Futurevvorld (2024)

25/09/2024

Money makes the world go round, but does it really move things forward?

For too long now, material innovation has been caught in a cycle of investment without introspection – a repeating pattern that has seen next-gen outfits raising much-needed capital for research and development but never taking the next step.

Just look at Bolt – once a billion-dollar material unicorn, now trading on the NASDAQ at below $0.90 USD a share, having lost 91% of its value in the space of barely two months. Why? Because investment isn't everything – because capital isn't the cure-all for an industry that desperately needs a rethink.

To make real progress, we need real community. To make real change, we need real communication. We need to get the message out and make the case for a better future – not just to financial investors, but to the people invested in the future of our planet.

Forget repeating the past. Forget hoping things will change on their own with the benefit of nothing but dollars and cents. It's time to shift course and try something new. Something radical.

Read on at the link in bio.

06/09/2024

[FVV. AGENCY]
creative. live action. post production. social gifs & short form.
for Nike ReactX launch.

>

FVV.AGENCY is an extension of FUTUREVVORLD, created to help brands craft compelling campaigns around Earth Friendlier projects.

We are discerning in what projects we lend our creativity to and we are passionate about making a difference.

If you’d like to work with us, reach out.
We’re here to help.

[email protected]

27/08/2024

It's not just a material world we live in, it's a material future we're building.

From oversubscribed funding rounds to aid in the fight against plastic pollution to a serious scale-up for the low-impact process of 3D weaving to a plant-based production offering from one of the world's biggest brands, these are the changes that will make a difference

Collaborative, creative, not always headline-grabbing but always tangible, this is what real progress looks like. This is the material innovation news you need to know this month.

Hit the link in bio for the full list and to discover the latest next-generation news - from a game-changing acquisition no-one saw coming to an IPO everyone did.

20/08/2024

Progress doesn't happen in an echo chamber and the material innovation sector ought to know this better than anyone. So why is the whole industry only talking to itself?

The thing is, Material innovation has a communication problem.Far too often the entire industry is found not only preaching to the choir - to the converted - but delivering sermons straight back to the pulpit.

It's a feedback loop that has been lucrative in terms of funding but which, having reached its limit, now has to be broken. Innovation needs to reach people.

So, why isn't the next-gen materials industry speaking directly to the consumer? Why, instead of getting the message of progress out there, are innovators relying on brands to relay why their work matters?

There won't be a next generation if the next-gen sector doesn't learn to speak for itself. Or at least find a way to get their message across.

To hear more from the experts and dive into the deeper conversation, hit the link in bio or go to FUTUREWORLD.com.

19/08/2024

FVV. AGENCY]
creative. design. social. production. ex*****on.
for CHAMPION Reverse Weave. Eco Future.

>

FVV.AGENCY is an extension of FUTUREVVORLD, created to help brands craft compelling campaigns around Earth Friendlier projects.

We are discerning in what projects we lend our creativity to and we are passionate about making a difference.

If you’d like to work with us, reach out.
We’re here to help.

[email protected]

15/08/2024

Helen Kirkum is a sneaker waste alchemist.

From one-of-one customs sneakers to a full-on signature silhouette and even a collaboration with adidas, London-based Helen Kirkum is turning waste into something desirable; an elegant and aesthetically-pleasing solution to a serious footwear industry problem.

Working with post-consumer materials, Kirkum has been reverse-engineering a new generation of sneakers for the better part of a decade, having seen first hand the unrelenting and environmentally-disastrous chain of cause and effect at the heart of what we buy and what we wear.

With big things on the horizon and a plan to intensify her battle against the sneaker world's most destructive instincts, Helen Kirkum and her anti-waste philosophy are on the ascendancy. And that can only be a good thing.

Tap the link in bio to read the full interview, to find more on Helen Kirkum's process and philosophy, and to hear her thoughts on the future of the sneaker industry.

12/08/2024

Change is real. Change is material. Change is here. This is the proof.

One common criticism of next-gen innovation is that it's too far removed from the real world – that it's all theory and no substance. It's not entirely unfair, as critiques go, but it's also not totally true either.

From footwear to furniture, apparel to high-end accessories, the next wave of material is already making its mark on the world. But progress doesn't always get the attention it deserves. And that's why we put together this list.

Using everything from fruit waste to algae, wood pulp to bacteria, this is FVV's list of next-gen products you can actually buy and own: a way to show your support – not just for the material innovation industry or for brands who are working to make tangible change, but for our shared future.

