ID.EIGHT: circular fashion from the NEB in Paris to Pitti Uomo

Founded in Florence in 2019 by South Korean designer Dong Seon Lee and Italian product manager Giuliana Borzillo, ID.EIGHT has built its identity on a production model that uses over 70 per cent recycled materials and is entirely cruelty-free. During the recent Paris Fashion Week, the Tuscan brand took to the prestigious stage of the NEB Fashion Adaptor – a major initiative organised by EIT Culture & Creativity, a body supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, in close collaboration with the New European Bauhaus – to present its industrial vision and the evolution of a business model that places the circular economy at the heart of everything to an international audience.

The NEB Fashion Adaptor programme was launched with the specific aim of supporting independent fashion brands on their challenging journey towards business models that are truly circular and sustainable, and ID.EIGHT has been selected to join a select group of just 13 companies across Europe, identified as the most innovative and cutting-edge organisations in the field of eco-friendly fashion. Before an international audience comprising investors, industry experts and fashion professionals, the brand successfully demonstrated how it is possible to combine high-quality design, ongoing research into alternative materials and a deep commitment to environmental responsibility within a single, robust business venture. This strategic recognition marks the brand’s official entry into an elite European ecosystem, designed to support those companies that know how to transform sustainability into a genuine driver of economic growth.

ID.EIGHT also took centre stage last June at Pitti Uomo, the premier men’s fashion fair, where it unveiled its first barefoot trainer: NURI, an evolution of the iconic HANA model, which successfully combines innovation and sustainability. Featuring a wider toe box, designed to respect the foot’s natural shape, and a construction engineered to accommodate its movement, NURI supports the foot’s stride in the most natural way possible. Thanks to its lightweight sole and ‘pouch’ construction – a technique from the tradition of artisanal shoemaking that involves stitching the inner lining around the last like a glove – NURI offers exceptional softness and wraps around the foot to follow its movements.

This creative evolution is accompanied by equally significant commercial growth. Whilst continuing to consolidate its position in Northern European markets, ID.EIGHT has recently opened new distribution channels in Spain, further strengthening its international presence. This strategy is yielding particularly positive results and has led the brand to forecast a doubling of turnover by 2026 compared with the previous year.