Dive Brief:
- Dr. Martens is boosting its sustainability efforts with a new collection made from recycled leather and an in-house resale platform, according to press releases sent to sister publication Fashion Dive.
- The recycled leather collection, called Genix Nappa, is in partnership with U.K.-based sustainability tech company Gen Phoenix. Additionally, the company partnered with Archive to launch its first U.S. resale platform, named ReWair.
- Both programs are in line with Dr. Martens’ stated sustainability commitments. By 2040, the company says it wants 100% of its footwear to be made from sustainable materials and all of the products it sells to have a sustainable, end-of-life option.
Dive Insight:
The recycled leather collection comes after Dr. Martens participated in Gen Phoenix’s $18 million funding round last year. Other investors in the round included Tapestry and InMotion Ventures, the investment arm of Jaguar Land Rover.
The Genix Nappa line will feature recycled leather remakes of three Dr. Martens styles: the 1460 Lace-Up Boot, the 1461 3-Eye Shoe, and the 2976 Chelsea Boot. Prices in the collection range from 140 to 170 pounds, or about $177 to $215 at current exchange rates. It will be available on Dr. Martens’ e-commerce site beginning Tuesday.
Gen Phoenix’s tech breaks down waste leather to the fiber level and uses recycled water to rebuild it into a recycled material, per the Genix Nappa release.
Founded in 2007, Gen Phoenix calls itself the first recycled leather company at scale. Gen Phoenix previously partnered with Tapestry-owned Coach to launch Coachtopia last year.
“The sustainability challenges of today are complex, and circular business models are one of them,” Tuze Mekik Arguedas Schwank, global head of sustainability for Dr. Martens, said in the release. “At DM’s, we have been taking steps forward in our journey towards circularity, and Genix Nappa is a great example of one of them. It demonstrates that waste is a valuable resource and shows how we can think differently about our products into the future.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Marten’s resale platform, ReWair, launched online last week, using tech from Archive. The platform allows customers to shop for used boots, shoes and bags, which are repaired and restored before being made available for sale online, per an email to Fashion Dive.
Customers can exchange their worn Dr. Martens footwear and bags for a $20 discount voucher that can be used toward a new pair at storefronts in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. Online trade-in options aren’t available yet, but the ReWair website says “stay tuned, there’s more to come.”
Circular textile company Tersus Solutions will handle the repair and restoration of items sold on the platform. Tersus has partnered with several other fashion companies, including New Balance, Ralph Lauren, Eileen Fisher and Canada Goose.
Similarly, tech platform Archive hosts resale platforms for New Balance, Ulla Johnson and Maje.
Dr. Martens previously announced it was working on creating a profitable resale model as part of its DOCS Strategy, following a resale service trial in the U.K. The DOCS Strategy also includes putting its DTC line first as well as expanding its brand through business-to-business strategies.
Dr. Martens’ other sustainability goals include reaching net-zero emissions across the value chain by 2040 and having all of the natural materials used in its products sourced from regenerative agriculture during the same period.
In its most recent earnings statement in January, the company reported a 21% decrease in revenue to 267.1 million pounds. The company attributed decreases in its wholesale and DTC channels to weak performance in the U.S.
