Around the World in 80 Fabrics

What Around the World in 80 Fabrics does

Around the World in 80 Fabrics (ATW80F) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID 87-3853910), founded in 2020 by marine biologist and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Tierney Thys and medical anthropologist Carroll Dunham. The organization documents and promotes nature-friendly alternatives to petroleum-based fast-fashion textiles, maintaining a physical and digital fabric library of 260+ plant, animal, bio-based, and recycled fabrics sourced from 45 countries. Its core product is the Digital Fabrics Library, structured around four pillars (Plant, Animal, Bio-based, Recycled) and supported by 66+ in-depth fabric stories and 120+ maker interviews, accessible via a Squarespace-hosted website. ATW80F complements the library with Journey Adventures (experiential travel programs priced around $4,200/person to destinations including Mongolia, Bhutan, Nepal, and Morocco), Story Quilts Programs (collaborative artistic quilts such as 'Denims of the World'), and Outreach Exhibitions presented at venues including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, CES, Biofabricate Summit, TEDx, and Mountainfilm.

ATW80F generates revenue through a hybrid nonprofit model: tax-deductible donations via PayPal, programmatic grants (notably One Earth Daughters for Earth), and fee-based Journey Adventures that include a $500 tax-deductible donation component per participant. The go-to-market motion is community-led, leveraging partnerships with educational institutions, museums, cultural centers, indigenous artisan cooperatives, denim mills (Cone Denim, Mount Vernon Mills, Proximity Manufacturing, Huston Textile), biofabrication innovators (Piñatex, PYRATEX/SeaCell, Microbe Institute), and corporate collaborators (Panasonic, National Geographic, Royal School of Needlework). It distributes content and programs through its website, Instagram, email newsletter, and in-person exhibitions across roughly 14 countries spanning North America, South Asia, East Asia, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. As a 501(c)(3), ATW80F does not offer commercial software, APIs, or a technology platform; its 'technology' is the curated, content-rich fabric library combined with storytelling assets such as photography, film, and documentary content produced by founder Carroll Dunham and collaborators.

The organization operates without disclosed headcount, revenue, or venture funding, relying on mission-aligned grants and donor support. Following the passing of co-founder Dr. Tierney Thys in 2026, Carroll Dunham continues to lead the organization, with a forthcoming Insight Press book ('Fabric: The Natural History and Future of Clothing') extending the platform into publishing. Named customer or partner logos such as Eileen Fisher, Anthropologie, and Nike appear in the context of sustainable material use cases rather than as paying enterprise customers.

Name

Around the World in 80 Fabrics

Legal name

Around the World in 80 Fabrics

Website

https://atw80fabrics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Around the World in 80 Fabrics is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that documents 260+ sustainable fabrics from 45 countries via a digital library, immersive Journey Adventures, and exhibitions, serving educators, fashion brands, and sustainability-focused individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Textile Education and Sustainable Fabric Documentation

akta.pro primary industry

Biobased, Compostable & Low-Impact Material Innovation (Bio-polymers/Dope Dyeing) (IMAOAMAM)

Keywords

• Sustainable textiles
• Natural fabric library
• Experiential textile journeys
• Fashion sustainability education
• Bio-fabricated materials

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations through PayPal supporting the nonprofit mission
2. Journey/Adventure Programs: Fee-based experiential learning journeys to textile-producing regions (e.g., Mongolia trips starting at $4200/person including $500 tax-deductible donation)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Around the World in 80 Fabrics is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that maintains a physical and digital library of 260+ nature-friendly fabrics from 45 countries, organized into Plant, Animal, Bio-based, and Recycled pillars. It supplements this library with fee-based Journey Adventures to textile-producing regions, collaborative Story Quilts projects, and outreach exhibitions at venues such as the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and Biofabricate Summit. The organization is funded primarily through donations and journey fees rather than product sales.

