Scarves made of dog wool and bicycle locks made of textile?Innovations of the creative industry against fast fashion.Text: Culture and Creative Pilots Germany *AdvertisementProducing a 100 percent sustainable product is next to impossible.However, instead of freezing in the face of the complexity of the challenge, these entrepreneurs, who have been awarded cultural and creative pilots in Germany, concentrate on individual elements of the textile value chain.Does your company also stand for sustainability and creativity?Then take your chance and apply for the Germany Cultural and Creative Pilots award by July 25th.With "YarnSustain" the beginning of the chain is tackled, with the raw material, in her case the yarn.The problems in the procurement of textile raw materials are manifold.Cotton cultivation is water and pesticide intensive.There can be ethical concerns when raising animals for wool.In addition, there is the CO2 load during transport.So why not take a resource that's already there that animals don't need to be specially kept for — like a dog's undercoat?The model works like this: Dog owners collect the underhair combed out of their dogs and send it to YarnSustain.You can have the fee paid out, or donate to organizations such as the Animal Welfare Association or the Tibetan Dog Aid.The material is then washed and processed into yarn."I had the idea while I was studying fashion and knitwear design," says Ann Cathrin Schönrock.“There are eight dogs in my family.At some point I had the undercoat in my hands again, whereas before I was annoyed that there was no yarn that completely met my sustainable and ethical standards.” On average, a dog loses 500 to 600 grams of wool per year.When washed, the weight is halved, 300 grams of yarn are enough for a children's jumper.Of course, there are also reservations about clothing made from hair from dogs, which are closer to us as pets than goats, for example.The question of a possible smell also often arises.With a cashmere sweater, however, no one would even think of smelling it in the store — and a goat pen certainly stinks more than a dog kept at home.The finished yarn has a similar feel to cashmere, but has a better environmental balance.Ann Cathrin's own dog Emma also gives her wool - a real "resource saver".Every year, the federal government honors 32 companies as cultural and creative pilots in Germany.Apply at www.kultur-kreativpiloten.deFriederike and Florian Pfeffer from "Woollaa" start at a subsequent point in the value chain: in the production of clothing.Many figures circulate about how many pieces of clothing are produced worldwide each year without being used at all.Some sources estimate that up to 40 percent of all clothing is thrown away without ever being worn."Woollaa" only produces those parts that are actually ordered.This is made possible by a digital knitting machine that can also produce profitably in a quantity of 1.As a rule, the following applies to knitwear, as well as to most other serially manufactured products: the more, the cheaper.Here it is different.Customers can personalize the product on the website.So far, these have been baby blankets with desired names, scarves or pillows with sayings and your own pictures.The design and ordering process is simple, with delivery in just five days.If we only produce what is actually consumed, then we come a big step closer to the principle of sustainability.With knitwear, there is hardly any offcuts and thus waste.Production takes place in one place, there are no CO2 emissions for transporting semi-finished goods around the world.So far, only rectangular parts can be manufactured.Sweaters are now being developed where not only patterns and motifs can be individually configured, but also the type of cuffs, the shape of the neckline or the width of the sleeves."The emotional bond with a self-designed piece is higher, it is used longer," says Friederike Pfeffer, her partner Florian adds: "This is also called the 'Ikea ​​effect'.People have a higher bond with a product they helped create.That increases the subjectively perceived value.” After all, long-term use of clothing is the most sustainable form of consumption.In order to make entire value chains, such as those in the textile industry, more sustainable, it takes a great deal of creative will on the part of those involved, who are not intimidated by the complexity of the task, but try to take one step at a time.At some point, the various solutions to the problem will merge into a whole.Are you self-employed, a founder or an entrepreneur from the cultural and creative industries?Then apply for the unique award of the federal government!A strong entrepreneurial personality is very useful here.“What has always helped me the most is my doer mentality.Of course you think a lot about an idea and the concept, but mostly acting according to the principle 'learning by doing' is the game changer, says Ann Cathrin Schönrock from "YarnSustain"."You need unshakable trust in the future, you have to believe that things can be shaped and shaped, that's a basic attitude," says Florian Pfeffer, who, together with Friederike Pfeffer, runs the design agency and digital strategy consultancy "one/" in addition to "Woollaa". one” with offices in Bremen and Amsterdam.She says, "We like to work in a multidisciplinary manner and after 15 years of service we would like to produce something."For the same reason, "tex-lock" also wanted to develop its own product - a solution to a problem that many of us are familiar with."The idea came with personal pain," says fashion designer and founder Alexandra Baum.Bikes that are not locked to a fixed object are very likely to be stolen.Heavy locks, sometimes several, are necessary for security and yet not made for the additional connection of easily removable parts, such as expensive saddles.With the patented "tex-lock" bicycle lock, several textile layers around a metal core take on functions that were previously only thought of as metal.The comparatively thin metal core protects against saws, the fiber layers each offer protection against fire and cutting tools.The latter because, for example, a bolt cutter gets caught in the rope.It's like trying to cut paper with blunt scissors.Admittedly, the actual product isn't sustainable, other than the fact that it's durable — "Naturally-based fibers just don't have these extreme properties." However, there is an emphasis on local production and suppliers for short transport routes.Only permanent employees work in assembly.The company stands for careful processing without significant material rejects or waste.Ecological packaging materials are used wherever possible."tex-lock" makes using a bicycle even more attractive and suitable for everyday use.Looking at the examples, the textile industry seems to be a promising field for creative people.It will be exciting to see what other products innovative entrepreneurs from the cultural and creative industries will soon bring to the market - maybe a sweater made of cat hair?Cultural and Creative Pilots Germany – the federal government’s award for the cultural and creative industries Every year, 32 companies are recognized as cultural and creative pilots in Germany on behalf of the federal government.Companies, the self-employed, founders and projects from the cultural and creative industries and their interfaces to other sectors can apply.The focus of the award is on the entrepreneurial personality.The title holders take part in a one-year, individually tailored mentoring program.This includes workshops, the support of two coaches, the exchange with the other teams and with experts as well as nationwide attention through the awarding of the title.Simple application The application can be submitted using the online form at www.kultur-kreativpiloten.de.Three things are enough for the application: a short description of the idea, information about the submitting person or the team and a short letter of motivation explaining why you want to become a cultural and creative pilot.This year's application process runs from June 15 to July 25, 2021.The u-institute for entrepreneurial thinking and acting, headed by Sylvia Hustedt and Christoph Backes, came up with the idea and organized the award as part of the project commissioned by the federal government's cultural and creative industries initiative.