Losanje was born out of a simple observation. 92% of CO2 emissions linked to the manufacturing of new products are related to raw materials. Meanwhile, only 1% of existing products are repurposed. A quick calculation leads to an obvious necessity: reusing what already exists by cutting panels from finished products to create new ones. But one challenge remains: upcycling struggles to meet the industry’s demands for efficiency and profitability.

“The problem arises at the cutting stage” Says Marie Crétel, Sales Manager at Losanje. « For now it’s a very artisanal process, done by hand and therefore very time-consuming, with an impact on production costs. And this prevents large-scale or serial production.”

A ready-made solution for the fashion industry

This is where Losanje comes in. The company has designed the first robotic line for automating the cutting stage, which transforms garments into panels in just 30 seconds. This solution quickly attracted major French groups such as La Poste, EDF or SNCF, France’s national railway company, which commissioned Losanje to refurbish its old train seats.

“But these companies’ needs are only occasional. If we want to reach a wider audience and have a greater impact, we need to target the ready-to-wear market.” That’s why Losanje joined this new Interfilière Paris edition, setting up its booth on the Creative Hub, a space dedicated to textile innovation. There, it offers a 360° solution, from conception to design, sourcing, cutting, production and delivery. The company now accounts for more than 150,000 upcycled products and more than 200,000 tons of reused fabric.

Addressing the issues holding back upcycling

“The biggest advantage of moving production to an industrial scale is that the costs are the same as for standard production.” Says Marie Crétel. As virtuous as it is, upcycling still carries the reputation of being too restrictive when it comes to high production costs, limited design possibilities and too small a scale.

Losanje tackles these issues one by one by offering custom designs in large quantities, without any extra cost. What’s next? “Spreading the word, as we’re doing at Interfilière by meeting the textile players. And helping brands understand that they can start small, by letting us handle part of their collection.” With one goal in mind: break down clichés once and for all, to democratize upcycling and embed its culture across the fashion industry.