Product overview

Around the World in 80 Fabrics is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 87-3853910) that documents and celebrates nature-friendly alternatives to fast fashion fabrics. The organization's primary offering is its Digital Fabrics Library—a physical and growing digital collection of 260+ sustainable fabrics organized into four pillars (Plant, Animal, Bio-based, and Recycled) from 45 countries, featuring in-depth maker stories. Supporting programs include Journey Adventures (immersive fabric-focused travel experiences led by National Geographic Explorers to destinations including Mongolia, Bhutan, Nepal, and Oaxaca) and the Story Quilts Program (collaborative artistic quilts created with artists and fabric specialists). Additional offerings include outreach exhibitions and community programs such as the Fragile Threads initiative with the Royal School of Needlework. The organization does not offer a commercial technology product, API, or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Fabrics Library A physical and growing digital collection documenting 260+ nature-friendly fabrics organized into four pillars (Plant, Animal, Bio-based, and Recycled) with in-depth maker stories, fabric natural histories, and ecological information sourced from 45 countries. Targeted at educators, sustainability researchers, corporations, and the general public interested in sustainable textiles.
• Journey Adventures Immersive travel experiences connecting participants with fabric-making communities, makers, and ecosystems globally, including destinations such as Mongolia, Bhutan, Oaxaca, Nepal, Ladakh, and the Silk Road, led by National Geographic Explorers and experts. Pricing starts at $4,200/person (e.g., Mongolia trip) and includes a $500 tax-deductible donation component.
• Story Quilts Program Collaborative artistic quilts created with artists, designers, and fabric specialists to narrate stories of place, materials, and makers. Includes projects such as Denims of the World, Quilt of 5 Jewels Mongolia, From Soil to Carpet Morocco, and Quilts for Kids Nepal.
• Outreach Exhibitions & Community Programs Educational exhibitions, workshops, and community engagement projects including partnerships with Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Biofabricate Summit, Mountainfilm, TEDx talks, and the Fragile Threads initiative with the Royal School of Needlework.

