Pharrell Williams is collaborating with G-Star Raw to launch a range of denim scheduled to debut August 15th. “Raw for the Oceans” will be the first denim collection made from fibres that use recycled plastic collected from oceans.
Williams announced the collaboration Saturday with the simple words: “The oceans need us now”. He spoke of the project while standing under the 94-foot blue whale at the Milstein Hall of Ocean Science in the National Museum of American History during NY fashion week. Way. To. Steal. The. Show!
Williams co-founded the company Bionic Yarn to create this revolutionary new fabric. Their own mission statement reads:
Bionic® designs and manufactures Eco-materials.
Our spinning process transforms fibers made from recycled plastic into usable, durable textiles.
Pharrell (we’re on a first name basis) adds, “Bionic Yarn is a company built around performance, and denim is the perfect category to show the world what Bionic Yarn can do. Everyone has jeans in their closet.”
How it works:
From Bionic Yarn
CORE
Core fibre selection determines the breaking strength or stretch characteristic of the fabric.
Sheath
For every Bionic yarn configuration, recycled plastic fibers are always used for the sheath. The manufacturing process minimizes the use of natural resources while recovering plastic from the ocean to reprocess into fibres. Bionic’s goal is to match or exceed the performance standards of comparable traditionally made fabrics; to prove that recycled components can create superior products.
Helix
Helix fibres may be organic or synthetic to suit many applications.
For denim, that means cotton; for technical backpacks, nylon; and for suit fabrics, wool or other natural blends. The possible combinations are unlimited.
Regarding the collaboration with G-Star, Williams said, “Working with G-Star was an obvious choice, because they have a legacy of pushing the boundaries of fashion and denim forward”. In fact, G-Star are planning to incorporate bionic yard in to all of their future lines, as their company spokesperson Thecla Schaeffer said, “creating denim for the future”.
This is huge news for any of us working in sustainable fashion. Having a massive star like Pharrell Williams throw his name behind a project like this will get people talking, listening and buying more wisely.
TheFableists 