Feben Vemmenby made waves in 2022 with her label’s spring 2023 collection, which struck a chord by balancing wearable art with true comfort. The London-based Ethiopian designer’s latest (perhaps flirtatious) spring 2025 line also showcased pieces crafted in collaboration with her longtime artisans in Accra, Ghana.
“There are other ways of doing things,” Feben’s Vemmenby told WWD. “I’ll take cringe any day.”
Feben collaborated with Swedish textile brand OnceMore from Södra, which recycles blended fabrics, for the flamenco dancer-inspired collection as well.
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“I actually had my eyes on Feben long before that,” Tina Lemke, OnceMore’s marketing and brand experience manager, said. “I saw her collection before [collaborating] and I thought her designing was really cool; she was aiming for not the regular, thin-type of person, but for the every-body, real person. I think she has a really cool way of doing that.”
Following an initial partnership for London Fashion Week last September, the OnceMore x Feben collaboration has expanded into commercially available garments. One item designed exclusively for this partnership is the Mini Twist, crafted entirely from OnceMore’s fabric, made from recycled textile waste and responsibly sourced wood pulp from Swedish forests.
“Working with OnceMore has felt like an organic relationship that I’ve learnt so much from. I’m hoping more brands, designers and students will become more aware of where their fabrics come from and finally connect the dots between fabric suppliers, stores and consumers,” Vemmenby said. “I believe OnceMore is something more fashion brands should invest in. I’m excited about the project we have coming out and the pieces we have collaborated on for SS25.”
OnceMore’s garment-grade dissolving pulp is a circular solution made by blending post-consumer textile waste with wood from sustainably managed Swedish forests. Developed by Södra — Sweden’s largest forest owners’ association — OnceMore reportedly represents the world’s first large-scale process for recycling mixed fabrics into regenerated cellulosic fibers for man-made cellulosic fiber (MMCF) products.
“With recycled materials becoming the new standard and policies like the European Green Deal and ESPR gaining momentum, the industry has a real opportunity to scale next-gen solutions,” said Ida Fager Stark, communications manager at OnceMore. “At OnceMore, we are committed to turning vision into action by enabling true fiber-to-fiber recycling and supporting the shift toward circularity across the entire value chain.”
Since its 2019 debut as a 500-kilogram pilot, the process scaled to a 19-metric ton demonstration that boosted textile content in the pulp from 3 percent (at launch) to 20 percent by 2022. Now The Mörrum mill produces 6,000 tons of OnceMore pulp annually and aims to reach 60,000 metric tons as it works toward a goal of 50 percent textile waste content.
“We hope this collaboration will shed light on the potential of viscose,” Fager Stark said. “We believe the material is often viewed too narrowly in terms of its applications and possibilities, which simply isn’t true.”
Fager Stark has a point. For context: Södra’s OnceMore process exemplifies water-efficient practices in both production and transportation. In production, Södra minimizes water consumption through advanced water-conservation measures at its pulp mills.
To that end, viscose is often (and mistakenly, per OnceMore) regarded as a synthetic fiber. This misunderstanding — something of a “poly-washing,” if you will — is so deeply ingrained, the company said, that the need to “emphasize viscose’s natural origins and how it is derived sustainably” is crucial.
And something of a red thread within the Mini Twist.
“The process is, like, 90 percent water; to be able to send it, we need to take the water out,” Lemke said. “So we send really dry paper pulp sheets and then they add water again to create the fibers.”
The Mini Twist’s unique packaging begins as a compressed shirt that expands when placed in water. It’s worth noting, however, that this creative direction from Feben was totally tangential to OnceMore’s water-saving transportation process.
“I wanted to create something special for us with this piece, but also as a fun way to introduce people to sustainability because, in a way, sustainability has become such a buzzword,” Vemmenby said. “But sustainability doesn’t have to be all educational efforts — it can be playful and wearable. Take the Mini Twist: it layers effortlessly or stands on its own, and you don’t have to put it in water—you can just hang it as an ornament.”
The buzzwordification of sustainability spans the supply chain, and it’s a similar situation OnceMore finds itself in. Highlighting MMCF products — such as viscose and lyocell — that incorporate recycled materials is crucial, yet still a relatively small segment within the industry, Lemke said. While partnering with brands like Feben helps the Bestseller partner shine a light on these materials, challenges persist.
“The demand right now is not where we would like it to be when it comes to our pulp,” Lemke continued. “When the demand comes, we are ready to increase.”
Since Södra has the capacity to scale when appropriate, the next goal is to recycle even more complex textile blends, she said, expanding beyond polycotton to manage materials like elastane blends and other textiles. Collaboration across the value chain is essential to raising awareness among brands, although it’s challenging when positioned so early in the supply chain, as brands like Feben operate closer to consumers.
“Although collaboration has become something of a buzzword, it’s genuinely vital to our success,” Lemke said. “Promoting our recycled solutions and emphasizing the sustainability of viscose fibers is key.”
While the market for emerging designers — and materials — is complex, the other side of the hype cycle is nigh.
“We’ve made something from an authentic place. Although it might not sell out straight away, it’s a piece that people will wake up to later when they’ve understood more,” Vemmenby said. “Whatever you put out and whatever you collaborate on during these difficult times, I think, it’s really good to create a really good product that’s interesting for some, and then for others to pick up later.”
Available in three sizes, the top maintains Feben’s signature twist style. The Mini Twist will be available on Feben’s website for about $128 (95 pounds) starting Thursday.