Hit the link in bio to read the full list and to see the real, tangible impact that material innovation is already having on the world.

31/07/2024

Sustainability? Circularity? Biodegradability? These are words we see every day – terms we're expected to recognize as positive but aren't necessarily expected to understand. So, what do they really mean?

Used more often to hide the truth than share knowledge, Earth-friendlier terminology is a minefield of jargon that consumers are just supposed to accept. But it never hurts to look beyond the headline.

From Emissions to Bio-based Materials, ESG to CO2e, this is a list of key terms that we shouldn't just recognize but need to genuinely understand – an honest glossary built to curb greenwashing and celebrate genuine change.

Hit the link in bio to read the full glossary of honest, Earth-friendlier terminology and to discover what those words you've seen tossed around by your favorite brands actually mean.

29/07/2024

[FVV. AGENCY]
creative. design. social.
for ASTRAL LABS. oo1-A

>

FVV.AGENCY is an extension of FUTUREVVORLD, created to help brands craft compelling campaigns around Earth Friendlier projects.

We are discerning in what projects we lend our creativity to and we are passionate about making a difference.

If you’d like to work with us, reach out.
We’re here to help.

[email protected]

25/07/2024

AI is coming for everything you love.

That might sound like hyperbole, but the controversial technology is already making its mark on everything from journalism to the movies. So, why would sneakers be any different?

From product design to marketing to sustainability, there's nothing AI can't make more efficient. At least not in theory, anyway. But does the reality stack up?

Is the very real environmental cost of AI enough to outweigh the potential good? Is streamlining design and production worth the loss of jobs? And, critically – crucially – isn't there something inherently human about sneakers, as with all art forms, that can't be emulated by machines?

Will Al change the sneaker industry for the better or are we in danger of forgetting where we come from and what all of this really means? Hit the link in bio to find out.

23/07/2024

If you didn't notice RÆBURN was gone, that's one thing. But you're going to notice that the London-based brand is back.

With a passion for out-of-use objects and a vocation for rethinking their place in the world, Christopher Raeburn and his namesake brand have been a beacon of circular design for much longer than the term has been a buzzword.

With shifting priorities in the industry requiring a rethink, however, RÆBURN has been on effective hiatus for most of 2024 so far, taking time out to plot a course for the brand that matches the founder's ambitions for the industry and for the planet.

Now, though, RÆBURN is back, kitted out with a new sense of purpose and a renewed drive to bring about real change through channels of community, collaboration, and grassroots outreach.

Now returning to the front lines of forward-thinking fashion, hit the link in bio and take a deep dive into the past, present and future of Christopher Raeburn's game-changing label.

16/07/2024

[FVV. AGENCY]
creative. social. concept.
for “Cloudprime”

>

FVV.AGENCY is an extension of FUTUREVVORLD, created to help brands craft compelling campaigns around Earth Friendlier projects.

We are discerning in what projects we lend our creativity to and we are passionate about making a difference.

If you’d like to work with us, reach out.
We’re here to help.

[email protected]

10/07/2024

Real change means material change. This is what that looks like.

Featuring big-name brands with skin in to the game and next-generation innovators with solutions to some of our most pressing problems, this list is testament to the progressive and collaborative future unfolding before us.

Covering everything from a new collection of basics dyed with algae ink to eyewear crafted from discarded wetsuits, fresh funding for an enzyme that eats plastic to a collaborative effort that could scale sustainability in fashion at an unprecedented rate.

This is what you need to know to stay clued in for what's next.

Hit the link in bio for the full list and to discover the latest next-generation news - from nature's answers to our environmental problems to the printed future of high fashion.

05/07/2024

Sometimes leading the conversation means changing it completely.

So it is with Parley for the Oceans. Having built a reputation on recycled plastics over the last twelve years, it's now become clear that the dialogue it started isn't the one we should be having.

So, what now?

It may seem like a tough question considering what feels like such a massive pivot, but it's actually one that comes with an easy answer. Neatly encapsulated by this latest collaboration with Sky High Farms Universe, the next phase of Parley is focused on progress – without the plastic.

Featuring an array of next-generation innovators working with plant-based and biomanufactured materials, the four-piece capsule is a showcase for what can be achieved without the need for petrochemicals and a statement of intent from Parley and all of its collaborators.

