Tengri receives award to support sustainable growth and innovation

Tengri is one of ten fashion and textile businesses selected by the Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology (BFTT) Creative R&D Partnership to benefit from a £1.2 million fund to support sustainable growth and innovation.

The BFTT is a five-year industry-led project that focuses on delivering innovation within the fashion and textile supply chain.

As well as receiving funding for research and development, Tengri will benefit from R&D support, including mentoring from leading academics, hands-on specialist creative and technical support, and ongoing project management and strategic business support from the BFTT team.

We’ll work with The London College of Fashion (UAL) on a project to explore and codify existing UK heritage manufacturing techniques and new technologies. The learnings will be applied to the creation of new natural and sustainable fabrics from by-product fibres, found at the start of many luxury fashion supply chains, where they are sourced from remote parts of the world.

“We are honoured to be recognised by the BFTT as one of the UK fashion industry’s top ten most innovative and sustainable brands,” says Nancy Johnston, Tengri founder. “The results of this critical R&D will work towards a lasting environmental impact, supporting our work to preserve remote landscapes, protect wildlife, and support the livelihoods of indigenous communities threatened by rapid industrialisation and land degradation.”

The majority of our developments to date have focused on the finest-grade fibres of the endemic Khangai yak and camel. However, Nancy has discovered that an unreported 70-90% of fibre by-product – multiple types of hair and wool fibre – is created at the start of many luxury fibre supply chains.

These fibres, from ancient indigenous animals, have exceptional properties with exciting potential for product development. With the BFTT’s creative R&D partnership grant and the support of UAL’s experts, we have a great opportunity to explore the commercial potential of these natural and sustainable fibres. Moreover, we can work towards educating the market and introducing these bi-product fibres’ rare properties and capabilities, while managing the perception and application of ‘bio-waste’ within the industry.

The BFTT SME R&D Support Programme, developed by Research, Business and Innovation teams at UAL in partnership with Loughborough University, provides targeted funding, support and expertise to help SMEs turn bright ideas into viable and sustainable commercial propositions.

Professor Jane Harris, BFTT Programme Director, adds: “Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are critical to the economy and critical to the creative sector in particular, making up over 95% of creative businesses in the UK. This programme seeks to highlight the value and impact SMEs can have in our sector and on the economy, when provided with the right type of financial support and research expertise.”