BENTONVILLE, AR and SAN FRANCISCO – Walmart is partnering with a pioneering fashion technology company on what it claims is the world’s first 3D weaving technology.
The unspun test program is intended to support the companies' shared efforts to reduce the environmental impact of clothing production and bring more textile manufacturing back to the United States.
In this pilot project, the companies will explore how to use Unspun's 3D loom to produce workwear-style pants under Walmart's own brand. 3D weaving involves spinning yarn directly into a finished garment. Traditionally, yarn is woven into one-dimensional fabrics that are then cut and assembled into garments, creating waste and requiring significant time and multiple manufacturing steps.
The 3D weaving process differs from 3D printing, which creates physical objects from digital designs by laying down thin layers of liquid or powdered plastic, metal, or cement.
If the pilot is successful. Unspun hopes to work with manufacturing partners to deploy additional microsites across the U.S. for onshore and coastal manufacturing, but locations are yet to be determined. Unspin's goal is to launch his 350 machines in the United States by 2030.
“At Walmart, we are focused on bringing innovation to our supply chain to better serve our customers and solve industry challenges, and Unspin has the potential to do just that.” said Andrea Albright, executive vice president of sourcing.
unspun's technological prowess and vision for the future of fashion have earned the company a spot on the Vogue 100 Innovators list, Newsweek's Climate Innovators, TIME's Best Inventions, Fast Company's World-Changing Ideas, and B-corp certification. Masu.
The company has been running low-volume production of commercial products in its first microfactory, with third-party lifecycle assessments to support the impact of unspinning's new type of production.
“Now, in collaboration with Walmart, we see a tremendous opportunity to scale innovations that have the potential to disrupt the clothing manufacturing industry, bring jobs to America, and significantly reduce waste in apparel.” ,” co-founder Beth Esponet said. Not spun.