New York is investing $120,000 to support initiatives aimed at transforming the state’s agricultural waste, including wool, flax, and hemp, into commercially viable materials. The New York Fashion Innovation Center (NYFIC) has awarded $10,000 each to a dozen projects during its fourth grant round, which encompasses fiber processing, product development, biomaterials, and workforce training.
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While the awarded sums are small, the projects are focused on addressing challenges that have hindered the distribution of locally sourced fibers from farms to designers and manufacturers. For example, Adrienne Carlile from Flax Fiber Farm in Cochecton plans to enhance small-scale milling equipment to produce prototype yarns from locally grown flax and hemp.
In Brooklyn, Finiks Forge’s founder Luca Cera is working on extracting keratin from wool waste generated by New York farms and mills to create regenerated fibers for textiles. At Syracuse University, researchers Li Jiang and Lihong Lao are developing BioWool batting and liners from low-grade wool for use in quilted garments and bags. Two projects in Long Island also focus on regional wool: Hog Farm aims to connect local growers with textile production, while Mama Farm plans to introduce a farm-to-fiber program for fashion students.
Susan Easton, NYFIC's product and marketing director, emphasized the importance of converting overlooked materials into opportunities, stating that grantees are contributing to the development of necessary products and market connections for New York's textile industry.
Not all funded initiatives originate from agricultural settings. Cellsense, led by founder Aradhita Parasrampuria, received support for creating two commercial capsule collections featuring compostable beads made from algae and cellulose, designed as sustainable alternatives to conventional sequins. MushLume Lighting in Brooklyn is set to develop a compostable acoustic wall system that incorporates mycelium, hemp, and wool.
Additionally, the Brooklyn brand LowLou plans to scale up production of sauna hats made from locally processed wool, and Mechanicville’s Flock & Loom will produce a limited edition of patterned blankets made from wool sourced entirely within New York. Other projects include an upcycled apparel program from The Bad Juju Design and a study on the barriers preventing New York wool from entering the textile supply chain.
This grant program is part of a larger initiative supported by a $9 million state investment announced in 2023, managed by a consortium that includes Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and several other educational and industry partners. Including this latest round, NYFIC has now funded 36 projects and offers grantees mentorship, sourcing connections, and access to a three-month accelerator focused on business planning and market strategies. The textile innovation lab at RPI, which will facilitate fiber prototyping and product testing, is set to open this fall.
A fifth and final round of NYFIC's sustainable textile innovation grants is scheduled to open on October 30, with applications due by January 6. Plans for an adaptive-fashion grant program are also in place for 2027.