Tap the link in bio to hear more from Parley founder Cyrill Gutsch, to find out how this collaborative collection could change more minds than you think, and to discover just what next-gen materials can do for your wardrobe.

27/06/2024

Is this the end of the footwear industry as we know it? Or maybe just the start of something new?

Following a year of "open beta," 3D-printing footwear disruptor Zellerfeld has thrown open the door to its Open Platform for fully recyclable, made-to-order sneaker production.

And, in doing so, the NYC innovator has also blown open the doors of the footwear industry.

In providing infrastructure and a space for experimentation, Zellerfeld has effectively lowered the barrier to entry, shaking up the exclusivity status quo and putting power where it belongs – into the hands of creatives who are able to prioritize progress over profit.

Hit the link in bio to find more on Zellerfeld's Open Platform launch and to discover how this could disrupt the footwear industry as we know it, covering everything from sustainability to creativity.

26/06/2024

From deadstock to marine waste, upcycled workwear to modular skate shoes to gardening sandals, this is the best new Earth-friendlier footwear you need to know this month.

With releases from the likes of Nicole McLaughlin and HOKA, Story mfg. and Keen, Sky High Farm and Converse, HUGO and Flowers For Society, it's been a big month for proving that collaborative power is a huge force for progress.

But there's also proof that singular vision can bring change, too. A new, repairable skate shoe, for example, from a Parisian brand dedicated to reshaping the sport. Or what one designer is calling, "The Last Sneaker Before the Apocalypse." Although, of course, we hope not.

In short: there's something for everyone.

Hit the link in bio for the full list and to discover the latest in future-facing, sustainable and progress-focused footwear.

24/06/2024

We tried to ignore it but we just can't anymore. We need to talk about SHEIN.

Having inserted itself into the conversation by making claims at circularity with a half-baked "deadstock" initiative, SHEIN has now crossed yet another Rubicon. In co-opting the language of sustainability to pressure wash its many, many misdeeds, the fast fashion juggernaut has opened itself further scrutiny.

And SHEIN desperately needs to be scrutinized.

The real question, though, is can it be stopped? Have we now come so far that the beast simply can't be tamed in any meaningful way? Are we just shouting into the void?

More to the point, are we kidding ourselves when we think of SHEIN as an outlier, or are we staring down the barrel of the new mass-production normal?

Tap the link in bio to go deep on the elephant in the room, to read more on why we can't just hope SHEIN will go away anymore, and what we should expect to happen next.

20/06/2024

There's no such thing as a free lunch. And there's no such thing as a free return.

Between packaging, emissions, and the volume of barely-touched clothes and shoes that end up in landfill, the proliferation of free returns has created and set free a monster in the fashion industry – which, of course, is already riddled with demons of its own.

But is this really what consumers want? Are we really willing to pay such a steep price to avoid a little postage?

And, more importantly, what's the solution? It's one thing to stop free returns cold turkey – people will cope – but it's also a question of changing the culture this service has fostered.

We need real change. And we need it now.

Hit the link in bio to read up on the real cost of free returns, to find out what needs to change, and to read more on how - whatever happens
- we can't go on like this.

18/06/2024

Since 2012, Maurizio Donadi's Transnomadica has been creating against the current – bucking the trend of mass-production and never-ending consumption, opting instead for something more like radical recirculation.

Part art project, part purveyor of upcycled and vintage garments, LA-based Transnomadica defies classification as any one thing and most certainly doesn't fit under the definition of "brand" as we know it today.

Having collaborated with the likes of Dockers and Nike, however, the brands are clearly not as skittish of embracing Donadi's work as he is of embracing that divisive term.

Standing resolutely against the endless conveyor belt of things that are produced and instantly forgotten, Transnomadica is focused on highlighting the history of the garments in its care – allowing clothes and objects to speak for themselves, rather than whitewashing the past for resale purposes.

Donadi's is not a mission of moving units, but – in the end – of moving people; of connecting ideas, things, places and human beings. Which, again, is not what you'd expect from a brand.

Visit the link in bio to get further acquainted with Transnomadica, its mission of waste reduction, and why, despite appearances, it is absolutely not a brand in the traditional sense of the word.

17/06/2024

How to Build a Sustainable Sneaker Brand: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Truth.

Do people even want sustainable sneakers? Can Earth-friendlier footwear still look good? Is there more pressure on sustainable brands to be better than their industry peers? Will the industry ever really change?

Most importantly: Is it worth it?

