Watch the full conversation between Andrea Ferris and Fashionista Editor in Chief Dhani Mau on The Fashionista Network.
Andrea Ferris, CEO and co-inventor of CiCLO, is shaping the future of sustainable textiles with her unwavering optimism. It all started with a McDonald’s apron.
Ferris managed the fast-food chain’s uniform program across the United States when she learned about the environmental impact of synthetic materials like polyester, which shed microplastics and take centuries to biodegrade. She set out to find an earth-friendly solution, even though it would require her to break into an industry she knew nothing about.
Photo: Courtesy of CiCLO
As a former sociology major, “I had no idea how hard anything was going to be,” Ferris told Fashionista Editor in Chief Dhani Mau during the interview (Watch it here!). “One person told [me and the CiCLO team], ‘I gave up on innovation… because it was just too hard to implement.'”
The CiCLO team, however, did not give up. They developed a sustainable textile additive that, when added to polyester and other synthetic fibers, reduces the shedding of microfibers and causes the synthetic material to biodegrade like wool. Today, CiCLO technology can be found in clothing for brands like Champion and Billabong, as well as home goods found at Target, Amazon and beyond.
The journey to CiCLO began in 2012 with a series of “field trips,” as Ferris called them, including visits to compost centers and wastewater treatment plants to see the impacts of synthetic fibers firsthand. By 2017, the team had developed the environmentally friendly textile additive, CiCLO.
Photo: Courtesy of CiCLO
More than 20 years later, Ferris believes her lack of textile knowledge was a blessing that fueled her courage to make change. “Good ideas come from everywhere,” Ferris told Mau on The Fashionista Network. “You do not need to be an expert in the industry to break into it, and you don’t even have to be an expert to have an idea and implement it.”
Ferris found her way into the textile manufacturing industry with determination and the knowledge that strong relationships with mentors and a robust network can make or break one’s success. “I had to rely on a lot of people to educate me, and people want to help. They just do,” Ferris said. “Most people are pretty good-natured.”
She also emphasized the importance of connecting with brand representatives on a personal level. “Brands are just people we’re working with,” Ferris said. “I think they care about what they’re creating, what they’re putting out in the environment.” As brand representatives learn about the environmental impacts of synthetic textiles, they’re eager to improve their practices. Ferris is hopeful that CiCLO will become an industry standard in polyester production and recycling.
Photo: Courtesy of CiCLO
“I hope everybody’s incredibly optimistic about what the future is going to bring,” Ferris said. “There’s a lot of doom and gloom out there. The news can be hard to read. The problems in the environment can be overwhelming, but there are solutions.”
Ferris also discussed how CiCLO works with brands and manufacturers, the company’s longterm goals, her predictions for the future of textile innovation and more. Watch the full interview here.
This conversation was hosted on The Fashionista Network powered by interactive media platform Fireside, where viewers get the chance to participate and speak directly with industry figures. Learn more about The Fashionista Network here.
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Source: Fashionista.com
