Polartec – a Milliken & Company brand and the premium creator of innovative and sustainable textile solutions – together with Houdini Sportswear celebrates 20 years of partnership this month, showcased in the best-selling Power Houdi; one of the most technical performance mid-layers on the market for two decades. The then-tiny brand from Sweden approached Polartec with the goal of making the perfect technical mid-layer, and today, the Power Houdi is still going strong with customers reporting an average of 1287 wearings and exceeding over 10 years of product lifespan. The success of the product combined with the longevity of its performance is the ideal example of Polartec’s commitment to sustainable product development with eco-conscious engineering.
With the rise in fast fashion, overall clothing production has doubled in the last 15 years to 100 billion garments a year, yet the time consumers use those clothes has been cut in half. Consequently, almost three-fifths of clothing end up in incinerators or landfills within a year of being produced. With clothes and shoes representing 8% of all CO2 emissions – more than air and sea transport combined – creating products that last is a primary goal for Polartec & Houdini.
“Polartec Power Stretch Pro is a well-loved, iconic fabric and one of the world’s finest technical mid-layer fabrics,” says Karen Beattie, Director of Product Management at Polartec. “It goes the distance in terms of longevity with its highly durable, nylon exterior. But more importantly, it has great ‘want to wear’ credentials. Its activity-enabling stretch, high breathability, cozy warmth, softness, and forever good looks make it a perfect choice for all life’s adventures.”
With a high warmth-to-weight ratio and excellent breathability, Polartec Power Stretch Pro keeps the wearer both warm and dry. Producing fabric technologies that perform and endure, like the Power Houdi, extends the lifespan of the garment and minimizes additional landfill waste.
Eva Karlsson, CEO at Houdini Sportswear says: “We cannot compromise with performance or comfort. We need to make products that people fall in love with and stay in love with. Clothing that promotes longevity”.
Polartec and Houdini are proud to celebrate sustainable design, eco-conscious engineering, and a future of circular activewear ultimately creating products that continue to endure for seasons and generations to come.
