Bongwha Cotton (2022-2023)

Bongwha Cotton was conceived as a commercial initiative aimed at proving the viability of circular fashion by recycling garments into fabrics for reuse in clothing production. This project not only achieved notable success but also led to the launch of our proprietary fabric brand, Edoftomo. And our recycled fabric was sold to major Korean fashion conglomerates such as Kolon and Handsome. Although the concept behind Bongwha Cotton was straightforward, it represented a pioneering approach in the Korean market.

Throughout this journey, we forged strategic collaborations with various companies and organizations. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was formalized with Shinhan Spinning for the production of recycled yarns, and partnerships were established with multiple factories for textile weaving and dyeing. My company, Purply Inc., which spearheaded this project, was recognized by the Ministry of Environment as a 'social enterprise,' securing funding from several support groups.

As the CEO of Bongwha Cotton, I led a dedicated team of three, overseeing every aspect of our operations across the entire value chain---from product development and sampling to production, sales, marketing, and after-sales service.

Our efforts were among the earliest attempts to achieve circularity in the fashion industry. Korea, ranked among the top five global exporters of garment waste, presented unique challenges. In the early stages of the business, we faced significant difficulties in producing recycled fabric, even resorting to grinding used textiles in mixers and using hand-spinning devices to manually produce recycled yarns. Despite these obstacles, our unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability enabled us to blaze a new trail in the industry.