When our client, sustainable fashion technology leader Circ, asked us to help design a first-of-its-kind launch with fashion icon Mara Hoffman, we knew this couldn’t be your average glam gown drop. To pay off the breakthrough innovation in Circ’s technology, and the unprecedented commitment to cleaning up fashion’s future by Mara Hoffman, we’d have to show (not tell) what the total solution looked like. The launch of this dress would set a new, more circular standard for the fashion industry to follow.
We offered a simple yet elegantly complex solution of bringing all the involved parties together to collaborate on making this the most circular capsule collection to date — without shortchanging the glamour of a high-end fashion launch. With Circ, Mara Hoffman, PR partner No.29, and materials science company Avery Dennison, that’s exactly what we set out to do.
THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
From cutting, to launch, to the day the gown is retired — it should all be designed to close the loop. Every piece. Every part. As circular as possible.
A special sewn-in tag was created out of scrap material from the dress cutting room floor, and it featured a special note from Hoffman about the game-changing gown.
Also featured on the tag was a Digital Care Label, powered by atma.io connected product cloud, which contained a QR code that led to a bespoke digital experience.
Individuals could scan to learn about the making of the dress, including its waste footprint and how to return the garment to the Mara’s retail store (after it had been well-loved), so that Circ could regenerate it again.
Each dress featured a handwritten tag from Mara herself, driving home the fact that this was an intentionally small and personalized, launch.
THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
From cutting, to launch, to the day the gown is retired — it should all be designed to close the loop. Every piece. Every part. As circular as possible.
A special sewn-in tag was created out of scrap material from the dress cutting room floor, and it featured a special note from Hoffman about the game-changing gown.
Individuals could scan to learn about the making of the dress, including its waste footprint and how to return the garment to the Mara’s retail store (after it had been well-loved), so that Circ could regenerate it again.
Also featured on the tag was a Digital Care Label, powered by atma.io connected product cloud, which contained a QR code that led to a bespoke digital experience.
Each dress featured a handwritten tag from Mara herself, driving home the fact that this was an intentionally small and personalized, launch.
Finally, in conjunction with No.29 and Mara Hoffman, we designed and curated a sustainable pop-up event at her NY retail store that brought together a panel of experts leading the circular future of fashion, using the dress as a catalyst for conversation. The event itself featured minimal displays for maximum impact, with backdrops from scrap materials and handwritten hang tags affixed to the dresses, written by Mara herself — emphasizing the singularity of this launch.
RESULTS:
18 total press hits, totaling 335,100,190 impressions
Over 2.1M impressions of Mara^Circ content, nearly 12K likes, 500 comments (100% positive sentiment)
Average CTRs and engagement rates were well above standard industry benchmarks
But what do we consider the most successful part?
That “every detail of this gown and its launch has been expertly considered through the lens of circularity,” said Peter Majeranowski, CEO of Circ. “We wish we could tell you about every single step, but seeing is believing.”
Beyond the dress itself, this launch is symbolic of Mara Hoffman’s leadership and bravery in an industry that often prefers to wait and see, to follow the trends. This collaboration between Mara Hoffman and Circ is the first time Circ Lyocell is being used in the luxury market. The dress also heralds an ongoing partnership as she announced her commitment to transitioning from virgin lyocell to Circ Lyocell in her collections over the next three years.