With large-scale fashion brands under pressure to address the environmental impact of excess material waste, upcycled fashion platform The R Collective has seized a creative opportunity to educate its consumers. In collaboration with Levi’s®, the Hong Kong platform, launched by Dr Christina Dean of the charity REDRESS, has created a limit-edition collection of everyday-wear made from surplus denim. Designed by award-winning Hong Kong designer Jesse Lee, Denim Reimagined features nine key pieces that include innovative patchwork denim jeans, skirts and a jumpsuit.
Fashion blogger Susie Lau wears the Saltburn Skirt
“Upcycling excess materials and extending the life of garments are two of the most sustainable things we can do with our clothing, as anyone who has owned a pair of vintage Levi’s® knows,” says Liz Lipton-McCombie, Director of Sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co. “As such, we’re proud to support creative upcycling projects, like The R Collective’s Denim Reimagined, and are encouraged to see the progress they are making.”
The collection also marks the launch of The R Collective’s global #WearAndCare sustainable consumer care campaign, whereby scannable garment labels offer four educational digital “experiences” for the customer, including how the garment was made, how to care for clothes to reduce climate impact, solutions for keeping fashion in use and out of landfills, and the collection’s story. Accessible at the scan of a smartphone, the initiative, supported by influencers including Susie Lau, paves the way in the quest to making fashion traceable, from its origin to its afterlife.
Each piece has a QR code unlocking consumer care information
“We are passionate about reducing fashion’s negative environmental impact,” says Christina Dean. “In a post-COVID-19 world, consumers expect greater transparency and sustainability and so the value of having technology, like Denim Reimagined’s unique digital identities, allows us to interact with and, most importantly, educate consumers on how to care for their garments in a sustainable, climate-friendly way.”
The ‘Denim Reimagined’ collection is available on TheRCollective.com and at Levi’s® K11 MUSEA store.
Editor
Alice Riley-Smith
