Hypothesis

Apparel brands will reduce returns and improve customer retention if they measure and assess durability across SKUs and categories.

Process

• Interviewed 50+ apparel brands and related stakeholders
• Reframed microfiber shed as one signal inside a broader durability system
• Built dashboard prototypes to illustrate how we would evaluate durability and unify garment performance across lifecycle stages
• Demoed concept and hardware product at key R&D apparel labs in the Pacific Northwest (REI, Arc’teryx, lululemon)
• Secured a $10k pilot with lululemon

What We Learned

Measurement is the bottleneck before mitigation

• Brands want to act but can’t measure microplastic shed reliably as test methods are inconsistent or non-repeatable
• Responsibility is diffused across complex supply chains
• No shared thresholds means no accountability
• There is not a compelling narrative for brands to share with their customers about microfiber shed mitigation in apparel
• Durability metrics and legislation are not established enough to drive the narrative or supply bottom line incentives

Key Pitch Snapshots