This Kellogg MBA Is Helping To Reduce Clothing Waste, 1 Pair Of Jeans At A Time

Jeans from again&again can be returned to be recycled and made into another pair. It’s a way to reduce clothing waste, which founder Marcus Schneider learned about firsthand in working for a major international clothes maker. Courtesy photo

Seeking mentorship and networking opportunities at Northwestern Kellogg, Schneider joined the New Venture Track of the Zell Fellows program to hone his skills prior to the launch of his startup.

Armed with tools learned in this tight-knit community, he went on to compete in VentureCat, an annual Northwestern University student star-up competition, where he was a semi-finalist and was awarded nearly $20,000 to help start the business. With the intention to raise money from a Kickstarter campaign as well, Schneider is hopeful about the continued impact they can have with more resources.

“The professors are all also venture capitalists, so I now have six or seven connections to VC firms in Chicago,” Schneider says. “That’s not to say they’re going to immediately invest in me because they know me. But it’s certainly a better starting point.”

AGAIN&AGAIN PRODUCTION

Schneider’s material science engineering degree was an asset as he began to plan the production of again&again jeans. After connecting with a number of textile recycling mills, he sourced 300 denim samples from six countries.

“My apartment was filled with fabric,” he says, “and I invited friends over to test each sample until we selected the best one.”

The team — comprised of six members who have worked in streetwear design, denim merchandising, branding, marketing, operations, and retail for brands like Nike, Banana Republic, and Calvin Klein — decided to use 100% Tencel Lyocell fabric to create the jeans.

“Lyocell is actually cellulose-based, as is cotton, but it’s not found anywhere naturally in the world,” Schneider says. “It’s man-made, and the process is very similar to making paper. Originating from eucalyptus trees, this fabric uses just 5% of the water and 20% of the land required by cotton-based jeans.”

Each design decision was focused on sustainability, from the use of buttons and zippers to the fiber, including the rivet-less design, which facilitates upcycling. Upcycling is taking something that is no longer in use and giving it a second life. In Schneider’s vision, again&again products will have a third, a fourth, and even more lives.

Working with a company in Los Angeles to design and develop their first jeals, their production is now operating in Vietnam. Their first few jeans are examples of the end of the upcycling process — they’ll get more sustainable over time as their resources increase.

A VISION TO CHANGE THE IMPACT OF FASHION

“We want to be a part of changing how the apparel industry works and operates,” Schneider says, describing his ultimate goal with again&again. “My goal is less about being super successful from this, and more about making a change to reduce clothing waste. Right now, we are aiming to raise enough money to get our next iteration of jeans in the market. Hopefully, consumers love it.”

So far, the feedback has been positive.

“We’re pretty small, but we’ve still already gotten some letters from consumers that are excited and love the jeans. And that’s what’s really fun for me. Little by little, we want to continue fulfilling orders and see the impact of our sustainability efforts.”

Schneider couldn’t have created this company without the support from Kellogg, expressing that the professors are what made the program stand out.

“I’ve been blown away by the resources at Kellogg to make this happen.”

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