Fashion L'amour

Fibre Lab Collective| Feature | Print |

By Keziah Reed

This innovative company just recently won the London Mayor’s creative industry entrepreneur awards. Fibre Lab collective is a sustainable fashion consulting, textile shredding and recycling service. We spoke with its founder, Kaela Katz to find out more.

Greetings Kaela! Tell us about “Fibre lab” came about?

Hi, thanks so much for your question. The idea for Fibre Lab developed over the last two years throughout my MA research on the Fashion Futures course at London College of Fashion. It started by looking at rural regenerative fashion processes and thinking about how similar systems could work in urban environments.

What does the machine do exactly? And what sort of fabrics or material is involved?

Fibre Lab works with local designers and manufactures to collect their textile off-cuts and shred them into a fine, raw fibre using our small-scale shredding machine. All fabrics can be recycled in some sense, but some fibres like cotton are more ideal because they biodegrade faster and can be used in so many different applications.  

How important is this in the current climate where sustainability in fashion is on the rise?

Creating a circular, closed-loop economy is more important than ever. We are currently in the UN’s decade for regeneration and scientists say that these next 10 years are crucial for transitioning away from our current take-make-waste economy. We not only need to be capturing waste and recycling, but we also need to be significantly reducing the demand for virgin raw materials, specifically synthetics like polyester. That’s why we also offer consulting to help brands source more sustainable materials from the beginning design stage.

How much hurdles have you had to face to get where you are now, especially with bringing all this out during a pandemic?

The last few years have been immensely challenging for everyone, and continuing my research and building this business is one of the things that kept me going. The whole world has suffered so much, but the pandemic has made people realise that we need to be the change we want to see in the world. In some ways that has increased the demand for sustainable businesses like Fibre Lab.

Let’s talk personal style. How would you best describe your style?

I would say I still follow the NYC designer dress code – minimalist, monochrome and neutral. I have a bit of a collection of fun vintage pieces mixed with wardrobe basics that I wear on constant rotation. I also try to be really conscious when buying a new piece and make it sure its well-made and can last a lifetime.

If you had to let one designer dress you everyday, who would it be?

That is hard! I’ve always been obsessed with Rick Owens for his gender-fluid and unconventional collections so I think I would choose him.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Inspiration comes from every element of life. It can come while walking through the park, immersed in nature, reading a book or talking with friends. I am inspired by everything around me all the time. 

Whats next for Fibre Lab?

There is so much in the works! We just won the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Award which includes a grant and some amazing support to scale the project. We’ll be moving to a bigger studio space, upgrading our shredding machine, hosting events and possibly starting a Podcast! We also had some really cool recycling workshops coming up as part of the E17 Art Trail, which took place in July. There is also some designer collaborations coming up in the fall as well which you’ll have to wait to find out about! 

Follow Fibre Lab’s work on their INSTAGRAM

Print feature available in latest issue HERE

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