pioneering the Icebreaker Growers Club. This is an industry-first initiative that establishes 10-year supply contracts with our growers. This provides the growers with the security to invest in their businesses, their land, their animals, and their people. It secures Icebreaker's supply of consistent, high-quality merino fibre. The 10-year contracts strengthen our relationships but also radically transform on-farm economics.
Icebreaker has set a target of being plastic free by 2023. Why was this timeframe decided on, and which will be the most difficult plastics to phase out?
Our 2023 goal is an ambitious one. However, goals should be challenging and uncomfortable if we are to innovate and drive the right type of progress in our business and the wider industry. We are approaching it in two ways.
Firstly, by switching out of synthetic yarns where it’s possible to do so without compromising on the performance and durability of the garment. Secondly, we are undertaking pioneering work to find natural alternatives to certain synthetic materials that offer specific performance characteristics. As with all innovation, this is by no means a simple, linear, and straightforward process. However, we truly believe in the importance of reaching our end goal to move to natural, and will successfully innovate to reach that target.
Martino Scabbia Guerrini, VF’s executive vice-president, believes natural fibres will become more important in the future, as consumers will want these fibres next to the skin. How does being part of VF shape Icebreaker’s strategy?
Icebreaker and VF are both aligned on the pressing need to drive sustainable change across the textile industry. Icebreaker is fully supportive of VF’s Made for Change sustainability goals, and the industry leading Science Based Targets that are at the centre of the Corporation’s sustainability strategy. Indeed, by 2021, Icebreaker will be setting its own Science Based Targets to align with those of VF.
We are proud of the role we play as a brand in the portfolio contributing to positive change, including working with the other brands to help them focus more and more on natural fibre solutions. Icebreaker has been a catalyst for developing VF Corporation’s Natural Materials Platform. This is a working group across VF Corporation brands to work with industry experts on creating natural solutions for apparel.
Do you think the pandemic will have a lasting effect on how consumers and brands view their clothing and relationship to the planet?
In the wake of the pandemic, we will continue to listen carefully to our customers, as people everywhere rethink and rebuild what they need in their new normals. Our responsibility is to respond to these changes too in a more meaningful way, to challenge the status quo and to bring natural solutions that are truly better for the planet and people.
What are your personal hopes for the future in terms of the apparel industry in general?
We are at a vital juncture where the industry must decide whether to take on the critically important responsibility of setting the far-reaching goals required to limit global warming in line with the targets set out in the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The moment of action is now. My hope is that brands, and the industry as a whole, will rise to this challenge. For Icebreaker, we believe that the move to natural will be a vitally important part of this. My hope is that the apparel industry will come with us on the journey as we continue to pioneer this critical shift.
CREDIT: Mathis Dumas
