Alter Made Tee

Long-sleeved top made from Pyratex Seacell / Source: Alter Made

EuropeLyocellPyratex SeacellSeaweedTextiles

4 MINUTE READ

Mayer Nissim

WHAT WE SAY:

We regularly feature one-off limited editions here and while these often signal where things are headed next, we urgently need to move beyond ‘marketing’ collections to full standard ranges.

One of the first products from Spanish clothing company Mango’s responsible essentials brand Alter Made, is a long-sleeved top. Made from seaweed fibre-based Pyratex Seacell and produced in Europe, it is a great example of the potential for plastic-free, benefit-focused functional fashion. We just need to see more of it.

KEY FACTS:

Alter Made is a responsible essentials brand launched by Mango in November 2021, which has developed a long-sleeved top made from Pyratex Seacell 3.
Manufactured from a blend of Seaweed-based fibre and Tencel (Lyocell), Pyratex Seacell 3 is one variety from the 14-strong seaweed-based Pyratex Seacell line, by innovative sustainable fabrics manufacturer Pyratex.
Alter Made markets the garment as “containing amino acids, vitamins and minerals that take care of your skin whilst you wear it,” although I think we can all be a little skeptical here, as these claims are not directly medically certified.
As with all Alter Made products, the long-sleeved top costs EUR 60 (USD 65) and is available exclusively online in Spain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, with other markets to open in the future.

Black long-sleeved top made from Pyratex Seacell / Source: Alter Made

Ghost white long-sleeved top made from Pyratex Seacell / Source: Alter Made

DIVE DEEPER:

While plastic-based or synthetic additives and coatings can add desired properties to common fabrics, they can often have negative environmental impacts or affect sensitive skin, leading innovative textiles manufacturers and brands to experiment with other natural materials, such as seaweed.
The Alter Made long-sleeved top is made completely from Pyratex Seacell 3, a blend of 70% Tencel (lyocell) and 30% seaweed-based fibre and is manufactured in Portugal.
It is a fitted T-shirt with a round neck and long sleeves designed with a close fit for a second skin effect. It is available online in Ghost White, Black and Taupe.
In addition to the Pyratex Seacell top, Alter Made also sells a tank top made from Pyratex Health 3, the company’s line of fabrics made from plants traditionally used in medicine.
Alter Made’s philosophy is 'Wearable Wellbeing' and it is focused on making pieces that are durable, long-lasting and timeless to reduce waste and encourage conscious consumption, as well as having a short-run production strategy that minimises surplus. Accordingly, Alter Made offers an extensive care guide for its fabrics – though Pyratex Seacell is not yet covered.
While Pyratex states that its Pyratex Seacell fabric can be washed at 75° and tumble dried at 90°, Alter Made states that its long-sleeved top can only be machine washed up to 30°C on short spin cycle and tumble drying is not recommended.

"Two of our most innovative fabrics come from Pyratex. Our long-sleeved T-shirt is made with a mixture of seaweed and vegetable fibres, with cosmetic properties for the skin."

Alejandra Mur - Director, Alter Made - as quoted in Vogue España

Key Design Considerations:

Is there enough seaweed in the finished fabric to deliver the claimed benefits?

While we love that Alter Made is experimenting with new plant-based fabrics, its vague quasi-scientific skincare claims are at risk of coming across as ‘benefit washing.’ The actual proportion of active ingredients in the seaweed-based fibre that makes up 30% of Pyratex Cosmetic 3 is not publicly known and indeed this fibre only makes up 30% of the fabric – in other words, seaweed represents less than 10% of the garment. So if you are considering using similar fabrics, you should confirm whether you can legitimately make similar claims.

Is there enough variety in Alter Made’s range to satisfy consumers?

The focus on simple, timeless pieces is admirable, but with limited designs and even fewer colours on offer, consumers may need to look elsewhere to get the product they want – and could end up choosing a less-sustainable fabric to get it. Whenever you are using innovative plastic-free fabrics, make sure you do not undo the good work by then using unsustainable dyeing or printing processes to create your finished product.

Can consumers be given more information about the environmental impact of their purchase?

Pyratex promotes how its partnership with BCome enables it to create a full impact passport for each of its fabrics, giving marks for environmental assessment, people, transparency and circularity. However, this information is not currently available – could you enable customers to see its impact results at the point of purchase or online?

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Alter Made Tee

WHAT WE SAY:

We regularly feature one-off limited editions here and while these often signal where things are headed next, we urgently need to move beyond ‘marketing’ collections to full standard ranges.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

While plastic-based or synthetic additives and coatings can add desired properties to common fabrics, they can often have negative environmental impacts or affect sensitive skin, leading innovative textiles manufacturers and brands to experiment with other natural materials, such as seaweed.

The Alter Made long-sleeved top is made completely from Pyratex Seacell 3, a blend of 70% Tencel (lyocell) and 30% seaweed-based fibre and is manufactured in Portugal.

It is a fitted T-shirt with a round neck and long sleeves designed with a close fit for a second skin effect. It is available online in Ghost White, Black and Taupe.

In addition to the Pyratex Seacell top, Alter Made also sells a tank top made from Pyratex Health 3, the company’s line of fabrics made from plants traditionally used in medicine.

While Pyratex states that its Pyratex Seacell fabric can be washed at 75° and tumble dried at 90°, Alter Made states that its long-sleeved top can only be machine washed up to 30°C on short spin cycle and tumble drying is not recommended.

Alejandra Mur - Director, Alter Made - as quoted in Vogue España

Key Design Considerations:

Is there enough seaweed in the finished fabric to deliver the claimed benefits?

Is there enough variety in Alter Made’s range to satisfy consumers?

Can consumers be given more information about the environmental impact of their purchase?

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