Our Creative director and founder Kwame Chambers sat with Emmanuel Addae also our founder in our design studio on a rainy Nottingham (UK). The discussion surrounded the state of the fashion industry and how the brand was going to stay competitive while holding true to the ethos of sustainability.
During this discussion, after many cups of coffee, and both making points as to why the brand may or may not be able to compete; a very important question arose.
"Do our customers really care about sustainability, and the fact that our cotton is organic and our polyester is made from recycled material?"
The room became silent, because there was no obvious answer to such a question, why? because market research will only give you a tiny part of the picture. Steve job famously once said in an interview that Apple never conducted market research (in the early days). Jobs said that people do not know what they like until they see it, I am paraphrasing here, but something along those lines.
The point is, some products and ideas are born to aid the evolution of the human species. No idea is more poignant and important to our species than sustainability. For Glitch Anomaly this means utilising the resources of today to create a present that will enable future generations to inherit the planet in a more healthy state than we found it.
Glitch Anomaly was contacted by one of the local universities, Nottingham Trent to ask if the company would be able to take on some interns, in the summer of that year (2018), and the founders agreed.
This was a perfect storm, 2 graduates (both founders) of the Nottingham Business School (NBS), Nottingham Trent University (NTU), where now in a position to work directly with the university and to access resources, the company otherwise would not be able have access to.
The company sent out a brief for students from fields such as Product Development, Design, Photography, Marketing and Fashion Design (garment and textile technology). 8 talented students answered the call, some of which have gone on to be award wining product designers.
The students were given a brief, to produce products which are animal friendly, and not harmful to the planet and people.
These products needed to be of the highest design aesthetic, "futuristic" and as Kwame put it, "something I would see people wearing on mars".This project has since been named Pro=To=Type (trademark).
(from left to right: Kwame Chambers, Emmanuel Addae, Sola Olowoake, Bhapinder Ballagan, and award wining Anastasia Klimova)
The students along with the guidance of creative director Kwame Chambers, came up with products made of Pineapple Leather and Biodegradable Composite.
Within project Pro=To=Type, the product vary from Footwear to Smart Travel Luggage to Slider/slippers, and Bio tech Garments.
The 3D rendering has since been completed, but the challenge of producing the physical product was next. In 2008, the capital and the technology was not accessible to bring these ideas to reality, however technology has made leaps and bounds since then.
In 2022, companies like Zellerfeller is revolutionising footwear production in the fashion/apparel industry, with technology (currently being the beta tested) for 3D printing footwear.
The company is perfecting technology that has the potential to democratise the industry, allowing independent brands to compete, all the while circumventing high cost for making moulds and the requirement to produce high minimum quantities, resulting overproduction and waste.
Glitch Anomaly and founders are optimistic that with technologies such as this, the brand will be able to become industry leaders, leaving a sustainable legacy for future generation.