"The mask is the perfect example of the functional textile that protects us" (Regina Polanco - Pyratex)

(ETX Daily Up) - It was in 2014 that Regina Polanco embarked on the Pyratex adventure with the desire to develop innovative and sustainable textiles that are as respectful of the environment as they are of human health. . Seven years later, at the age of 29, Regina manages a team of sixteen people and has developed thirty-three locally produced natural materials based on nettles, banana waste, or seaweed with multiple benefits for the skin. Meeting with the founder of a brand that can claim to have a good head start in the race for the materials of the future.

Pyratex was created in 2014, long before the race for new sustainable and innovative materials began. What was the starting point of this project? I wanted to develop a fashion collection, with the idea of ​​a brand in B2C, modern, and adapted to the needs of the current consumer. And it was when I started researching materials for this collection that I was frustrated that I couldn't find that combination of functionality and responsibility, two things that I believe are essential. This is how the Pyratex brand was born. I said to myself that before launching a new brand, I had to develop my own materials since I couldn't find them in the textile industry. In 2014, I embarked on three years of R&D (research and development, editor's note) to develop the first five Pyratex materials. And at the end of this first step in 2018, when it was necessary to start the commercial phase, I realized that being able to collaborate with brands from different countries and different sectors was much more interesting and was going to have a lot more positive impact in the industry than presenting these materials through a single brand.

So you no longer intend to highlight these materials through your own brand? What is also interesting today is that we have gone from five to thirty different formulas, and that one and the same material can be used by very different sectors such as ready-to-wear, sport, athleisure, underwear, swimwear, or footwear. And there are also other applications, because we are starting to work with cosmetic brands looking for reusable textiles, and even companies in the automotive industry. Finally, textiles are mainly used in fashion, it's true, but also in other sectors which are very interesting and which also need alternatives to traditional textiles.

What types of raw materials do you use to develop your natural fibres?At Pyratex, we have identified fibres, natural resources, which have never been used in textiles, and which are both functional - otherwise says that have specific properties such as natural UV protection, antioxidant, antibacterial, breathable, or quick-drying - and eco-responsible - properties that require less water, energy, and chemicals while allowing the planet to conserve its resources. Seaweed, for example, is a very interesting fibre. Not only does it proliferate naturally in the North Atlantic, but it also does not need to be cultivated, and does not require water. And the part we use does not destroy the algae in its entirety. We also work with hemp, which is a fiber that has already been used in the textile industry but not in circular knits. It is an eco-responsible fiber that is very resistant over time; which is very important today to keep your clothes longer. Nettle is also a very interesting fiber because it grows naturally, especially since we use a type of nettle that comes from the Himalayas; which makes it possible to have a positive social impact. The idea is not only to work for the environment, but also to help on a human level. We have also developed textiles with waste from food, banana waste that we transform through a mechanical process to make textiles.

You offer fibers that are beneficial for the planet but also for the skin. Can you tell us more? We are indeed very much focused on functionality, and we are only at the beginning of this point with the formulas that we currently offer. What we do the most every day is eat, sleep and dress, and we believe that today we no longer eat just to eat but to enjoy the benefits of food. We believe that textiles should go in this direction, and that we should wear clothes that are good for the planet but also for our health. In the field of sport, there are already materials that have functionalities but not in our everyday clothes when we need them. The antibacterial property is for example very interesting, but today it is thanks to a chemical treatment in the material that textiles have this functionality. We are looking for fibers that naturally have these properties, and which prevent the proliferation of bacteria in textiles. Our research also looks at much-needed UV protection and fibers that are naturally smart and adapt to body temperature.

Among the thirty or so materials developed, which are the most innovative? My favorite at the moment is "Pyratex tropic I", which is a material made with kapok, a flower that has insulating, thermal, and that we offer to brands looking for alternatives to wool. It is a material that is very beautiful, and has a premium appearance.

Which brands use your fibers today? We recently had a very exciting launch with AZ Factory, designed by Alber Elbaz with our textiles. The brand has developed a whole line of different models called "Free To" with two of our materials made from algae. We have also launched a collaboration with Côme Éditions, which is a French ready-to-wear brand that has developed T-shirts with our seaweed-based material for World Oceans Day. Internationally, we work a lot with Asics, who find our materials very interesting as functional alternatives to their main materials which are made with polyester. In another area, we have collaborated with Pangaia, which positions itself as a great defender of alternative, innovative and eco-responsible materials, and which uses many of our fibers in their collections. And there was also Nicholas Kirkwood, part of the LVMH group, who made a shoe with one of our textiles.

How can these materials revolutionize fashion?Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world. It is therefore essential to act, in one way or another, to change things. In addition, legally, it will soon no longer be possible to use certain fibers because, as in food, we are experiencing a phase of limitation in the use of certain processes and certain fibers. All industries experience revolutions at certain times, and I think the textile industry is experiencing its own with a complete change in the fibers that we have used until now. And it's all these brands that use these new materials that are helping to transform the industry.

We are now turning to nature to better preserve it. But don't we finally go back to what our grandparents or great-grandparents did? How is this innovative? The industrial era gave access to non-local fibers, thus replacing the local fibers that were used until then. Hemp is a great example. It is also very interesting to draw a parallel with the cosmetics industry. We are now working with brands that are developing reusable textiles, in particular for removing make-up, and this is a perfect example of this 'stepping back'. Today, we use products which, through industrialization, are used once and thrown away. Today, it is a question, in a certain way, of re-educating the consumer and helping him to understand that he does not need to have hundreds of T-shirts in his wardrobe, but that he can have five that will last a long time if taken care of and made from good quality, durable fibers.

Was the health crisis a turning point in this quest for innovative materials? Yes, completely. Awareness has accelerated. This pandemic took us so much by surprise that we all realized that anything was unfortunately possible, and we all had this strange feeling of the end of the world. Many consumers have realized that today is Covid, but tomorrow could also be global warming. Mentalities have changed in terms of eco-responsibility, but also in terms of functionality. We have always believed in functionality, but until then it was not considered a very 'sexy' thing. This has changed. Ready-to-wear and luxury brands today want to talk about functionality, and are turning to materials that protect consumers. The mask is also the perfect example of the functional textile that protects us.

Do you think you can go even further in your eco-responsible approach? The idea is to work with regenerative fibers, such as wood fibers or seaweed, and to emphasize circularity. We now produce textiles that are less harmful to the planet, but we also want to provide a life cycle that never ends, and to be able to offer our customers the possibility of recycling all our materials. We already do this with some of our fibres, but the ideal would be to be able to do this with all of them.