Quantifiable outcome

• 260+ nature-friendly fabrics documented in collection
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Royal School of Needlework (RSN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking closely with RSN, ATW80F partners with multiple community organizations and global fabric makers in 2025 to launch the RSN Fragile Threads initiative, exploring connections between fabrics, sustainability, and biodiversity through hand embroidery.
• PanasoniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATW80F works closely with Panasonic and fabric studios in Japan and Mexico, launching collaborations beginning with installations at CES (Consumer Electronic Show) in Las Vegas January 2024.
• One Earth (Daughters for Earth)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded by a grant from One Earth Daughters for Earth, ATW80F partnered with Artisan Project, Ain Leuh Women's Cooperative, Jude Lab, and The Microbe Institute on natural dye research from plants and microbes in Morocco.
• SmithsonianflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerATW80F partnered with Smithsonian for the 2022 Smithsonian Folklife Festival featuring fabrics, artists, makers, interactive looms, workshops, talks, and community gatherings.
• Green Weaving Center, BhutancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATW80F partnered with Green Weaving Center, Bhutan to explore how traditional weaving can become a living medium for biodiversity conservation, transforming songs of endangered birds into woven textile narratives.
• Artisan ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on Moroccan textile traditions, women's cooperatives, and natural dye innovation in the Ain Leuh region.
• Dawson PhillipsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllustrator for Fragile Threads initiative materials and visual storytelling content.
• BiofabricatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATW80F co-founders spoke at Biofabricate Summit 2022 in New York City while exhibiting fabrics from their library including Laos hemp, Ugandan barkcloth, Japanese kudzu, and Irish linen.
• Mountainfilm + Telluride ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarroll and Tierney hosted ATW80Fabrics pop-up exhibition in collaboration with Mountainfilm and Telluride Arts in Colorado in 2023.
• Quilts for Kids NepalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerATW80Fabrics commissioned Karma Kaur from Quilts for Kids Nepal to create a quilt featuring different kinds of cotton from around the world. Organization provides employment for women survivors of trafficking.
• White Oak Legacy Foundation (WOLF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRalph Tharpe serves as founding board member of WOLF, committed to preserving denim manufacturing history in Greensboro, North Carolina and revitalizing the denim industry.
• Proximity Manufacturing CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner denim mill participating in Denims of the World quilt project, producing traceable denim fabric.
• Cone DenimcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipating mill in Denims of the World project, creating transparent denim globally.
• Huston TextilecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipating mill in Denims of the World project.
• Mount Vernon MillscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipating mill in Denims of the World quilt project.
• 7 Weaves, Assam IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rituraj Dewan of 7 Weaves for documenting Eri and Muga silk traditions in Assam, India including moth lifecycle, tree ecosystems, and farming communities.
• Alisha Vasudev (National Geographic Explorer & Photographer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Geographic Explorer and photographer documenting silk moth journeys, makers, and ecosystems in Assam, India.
• TED ConferenceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTED conference collaboration including natural dye workshops and presentations on fabric influence on human history.
• Folklife FestivalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual festival partnership for outreach and community engagement.
• Oscar de la RentaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFashion brand working with FABSCRAP for textile recycling services.
• Marc JacobsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFashion brand utilizing FABSCRAP textile recycling services.
• Lafayette 148minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFashion brand utilizing FABSCRAP textile recycling services.
• MulticolorescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuatemalan organization creating rugs from recycled t-shirts through rug-hooking artists, with ATW80F acquiring pieces and supporting artisan communities.
• National GeographicflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Geographic Explorer program affiliation with co-founder Dr. Tierney Thys, expeditions, and storytelling collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Material Innovation Initiative (MII): Nonprofit advancing next-gen materials (especially leather and silk alternatives) through research, grants, and industry convening; directly comparable to ATW80F's focus on bio-fabricated, plastic-free alternatives to conventional textiles.
• Fashion for Good: Global sustainable-fashion innovation platform and nonprofit that curates and accelerates next-gen materials; comparable to ATW80F in mission, target audience (fashion brands and innovators), and programming around biofabrication and natural fibers.
• Textile Exchange: Global nonprofit driving the use of preferred fibers and materials in the textile industry; closely comparable to ATW80F as a mission-driven sustainable-textiles organization working with brands, makers, and standards bodies.
• Material ConneXion: Materials library and consultancy curating innovative materials for designers and brands; comparable to ATW80F as a content-first fabric/material discovery platform serving enterprise designers.
• Sustainable Apparel Coalition: Industry coalition of brands, retailers, and nonprofits working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of apparel and footwear; overlaps with ATW80F's sustainability-education mission and corporate-engagement approach.

Emerging players

• FABSCRAP: Nonprofit textile recycling organization serving fashion brands including Oscar de la Renta and Marc Jacobs; comparable as a 501(c)(3) operating at the intersection of fashion brands and textile sustainability, though focused on recycling rather than documentation.
• Biofabricate: Community and summit focused on biofabricated materials (including ATW80F founders as speakers); comparable as an emerging-player convening body in the same bio-based materials space, though organized around events rather than a fabric library.
• Common Objective (CO): Digital platform and community for sustainable fashion professionals offering resources, sourcing tools, and education; comparable to ATW80F as a content-and-community hub serving sustainable-fashion practitioners.

Others

• Modern Meadow: Biotech company producing bio-fabricated leather and protein-based materials; adjacent to ATW80F's Treekind Material innovation and useful as a comparable for the commercial upside of bio-fabricated textile technologies.
• Bolt Threads: Commercial bio-fabricated materials company developing next-gen leather and silk alternatives; relevant adjacent player to ATW80F's Treekind and bio-fabrication work, illustrating the well-funded commercial category ATW80F's tech competes with.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/atw80f
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/around-the-world-in-80-fabrics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Around the World in 80 Fabrics