Hybrid Project

The message of the project

Dualities are balanced in the Hybrid Project. They want to start a conversation between fashion and science. Their outerwear designs are produced through a transdisciplinary partnership between designers and material scientists, with the goal of reducing the environmental impact of the water-proof coat business. They approach garment development with the same consideration for the material as they do for the design. 

Their first product is aimed at the water-resistant clothing market. They intend to remove all fluorinated chemicals used in textile manufacturing that are harmful to the environment. They are devoted to advancing scientific research and innovation in order to make systematic efforts toward environmental protection.

The idea behind the project

When consumers are pressed for time, stressed, cold, or wet, why shouldn't a coat provide them with the confidence to confront their challenges? Outerwear constructed of synthetic fabrics meets the requirement to protect consumers from the elements. But did you know that synthetic materials still account for 65% of all fibres manufactured each year and take more than 100 years to biodegrade? And, because rainy days in locations like London or Amsterdam account for an average of 170 days per year, people choose to protect themselves from the weather by wearing blended petrochemical-based textiles. Because of their diverse raw material sources, these materials are more difficult to recycle. Plastic microfilaments are also lost into the environment and enter the body through the skin when worn. Furthermore, waterproof clothing is covered with a durable water repellent coating consisting of hazardous fluorinated chemicals.

The Hybrid Project was founded with the intention of reducing the use of synthetic materials and removing hazardous chemicals. At the same time, they want to provide their customers with a more attractive design alternative that nevertheless provides the same safety and performance.

The Hybrid project aims to bring together nature, technology, and design. From a design standpoint, they aspire to facilitate the transition between customers' everyday responsibilities with deliberately created clothing that provides the user with improved mobility and practical comfort in a variety of circumstances and would be ideal for any fashion-conscious individual. They began by considering pattern construction and how they might adjust the design to achieve a mix of practicality and aesthetic fit.

They sought to examine the substance from the standpoints of nature and technology. They think that merging regenerating natural materials with modern technology will lead to a more sustainable future. They wondered how they might make a water-proof substance from natural materials. Could such a material be made recyclable at the end of its life? And might they get rid of hazardous poisons while keeping you dry?

The collaboration between Aibryd, Sara Tolentino, and Nest-tex offers a transdisciplinary forum to cooperatively investigate new material solutions. Their partnership resulted in water-resistant clothing composed of natural materials that is healthier for the wearer and less taxing on the environment. Nest-unique tex's water-proof membrane made of biopolymers, which they attached to a cotton textile to create a sustainable and recyclable protective fabric, makes this solution viable. Their continued work provides a natural way to the synthetic-dominated water-proof industry and demonstrates how cross-disciplinary collaboration leads to better solutions for the world and customers.

What next?

Within the WORTH Project, they hope to progress their research into natural materials with water-proof uses from the concept stage to prototypes and the introduction of a capsule collection that achieves our goal. As a result of their collaboration, they will produce a line of water-resistant outerwear made of cotton-cellulose fabric. Furthermore, the project's innovative materials will result in an ecologically friendly solution for the larger industry after the project is completed. The Nest-tex fabric might be used in numerous designs and industries (military, work wear, sporting industry). Their collaboration benefits consumers, the environment, and industry.