From global apparel and textile manufacturers to popular retail clothing brands, the spotlight on sustainability in the fashion industry is growing brighter and harder to avoid. Companies such as Allmade, Next Level, Gildan, and more have also implemented strategies toward progress. Often, those in the decorated apparel space pay attention to what’s happening in the retail world, looking to runways to inspire apparel trends.

So when Lululemon unveiled its first shirts featuring plant-based nylon, it was worth paying attention.

The company introduced what it calls its first renewably sourced, plant-based nylon products as a way to woo consumers shopping for more sustainable apparel, as shared in an article from the Financial Post.

Lululemon broke the news on April 18 about the plant-based nylon, which it said was achieved from “fermenting plant sugars into the chemical building blocks used to make nylon.” The launch was done through a partnership with Genomatica Inc., a manufacturer of sustainable materials made from plants instead of fossil fuels. Lululemon has had a stake in Genomatica since 2021.

According to the article shared by the Financial Post, more than 8.7 million tons of nylon, which is made from synthetic materials, are produced each year. Lululemon stated that the companies replaced petroleum in the fabric for these products with plants. It describes the shirts containing the new material as “high-performance” with the same feel as the material in the fabrics Lululemon has been offering.

“We’ve been working on plant-based nylon with our partner Geno for almost two years,” Esther Speck, Lululemon senior vice-president, global sustainable business and impact, said in a press release. The launch of the plant-based nylon products is part of the company’s “journey toward net zero,” Speck added.