Keel Labs unveils first seaweed t-shirt

Category: FIBRES

Country: United States

By Haydn Davis
29th January 2024

MORRISVILLE (North Carolina): Biomaterials company Keel Labs, formerly known as AlgiKnit, has unveiled the first garment made from its Kelsun seaweed-based fibre.

The t-shirt, a 70% Kelsun/30% cotton blend yarn that also features a screen print using algae ink from Living Ink, was created in collaboration with sustainable fashion designer and climate activist, Aditi Mayer.

“With a brand’s material choices alone being responsible for over half its total emissions, there’s a dire need for the industry to revisit its chosen fibres,” said Mayer. “As someone who has long challenged the presence of fossil fuels in fashion and has opted for nature-based solutions instead, Kelsun’s ability to create an option that integrates a renewable source, addresses fashion’s plastics problem, while also eliminating pesticide use and agricultural land use is incredibly promising.”

Kelsun’s kelp-based fibre is designed to offer an alternative to conventional, resource-intensive materials. The company says that compared to conventional cotton, it is able to reduce water usage by 70 times and land use by 100% by utilising seaweed, one of the world’s most regenerative and renewable organisms.

By translating the abundant seaweed supply chain into fibre production on industry-standard equipment, Kelsun calls it a “drop-in solution for textile supply chains that delivers positive impacts to an industry in urgent need of mitigating its environmental impact”.

Keel Labs co-founder and COO, Aleks Gosiewski commented: “This launch is about so much more than creating a t-shirt - it’s our mission come-to-life, offering the industry a product that can be produced at scale.

“In partnership with Aditi Mayer, we’re demonstrating to the fashion industry and consumers alike that next-gen material solutions are here, and they’re able to be implemented in brands’ and their partners’ supply chains today.”

Kelsun has been designed with a number of applications in mind. As well as apparel and accessories, it is also said to usable in other categories such as automotive, home goods, furnishings, and interiors.

“The Kelsun t-shirt is fashion’s latest proof point that biomaterials are ready to revolutionise the industry at large,” added Keel Labs’ co-founder and CEO, Tessa Callaghan. “We are excited to debut our first in-house garment created using Kelsun, with the Kelsun t-shirt serving as the start of global product and brand launches to come.”

Courtesy: Ecotextile.com