Saving the Earth Through Fashion

Fashion labels’ use of synthetic fibers created from recycled plastic bottles continues to grow, including some licensed examples. Among the recent eco-friendly apparel, accessories, and footwear initiatives of this type, industry-wide:

• Gant paired with Seaqual, a company that makes polyester thread from plastics harvested from the ocean. They are producing a line of shirts for men and women of which 10% of the material is attributable to Seaqual’s product.
• A 42-piece Adidas x Wanderlust yoga apparel collaboration used Parley for the Oceans’ plastic fibers, which, like Seaqual’s, are made from ocean-gathered plastic. This is just one of several projects Adidas has done with Parley over the years; in fact, it is launching its first full Adidas-branded collection of t-shirts, tops, hoodies, shorts, and footwear for men and women under its Parley relationship in spring 2018.
• Late last year, New Era teamed with Unifi and its Repreve brand to create caps for the NFL’s Denver Broncos, sold at the team’s on-site stores during games. Each hat uses four recycled bottles. Other brands, from Levi’s and Target to UnderArmour and Quiksilver, also use Repreve materials.
• Gilson Snowboard & Ski Co. partnered with Recover Brands, an apparel company that makes clothing from plastic bottle-containing yarn, for a line of shirts and sweatshirts. Since the two came together in 2017, they say they have prevented nearly 12,000 plastic bottles from going into landfills; eight bottles are used per shirt.
• Timberland announced an agreement with eco-fabric company Thread International for a line of footwear, apparel, and backpacks made from plastic bottles recovered from Haiti, both from landfills and the streets.
• Designer Stella McCartney aligned with Parley for a line of handbags, outerwear, and shoes made from ocean plastic, including bottles as well as fishing nets and other debris. The collection debuted during fall 2017 Paris Fashion Week.

Although the frequency of such programs has increased dramatically since 2016, similar ventures have been occurring for more than a decade. A few examples over the years have included multiple collaborations between Pharrell Williams, denim brand G-Raw, and Parley for the Oceans; Lauren Conrad’s XO(eco) line of soft-sided travel and accessories cases with Blue Avocado, made with Repreve’s fabric; and Maria Sharapova’s sportswear line with Cole Haan, which included accessories made with Bionic Yarn (of which Williams is a partner) forged from recycled plastic and glass.

Raugust Communications’ April e-newsletter goes out next Tuesday, April 17, 2018. If you haven’t done so already, you can subscribe to the free publication here. The Licensing Topic of the Month focuses on digital influencers, while the Datapoint feature centers on licensing agency specialization.