Miroslava Duma founded the Fashion Tech Lab investment fund.
'13.05.2017'
Source: The Business of Fashion
Miroslava Duma is a young Russian entrepreneur who develops her own project in the world of international fashion. She is the founder of the Internet company Buro 24 / 7, which has a huge audience all over the world.
Miroslava Duma decided to create a hybrid enterprise that will be part of an investment fund, an accelerator and an experimental laboratory for the commercialization of new technologies in the fashion industry. - reports The Business of Fashion.
What will the fund do
The fund will invest in startups specializing in technology in fashion. Fashion Tech Lab will invest in startups that specialize in technologies in the fashion industry: the production of new materials, nano-developments, the study of innovative methods of processing fibers and fabrics.
“First of all, Fashion Tech Lab is a socially responsible financing. We will also connect the development of scientists and engineers with the fashion industry and act as an experimental platform within which these developments will be applied to clothing. Technological things should solve the problems of buyers - and at the same time they will look modern, ”the Duma project comments.
Project investment.
The first investment of the project - 50 million dollars. Some of them went to the first projects — to the companies of Diamond Foundry and Orange Fiber, which are looking for new ways to produce materials.
“The fashion industry is the second largest environmental polluter in the world. I was shocked when I found out about this, and began to think what we can do about it. I have two children at home, and I wondered: can I really help them live in a cleaner world? ”- said Miroslava.
Recently, Orange Fiber has released a joint collection with the Italian brand Salvatore Ferragamo: the result of this collaboration is things made of material that are made from recycled orange peel. Fashion Tech Lab's advisory board includes designer Diana von Fürstenberg, former Net-a-Porter investor Carmen Basket and founder of the Eco-Age project Libya Firth.
Another project direction is cooperation with fashion industry associations (Kering, LVMH). Fashion Tech Lab on a commercial basis will share the development of scientists.
Miroslava Duma is the founder of Buro 24 / 7 digital platform with editorial offices in eleven countries. Last year, she launched The Tot online store for children and mothers, as well as the Buro Tech Forward Initiative (BTFI) project - a joint initiative of Buro 24 / 7, the Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF) and the Skolkovo Innovation Center, directed to support young technology professionals.
FTL has already managed to invest in a startup from San Francisco, studying the production of artificial leather, which are grown in laboratories.
Miroslava in the west is considered the “queen” of Russian fashion, and since 2013 has been regularly included in the list of people who form the global fashion industry. The Duma is the owner of a rather extensive wardrobe. Interestingly, because of the miniature physique, which brought her another nickname “Russian Thumbelina”, the young woman has to change almost 90% of the items she purchased.
Miroslava Duma is a famous philanthropist. She founded the World Planet Cultural Foundation, which not only helps children in need of urgent medical intervention, but also supports various exhibitions, theatrical performances and concerts in which gifted teenagers from large families and orphanages participate.
More recently, Miroslava Duma has opened a small family secret to fans - the family is waiting for replenishment, Miroslava and her husband Alexei Mikheev will soon have a third child.
