Fashion brand Pangaia has released a capsule collection of puffer jackets stuffed with wildflowers instead of geese feathers.

Eco-friendly apparel brand Pangaia is known to use seaweed fiber, natural dyes made from plants, fruits and vegetables, flower down, and recycled materials to create high-end modern products in order to make its label as sustainable as possible.

It took the company over 10 years of laboratory research to make the vegan material- FLWRDWN- a trademarked, cruelty-free alternative to goose and duck feathers.

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Pangaia has used a blend of natural wild flowers, a biopolymer and aerogel to create the warm, fluffy, certified hypoallergenic, durable, breathable, and 100% biodegradable winter jacket.

Speaking on the sustainability of using wildflowers for the down, the brand stated: “The wild flowers we source are from areas which contribute to habitat restoration, whilst helping to conserve a species of local butterflies.

“This kind of regenerative agriculture results in a reduction of greenhouse gas production (12 tons of CO2 per hectare of plant material). The method also helps to preserve groundwater, as it doesn’t require irrigation.”

“It has the potential to change the entire industry,” added Dr. Amanda Parkes, Ph.D., chief innovation officer at Pangaia.

While the FLWRDWN puffer jacket is an alternative solution to geese down, the product uses recycled nylon and polyester for the outer shell and lining respectively, slightly underscoring the sustainability initiative.

“It’s great to recycle bottles and get them out of the oceans, but the problem with turning them into textiles is that they still give off microplastics [in your laundry],” explained Parkes

 “That’s why we try to avoid them in our products, but there are a lot of things that we don’t have a good industry solution for yet.”

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However, she continued: “If you use recycled polyester or nylon for garments that aren’t washed often, like shoes or outerwear, that’s okay. But you don’t want it to be in your T-shirts and underwear.”

The three puffer jackets available on pre-order include:

1. Pangaia Puffer Jacket Short in off-white, $550

2. Vaute Couture The Satin Castro in evergreen, $650

3. Wuxly Winx Mid-Weight Jacket in black, $395

Sustainable brands

Pangaia isn’t the only brand that is working towards manufacturing sustainable outerwear; last month, RZA, the Amercian rapper from the Wu-Tang clan launched a vegan winter jacket under his clothing brand 36 Chambers.

“As we evolve as a people through technology and ingenuity, we have the ability through humane ways to fashion garments that not only serve our purpose but also, more importantly, abandon the unnecessary cruelty to animals,” said RZA in a statement.

• Read: Wu-Tang Clan launches vegan winter jacket made from recycled ocean plastic

Which is your favourite vegan fashion brand? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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