We first had met the cosmopolitan lady and her work in 2016 in her current adopted homeland Mauritius. At the time responsible for product development and management at the manufacturer of fine lingerie and swimwear, Nouvelle Lingerie (nowadays operating completely from Madagascar) she started her own company in 2022, the LMA Créations Ltée. The foundation of the company was preceded by intensive research and evaluation regarding the procurement possibilities for consistently sustainable materials, as their sole utilization was and remains conditio sine qua non for Stanonik's concept.

Alma Stanonik makes her vision a reality. The problems that could arise for the afterlife of her products and their recycling due to the use of trims and support made of metal and plastic are met by with cut-based solutions: Elements for knotting, wrapping, tying up have thus become the typical styling element of the brand's Ocean outfits.

Sourcing via Seaqual

"Far more difficult it appeared to procure purely recycled fabrics, moreover with high demands on functionality in swimwear including reversible elasticity," the creative businesswoman recalls. But ultimately, with the non-profit organization Seaqual, the solution that would save her business model in the true sense of the word appeared on the horizon:

The initiatives day after day realized mission: to upcycle marine plastic litter by working with companies and organization to support and grow the market for high-quality products, including polyester fabrics, through a process that converts plastic waste into rPET.

To achieve the ambitious goal the Seaqual 4U S.L., Madrid, collaborates with ocean clean-up initiatives around the world to recover plastic waste from the ocean and have it transformed into materials for re-usage. And that not only in clothing, swimwear and accessories, but as well in furniture and automotive for instance.

Seaqual's circular process involves the collecting and sorting to then transforming it into fiber material, followed by upcycling into a range of products, such as textiles, yarns, and fabrics. The Spanish NGO as well handles the next level – the coordination with textile mills and end (re)use manufacturers to (again) create finished products from the upcycled fibers. Ocean clean-up organizations from around the world word together with the “Seaqual community”, as the non-profit refers to itself.

To bring value to the waste

Already hundreds of manufacturers and brands from 60 countries have joined. One of them to be Aima Dora from Indian Ocean – in best companionship with for instance, American Eagle Outfitters from the U.S., Swedish furniture house Ikea, Edwin Jeans from Japan, Marimekko from Finland, Petit Bateau children wear from France – the list and the story to be continued…

Follow us also for the continuation of our Mauritius features in the next textile network print issue 2-2023, publication date: May 23, 2023.