The University of Technology Sydney and material innovation startup Noéma have developed prototype garments made entirely from a biobased, fully compostable yarn.
According to the pair, this marks a significant step toward replacing synthetic fibres in fashion supply chains.
The yarn is derived from agricultural by-products of plants such as corn and sugar cane.
Working with UTS’s Advanced Fabrication Research Lab (AFRL) and the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion + Textiles (CoE), the project leveraged UTS’s 3D-knitting Shima Seiki wholegarment technology and thought leadership.
They allowed Noéma to transform its biobased yarn into wearable seamless garments employing an advanced manufacturing method that aligns with the company’s zero-waste philosophy by eliminating the off-cut waste inherent in traditional cut-and-sew manufacturing.
Noéma founder and CEO Sandra Vassilopoulou said the milestone followed years of research.
"Seeing our yarn come to life as ready-to-wear, seamless clothes in collaboration with UTS is an enormous milestone," she said.
“I’m deeply grateful to the UTS AFRL and CoE teams for their technical expertise, innovative thinking, collaboration and commitment to solving the world’s greatest challenges. Working alongside a highly professional team that shares our vision for circular design & having access to their world‑class knitting equipment has accelerated our learning curve on material performance and fit and allowed for rapid progress.”
CoE director Dr Lisa Lake said the partnership demonstrated the application of advanced knitting technology to next-generation materials.
"It is like watching firsthand the fashion of the future being developed, knowing it is better for people and planet," she said.
The announcement comes as the fashion industry faces mounting scrutiny over textile waste, with the sector estimated to generate over 92 million tonnes annually, the majority of which is fossil-fuel based.
Next steps following this milestone include testing new designs, refining knitting structures and scaling production for trials with end users from Noéma's priority waitlist.