Five new sustainable, carbon-negative, plant-based fabric technologies have just been launched. And the businessman behind these innovations, Allie Sutton, CEO of Moonlight Technologies, believes they will change the future of fashion. FashionUnited spoke to Sutton about why plant-based textiles are the way of the future.
Like so many stories, it started with Covid. “I thought there had to be another technology to solve the problem, one that doesn’t require you to throw away disposable items like medical gloves and gowns,” says Sutton. “There should be technology where the virus dies instead of the material.”
Sutton joined forces with a team of botanists who had already developed technology to that end. The team was led by Dr. Phyllis Levine, a gynecologic oncologist with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With her expertise and insight into both the healthcare and textile technology industries, she has been involved in the development and adoption of sustainable, innovative, biofunctional materials for almost a decade.
Self-cleaning fabrics are the future of fashion
“The future of fashion is natural dyes and no-wash products,” says Sutton. The self-cleaning technologies are applied to the fabric after the dyeing process, when other treatments and finishes are added. Moonlight Technologies’ mission to harness the power of nature to create a more sustainable, safer and healthier world through plant-based innovation appeals to brands around the world, who Sutton says are already lining up to own the technology.
The five technologies are:
- EcoArmor, one of the world’s first sustainable antimicrobial technologies for air, plastics and fabrics that kills 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses, mold and fungi;
- InsectProof, a plant-based and permethrin-free insect protection technology for textiles, skin and other products;
- MindfullyClean, a self-cleaning fabric technology that allows products treated with it to remain fresh and clean regardless of use, and rarely need washing;
- OdorSafe, which permanently destroys and eliminates bad odors on textiles; and finally,
- Natural Dyes, a full range of sustainably sourced, non-toxic and biodegradable dyes for hardware and textiles. All the technology can be applied to all types of fabrics, both synthetic and natural.
Sutton says those who work with natural dyes know that it’s almost impossible to get truly dark colors, but as of this week Moonlight Technologies is able to offer a full range of natural dyes derived from plants, including one of the first natural blacks that do not come from charcoal.
Synthetic dyes, first discovered in the 1850s, were valued for their ability to be mass-produced and to color textiles vigorously, but they contain toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Natural dyes that are anti-allergenic and derived from plants, trees, flowers and fungi are safe for both the planet and people. Natural dyes tend to be more expensive than synthetic ones, but Sutton says Moonlight Technologies’ dyes, which are 100 percent derived from a carbon-negative process, are also competitively priced.
Sutton’s career began in the fashion industry. Today he is excited to make these sustainable solutions available to all business areas. You could improve clothing, uniforms, home decoration, air filtration, travel, hospitality products, fitness equipment, electronics, furniture, paint and more.
“Some retail companies are already using our technology. We also work with some of the world’s biggest brands who are testing our technologies and are interested in using them. We look forward to working with partners across many industries to apply our technologies in real-world applications.”
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