Two Gloucestershire businesses are forging a unique partnership to produce graphene-enhanced clothing.

Cheltenham-based clothes brand Superdry and Forest of Dean-based Versarien, the advanced engineering materials group, have announced a three-year commercial collaboration agreement.

The deal will pioneer the production of graphene-enhanced garments, using Versarien's Grapehene-WearTM technology, with a view to importing graphene's thermal and moisture management properties into the garments.

The collaboration will allow Superdry to create product lines with improved performance and extended product lifespan, with lower environmental impact in their manufacture, whilst also reducing the need to add any virgin material during recycling.

Superdry will gain access to Versarien's scientists and laboratories in Manchester and Cambridge to speed up innovation, enabling Superdry and Versarien to create garments unlike any others on the market.

It's hoped to create a premium range of products, adapted and designed to be highly technical and innovative, with control over thermal transmittance and regulation. This is intended to help the body manage its temperature, particularly in extreme climates and circumstances when the body is under stress.

The strength of graphene is a characteristic that is intended to improve the functionality of the garments, enabling them to last longer with little fibre failure, increasing the number of wears and washes per garment, supporting Superdry's commitment to sustainability.

Commenting, Neill Ricketts, CEO of Versarien, said: "We are delighted that Superdry has publicly announced our collaboration. Since we started working with Superdry we have developed a number of sample garments and its decision to announce the collaboration and the future launch of the products we are developing together is, I believe, testament to the benefits they see in utilising Versarien's graphene technology. We look forward to continuing to work with Superdry to bring these innovative garment ranges to the market as soon as possible."