Premium French car manufacturer DS Automobiles, who were formerly part of Citroën, has created an eco-conscious capsule fashion collection that actively absorbs CO2. The CO2-absorbing clothing collection forms a part DS’ Future Craft philosophy, combining French luxury savoir-faire with innovative and sustainable materials. By absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the clothing line also underlines DS’ commitment to eco-conscious luxury that stands at the core of the electrified E-TENSE range.
The collection builds on the French brand’s affiliation with Paris Fashion Week, and previews on the eve of the Women’s A/W shows on 1-9 March 2021. The four-piece unisex collection has been created in collaboration with emerging high-fashion brand EGONlab, who featured as part of Paris Fashion Week’s SPHERE Showroom last year, and London-based design research studio, Post Carbon Lab.
The line-up consists of a Parisian inspired slogan bomber jacket, trench coat and two t-shirts, designed exclusively for DS Automobiles by EGONlab. The garments feature elements treated by Post Carbon Lab with the photosynthetic coating, which absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The photosynthetic coating created by Post Carbon Lab consists of a layer of living algae on the fabric of the garments. It then absorbs carbon dioxide and emits oxygen, turning the carbon into glucose. So far, during the dyeing and coating process over a 10-week period, the capsule collection has absorbed 1,452g of CO2, the same amount as a typical six-year-old oak tree over approximately six months.
Béatrice Foucher, DS Automobiles CEO, said: “We are extremely excited to reveal our first eco-conscious fashion capsule collection in time for the Paris Fashion Week Women’s A/W shows. Premium style and innovation are at the forefront of the DS brand and something we believe should go hand-in-hand as we work towards a more sustainable future, offering innovative mobility solutions.
“DS Automobiles is committed to providing customers with premium vehicle choices that are kinder to the planet through our E-TENSE electrified range, with the ambition to have a fully electrified and plug-in hybrid range by 2025. The reveal of our eco-conscious fashion collection is just one example of our innovative approach to using different techniques and materials in our cars that embodies the spirit of Avant-Garde.”
Florentin Glemarec. CEO and artistic director at EGONlab, said: “The bomber jacket (Green Bomber) and trench coat (Power Sustainable Dreams) are partially coated with the photosynthetic coating, whilst the t-shirts (Lead the Charge), have been completely treated with the coating. We love how each piece has turned out and how accessible they are for people looking to make a statement and reduce their carbon footprint.”
Dian-Jen Lin, co-founder at Post Carbon Lab, said: “Working alongside DS Automobiles and EGONlab has been a great way to test our new technology and merge the two worlds of fashion, innovation and green living together – something we strive to provide the metropolitan audience with. It is clear that as individual brands, we all share a passion for using advanced technologies and working towards a sustainable future.
In a short film released by DS Automobiles, the pieces are modelled in Paris amongst the latest cars in the DS range:
