MONO VEST - A NEW, RADICAL SOLUTION. CIRCULAR AND LOCAL.
The Mono Vest VON KERSTIN is a vest radically designed according to the principles of the circular economy. Unlike conventional textiles, which are always made of a mix of materials that are practically impossible to dissolve, the Mono Vest is made of only one family of materials.
To enable recycling, all components are made of a mono-material, more precisely polyamide 6. This includes all components such as fabric, filling material, sewing thread and zipper. Only the logo and the slider have to be removed before recycling.
An important milestone on the road to a circular economy.
SPONSORED PROJECT
The launch of the Mono Vest makes us particularly proud, as the concept was promoted the year before in the first selection of the NTN Innovation Booster "Applied Circular Sustainability". An initiative of Innosuisse, the Swiss Agency for Innovation Promotion of the Swiss Government. After a long and intensive development phase, it is now finally ready for launch with a first series.
The sponsorship was carried out by the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Here it goes to our Final presentation in Winterthur.
DEVELOPED FOR CIRCULARITY
With the Mono Vest, we are taking a big step towards sustainable textile production. The Mono Vest is designed so that it never has to be separated, but can be recycled directly as a whole. Made from 100% nylon 6 from fair production and sourced in a local European production circle. A new approach designed to be recyclable in a technical circuit. In addition, we offer 5 years of free repair so you can wear it as long as possible. The Mono Vest minimizes the wear of limited resources and creates a circle that allows the raw material to be passed on to the next generations without loss of quality.
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT 2019 TO AUGUST 2023: PRACTICAL CIRCLE CLOSURE
Developing a completely closed cycle in a technical cycle in the fashion industry that can also recycle the raw material in practice while maintaining the same quality is practically non-existent and poses many challenges. Mixed fabrics, color qualities or finishes, among other things, make recyclability impossible for pretty much most textiles. Economically viable solutions are still in their infancy.
Transparency is the foundation of our work. Only with transparency can consumers make the right purchasing decisions and promote sustainable consumer behavior. Therefore, we would like to show what challenges arise on the way to a recyclable product.
As of today, October 3, 2022, we have already had three out of four components confirmed in the laboratory for practical recyclability. The last component, the fabric, is equipped with an impregnation that makes the fabric water-resistant, but makes it more difficult to recycle. We still need to optimize this feature for the second series. The relevant laboratory tests are currently being carried out.
The final result is a vest that is not only theoretically recyclable, but can be put back into circulation in the simplest way possible. We will keep you posted.
PROJECT UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2023: SUCCESSFUL CIRCLE CLOSURE
Together with our recycling partner Aquafil, the manufacturer of regenerated ECONYL® nylon, we are closing the loop for a complete textile-to-textile production cycle in practice. By integrating it into the ECONYL® Regeneration System, which is powered exclusively by renewable energy, our Mono Vest Wood is fully recycled in the form of granulate, without any loss of quality or downcycling. Converted into new ECONYL® yarn, future Mono Vests are created from this.
We are proud to be pioneers of the polyamide 6 circular economy with this innovation and present you with the latest edition of the color ́Wood ́a completely closed, scalable textile cycle. In the first edition, we were able to confirm the recyclability of three of the four components. The water-repellent coating of the fabric presented us with a final hurdle, which has now been successfully overcome with the second production run, launched in fall 2023. So today we present you with the completed realization of our vision: A world in which materials can circulate in a closed loop, with complete design freedom for the future generation. 
LOCAL SOURCING AND PRODUCTION
We not only attach importance to the ecological and circular design, but the Mono Vest also convinces in terms of ethics and social sustainability in the entire value chain. A normal textile travels on average 26'000 km around the globe and that in extremely diffuse value chains. Our Mono Vest is fairly manufactured in Germany according to German standards in the family business von Kerstin in Thuringia and the complete procurement takes place without exception in the heart of Europe. The end product is packaged in environmentally friendly packaging from of a Swiss foundation to the client and the customer.
A large part of the materials is even Cradle to Cradle certified (raw yarn, sewing thread and insulation). Due to financial reasons, we are currently not able to manage a complete certification of the value chain, but we are proud to be able to work with these safe materials.
The inner and outer fabric is made of ECONYL® polyamide 6. The durable material is woven in Como (Italy). The vest is equipped with nylon 6 high-performance insulation, which is manufactured in Novedrate- in northern Italy. The sewing thread made of recycled polyamide 6 is fabricated in Augsburg, Germany. The zipper, made of pure nylon 6, is manufactured near Turin in Italy (slider: China) and the logo is from Portugal. The production is made in Thüringen Germany.
Discover Mono Vest VON KERSTIN
Campaign Photography: Claude Gasser
Still-Life Photography: Tobias Siebrecht
3D Animation: David To Lai
Female Model: Aurélie
Male Model: Adam
H&M: FK
Styling: Nathalie Eggenschwiler
Dresses: KariKari
Editing technique: Omar Churqui Luna & Pablo Reiniger
Sustainability Advisor: Christina Nakhle
