DS AUTOMOBILES REVEALS ECO CONSCIOUS FASHION COLLECTION THAT ABSORBS CO2

Premium French car manufacturer, DS Automobiles, has created an eco-conscious capsule fashion collection that actively absorbs CO2.

The CO2-absorbing clothing collection forms a part DS’ Future Craft philosophy, combining French luxury savoir-faire with innovative and sustainable materials. By absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the clothing line also underlines DS’ commitment to eco-conscious luxury that stands at the core of the electrified E-TENSE range.

The collection builds on the French brand’s affiliation with Paris Fashion Week, and previews on the eve of the Women’s A/W shows (1 – 9 March 2021). The four-piece unisex collection has been created in collaboration with emerging high-fashion brand EGONlab – which featured as part of Paris Fashion Week’s SPHERE Showroom last year – and London-based design research studio, Post Carbon Lab.

Consisting of a Parisian inspired slogan bomber jacket, trench coat and two t-shirts, designed exclusively for DS Automobiles by EGONlab, the garments feature elements treated by Post Carbon Lab with the photosynthetic coating, which absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The photosynthetic coating created by Post Carbon Lab consists of a layer of living algae on the fabric of the garments that absorbs carbon dioxide and emits oxygen, turning the carbon into glucose. So far, during the dyeing and coating process over the course of 10 weeks, the capsule collection has absorbed 1,452g of CO2, the same amount as a typical six-year-old oak tree over approximately six months.

The all-electric DS 3 CROSSBACK E-TENSE and DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE 4x4 Plug-in Hybrid deliver avant-garde style and advanced technologies with zero tailpipe emissions and elevated efficiency respectively.

“We are extremely excited to reveal our first eco-conscious fashion capsule collection in time for the Paris Fashion Week Women’s A/W shows. Premium style and innovation are at the forefront of the DS brand and something we believe should go hand in hand as we work towards a more sustainable future, offering innovative mobility solutions.

“DS Automobiles is committed to providing customers with premium vehicle choices that are kinder to the planet through our E-TENSE electrified range, with the ambition to have a fully electrified and plug-in hybrid range by 2025. The reveal of our eco-conscious fashion collection is just one example of our innovative approach to using different techniques and materials in our cars that embodies the spirit of Avant Garde.” Béatrice Foucher, DS Automobiles CEO.

EGONlab is an emerging French fashion brand, co-founded and led by Florentin Glemarec and Kévin Nompeix. Its designs are inspired by artistic movements and modern society – creating performative fashion that pays homage to great revolutionaries of our time.

“We are delighted to have worked with DS Automobiles and Post Carbon Lab to create this truly unique collection. The collection consists of two statement t-shirts, bomber jacket and trench coat – trademarks of the EGONlab label – with each featuring a powerful slogan.

“We took inspiration from the city of Paris and the strong spirit of its residents and were excited to work with new materials and techniques. The bomber jacket (Green Bomber) and trench coat (Power Sustainable Dreams) are partially coated with the photosynthetic coating, whilst the t-shirts (Lead the Charge), have been completely treated with the coating. We love how each piece has turned out and how accessible they are for people looking to make a statement and reduce their carbon footprint.” Florentin Glemarec and Kévin Nompeix, Joint CEOs & Artistic Directors of EGONlab.

Post Carbon Lab, founded by researchers Dian-Jen Lin and Hannes Hulstaert, is a trans-disciplinary design research studio with a focus on sustainability and ‘green living’. Its microbial treatments allow fabrics and clothes to serve an ecological purpose and respond to the world around them.

“Working alongside DS Automobiles and EGONlab has been a great way to test our new technology and merge the two worlds of fashion, innovation and green living together – something we strive to provide the metropolitan audience with. It is clear that as individual brands, we all share a passion for using advanced technologies and working towards a sustainable future.

“We collaborated with EGONlab to treat the materials used for the concept collection using our microbiological processes. This is a living algae coating, consisting of layers of photosynthetic micro-organisms that can turn carbon dioxide into oxygen – the coating process as a whole took between seven and 10 weeks.” Dian-Jen Lin and Hannes Hulstaert, Co-founders of Post Carbon Lab.

In a short film, released by DS Automobiles, the pieces are modelled in Paris amongst the latest cars in the DS range.

The four-piece capsule collection is part of wider plans for DS to explore a potential limited run of the garments for consumer purchase in the future.

DS Automobiles already offers an electrified variant across its entire model range, courtesy of the E-TENSE range. These models will be joined this year by the all-new DS 9 and DS 4, available in plug-in-hybrid, as the brand will offer only fully electric and plug-in hybrid model range by 2025.

DS Automobiles is also a two-time world champion of the fastest growing sport on the planet, Formula E. Last year, DS TECHEETAH and driver António Félix da Costa took home the Formula E championship after a dominant season in the electric-only motorsport series.

To find out more about DS Automobiles, visit: https://www.dsautomobiles.co.uk/home

ENDS

PRESS CONTACTS

Kristian Cholmondeley – 07831 315892 – kristian.cholmondeley@dsautomobiles.com

Jeremy Townsend – 07827 896480 – jeremy.townsend@stellantis.com

ABOUT DS AUTOMOBILES

Driven by the spirit of the avant-garde and backed by an exceptional heritage - that of the 1955 DS, the DS brand, launched in 2015, aims to embody French luxury savoir-faire in the automotive industry. DS Automobiles is Groupe PSA's Premium brand.

Designed for a customer base looking for personal expression and eager for new technologies, the second generation of DS models combines refinement and cutting-edge technology. With DS 7 CROSSBACK, DS 3 CROSSBACK and DS 9, the DS brand is launching a range of six vehicles worldwide, all offered in an electrified version under the E-TENSE label.

DS 3 CROSSBACK E-TENSE, 100% electric, DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE 225 and DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE 4x4, a plug-in hybrid with 300 horsepower and 4-wheel drive for only 30 grams of CO2 per km, benefit from DS savoir-faire acquired with the Formula E Drivers and Teams Championship titles in 2018/2019.

For its discerning customers, DS Automobiles has created "ONLY YOU, the DS Experience", its exclusive service programme for a unique brand experience.

With a presence in 39 countries, the DS brand has created and is developing an exclusive distribution network that includes 427 DS STORES and DS SALONS throughout the world.

Follow all the news from DS on www.DSautomobiles.co.uk @DS_UK

About EGONLab

“We see ourselves as visual artists. Each collection wants to preserve the aesthetics that a work of art must provoke.’’

EGONlab is a French emerging brand whose visual eye is deeply inspired by artistic movements and which have greatly influenced our modern society.

Each collection will showcase an artistic re-interpretation of these revolutions and the ripple effects following their fruition.

Merging fashion, music, innovation, motion design, and mixed media art - EGONlab is a one of a kind brand and a movement in itself, one who offers a fully immersive and completely unique experience for its consumers.

About Post Carbon Lab

Post Carbon Lab, founded by Dian-Jen Lin and Hannes Hulstaert, is a transdisciplinary design research studio with a focus on regenerative sustainability and dignity.

Starting with theoretical prompts and investigate with empirical data collection, they scrutinise the need for design and its inherent ecological and social responsibilities.

To push the perception of sustainable fashion further, they offer service pilots of pioneering microbiological processes for textile applications to designers and brands — Microbial Pigmentation & Photosynthetic Coating — as proactive and regenerative pathways to climate-positive fashion.