UPCYCLING RETIRED BEDSHEETS TO NEW KNITTED PRODUCTS
We are excited to announce our new sustainable collaboration, teaming up with recycling company, The Billie System and luxury hospitality group Shangri-La Hotels (South China region) to launch a meaningful collaborative project that repurposes retired hotel bed linens into knitted travel products.
The fashion industry is notorious for being one of the largest polluters in the world
An estimated 18 million tonnes of textile waste produced annually – 95 percent of which could have been recycled. The large volumes of textile waste include other products apart from clothing, such as bedding. A single hotel, for instance, could potentially dispose up to three tonnes of linen every year.
THE BILLIE SYSTEM
Through The Billie System’s innovative and environmentally-friendly textile recycling process, discarded bedsheets from regional hotel groups are broken down into fibres to produce new yarns. The recycled yarns will be incorporated into the exclusive line of travel and hotel amenities that comprises a robe, cardigan, and travel pouch.
The stages of how the hotel bedsheet is shredded and recycle to yarn. With the recycle yarn, we then knitted it to new travel products!
The campaign is inspired by Diqing, located in the Tibetan Autonomous prefecture, China. The county’s name is synonymous with “earthly Eden”, and the region is considered an epicentre of Chinese biodiversity for its diverse ethnicity. The vibrant art and cultural scene of Diqing boasts vividly coloured, intricately handmade products by different ethnic groups, which inspired the designs.
TIGER RUG
The tiger motifs have been an icon of Cynthia & Xiao since AW17, therefore we were undoubtedly drawn to the traditional Tibetan tiger rugs. The tiger rugs are closely associated to tantric meditation as it was believed that the tiger provides the person with protection during meditation. These rugs were also used as a status symbol for high officials and can be seen at ritual dance performances at festivals. The tiger rug is reimagined into a graphic form and replicated onto cosy hotel robes, versatile travel bags and carpet.
BANGDIAN
The contrasting block stripes on the cape was inspired by the Bangdian (or Pangden) Apron, a colourful handwoven fabric worn at the waist by women as part of their traditional dress. The symbolism of the colours and design on the Bangdian differ between groups of people. Cynthia & Xiao showcases the beauty of the culture through their recreation of the iconic apron.
CYNTHIA MAK
"Though 2020 has been very challenging for many fashion brands, we saw new opportunities where companies from different sectors are opening their doors to collaborate and share their own resources. This project is the perfect example. We feel honoured to be part of such a meaningful and fun experience that expresses our shared vision for sustainability” Cynthia Mak
RONNA CHAO
“We’re very excited to have the opportunity to partner with two wonderful brands in CYNTHIA & XIAO and the Shangri-La Group in South China,” says Ronna Chao, Chairperson of Novetex Textiles. “We believe that circularity is the future of sustainability - and collaborating across different industries will pave the way for all of us.”