Building a successful brand is hard enough. Creating something that runs counter to the status quo – something that stands against the norms of the industry that you have no real choice but to be a part of – well, that's even harder.

Hard, but not impossible.

With that in mind, these are just some of the questions we put to Brett Golliff, Solene Roure, and Will Verona – designers and founders who have all built something from the ground up without ever compromising their Earth-friendlier ethos.

From creativity to logistics to keeping your personal philosophy in tact, this is the "How To" and "How Not To" guide to building a sustainable sneaker brand.

Hit the link in bio to find out what it takes to build a sustainable sneaker brand from scratch and to take a deep-dive on what that really means for designers, for consumers, and for the planet.

14/06/2024

Will CIRCULOSE's second coming be fashion's recycling reckoning?

Having collapsed earlier this year after a period of poor uptake and a string of broken promises sent its share price into free-fall, Swedish textile-to-textile recycler was presumed dead and buried.

But it seems rumours of its demise may have been exaggerated.

Back with a new name and new investment, the reanimation of Renewcell – now CIRCULOSE – offers a rare second chance. Not just for the innovator itself, but for the fashion industry at large.

But has anything really changed in the last four months? Can fashion really have found some semblance of a spine in such a short period of time? Is progress once again on the agenda or should we just expect more excuses?

Renewcell may be gone, but real change isn't. Now what?

Tap the link in bio to read more about the return of CIRCULOSE, the possibility of a better future for the fashion industry, and to find out what could still hold back the change we desperately need.

12/06/2024

Abc., easy as 1TRL.

Sometimes you don't need to reinvent the wheel – the wheel, after all, is basically the best way of getting you from where you are to where you want to be.

And the same could be said of Merrell's Hydro Moc – a shoe that blends aesthetic minimalism and technical functionality in a way that's hard to improve on. Hard, but not impossible.

Collaborating with L.A.-based Advisory Board Crystals, Merrell's experimental 1TRL subdivision has concocted an upgraded version of the shoe, adding utility without overcomplicating the design and further embracing Earth-friendlier ideas, from recycled materials to algae-based foam.

Hit the link in bio to get a closer look at the utility-focused and planet-forward collaboration and to hear more about what brought the two brands together on this project.

07/06/2024

In the push toward progress, plastic is public enemy number one. Or plastic in the traditional sense, at least.

But that's the thing: as the world changes, words can change too. Plastic doesn't have to mean petrochemicals and it doesn't have to mean poison.

Conventional wisdom may be against reinventing the wheel, but sometimes the wheel as we know it isn't fit for purpose. And that's where Rheom Materials comes in – finding a midway point between the everyday material that we know (and know to be unsustainable in the truest sense) and something entirely new; a bio-based alternative which delivers on the form and function of its fossil-fuelled predecessor but which puts the planet first.

Hit the link in bio to read the full feature, to find more on the new vanguard of next-generation material innovation, and to hear more about how bio-based plastic alternatives are moving the needle on Earth-friendlier production.

06/06/2024

Is this sportswear's turning point or its tipping point?

With a swathe of upstart brands leading the way with an Earth-first mentality, the industry's biggest names are making their own commitments to change.

But, as we all know by now, actions speak louder than words – even if someone is being extra loud.

Still, finally, it feels like things could be moving in the right direction; like momentum could be behind real progress.

Whether the global heavyweights like Nike and adidas have come to their own realization about planet's future or they've been nudged into action by the efforts and successes of relative newcomers like On, norda, Circle or Satisfy almost doesn't matter.

What matters is what happens next.

Tap the link in bio to go deep on sportswear's complicated relationship with sustainability, to brush up on the brands who are making change their main priority, and to find out where we go from here.

04/06/2024

You've heard "fight fire with fire," but what about, "protect nature with nature"?

Well, that's the premise of the new collaboration between B-Corp conservationists Parks Project and Michigan-based outdoor aficionados Merrell.

Coming together on a capsule which raises both money and awareness for the Great Outdoors, the plant-themed mini-collection celebrates the beauty of nature without putting undue pressure on the planet.

Hinging on an Earth-friendlier version of the world's best-selling hiking shoe, the Merrell Moab 3, the collaboration is the material realization of both brands' shared philosophy – and a shared commitment to putting that ethos into action.

Hit the link in bio to get a closer look at the collection, to find out how this collaboration benefits the planet and the local community, and to hear more about how it all came together from the people involved.

Futurevvorld