Activewear Brand 444 Launched with Natural Materials
Founders Julius Juul and Davide Maccari have debuted a 14-piece apparel collection made from bio-based fibers.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Fashion
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Would you pay more for activewear made from natural materials instead of synthetic performance fabrics?
Founders Julius Juul and Davide Maccari launched the activewear brand 444 on September 30, 2026. Their inaugural collection, Uniform 001, features 14 pieces crafted from natural and bio-based materials.
Why it matters
The brand was created to provide sustainable alternatives to synthetic performance fabrics. It aims to address the reliance on conventional materials by utilizing natural fibers like wool, hemp, and eucalyptus-derived lyocell.
The collection is manufactured in Italy and Portugal using materials that are at least 95 percent natural or bio-based. The range includes items made from corn-derived fibers, silk, and cashmere, following a two-year development period.
The players
Julius Juul
He is a co-founder of the activewear brand 444 who helped spearhead the development of the new clothing line.
Davide Maccari
He is a co-founder of the activewear brand 444 who focused on creating performance-quality apparel from natural fibers.
The details
The company operates as a direct-to-consumer business, though it also supplies kits to hotels and wellness spaces to manage production volumes. All labels, hangtags, and packaging are constructed from paper and silk to minimize environmental impact.
Timeline
The brand and its first collection launched on September 30, 2026.
The company aims to eliminate elastane from its product line within the next two years.
Culture Shift
The launch of 444 reflects a growing push toward material transparency as the fashion industry grapples with the dominance of virgin fossil-based polyester. By prioritizing bio-based alternatives, the brand positions itself against mainstream manufacturing reliance on synthetic polymers.
Consumers can access these performance garments directly through the brand's online business platform. The shift toward natural fibers may influence future purchasing decisions for shoppers seeking bio-based athletic wear alternatives.
The takeaway
This launch highlights the ongoing technical challenges in creating high-performance gear without synthetic materials. It provides a blueprint for brands attempting to bridge the gap between sustainability goals and athletic performance standards.
What happens next
The company has set a specific operational goal to remove all elastane from its product offerings by 2028.
Further reading
For more on the latest trends in the apparel industry, visit our Fashion section.
Live Poll
Would you pay more for activewear made from natural materials instead of synthetic performance fabrics?
