Marks&Spencer Partners with Circulose in Strategic Sourcing Pact

Circulose strengthens its management. The next-generation materials company has announced the signing of Christian Dressler as new chief technology officer and Amanda Geijer as chief financial officer. The company, which was on the verge of disappearing, returned to the market with new shareholders and a new president, Helena Helmersson (former CEO of H&M), who has held the position since November last year.

Christian Dressler comes from Lenzing Group, a company specializing in producing wood-based viscose fibers, lyocell and filament yarns for the textile industry. There he was vice president of global engineering. Amanda Geijer was vice president of finance at Billerud Europe, which manufactures packaging materials from cellulose fibers.

The company has also hired a new director of communications and public affairs, Katarina Kempe, who has a background at H&M, Circulose reported on social media.

At the same time, Circulose has announced a partnership with British department store group Marks&Spencer. Although details of the deal have not been disclosed, the British company will integrate “a significant volume” of Circulose into its collections, the company said in a statement Thursday.

Circulose allies with Marks&Spencer, which will integrate a “significant volume” of its fabrics into its collections

Marks&Spencer thus becomes Circulose’s first scaling partner in the UK. “This partnership is one of a number of agreements we are developing with leading global brands, with more to follow soon,“ said Circulose CEO Jonatan Janmark. The last partnership announced by Circulose was with C&A, for the launch of a capsule collection.

“By integrating circular materials into our sourcing strategy we will reduce reliance on virgin fibers, reduce waste and help build a future-proof fashion industry,“ said Marks&Spencer’s director of materials and sustainability, Katharine Beacham.

Circulose, formerly Renewcell, was one of the pioneering companies in the next gen materials sector. The company specialized in the production of recycled cotton and viscose and counted companies such as H&M among its investors, something that did not prevent it from filing for bankruptcy in 2024 when it failed to raise sufficient funding to maintain its operations.

At the last moment, however, the investment fund Altor Equity Partners took over the company’s assets, ensuring the entry of sufficient capital to continue operating.