The R Collective puts fashion’s diverts fabrics from incinerators and into closets in industry-first collaborative silk recycling project with High Fashion Group
The R Collective launches their breakthrough RECIRCLE recycled silk knit capsule collection made from recycling luxury IP-sensitive silk fabrics, which otherwise are routinely incinerated, as this textile-waste-reducing social impact fashion brand makes circular fashion come to life. Designed by award-winning knitwear designer Grace Lant, RECIRCLE’s two-piece USD195-220 priced collection is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter until 13th October to galvanise the public into driving innovation and to prove the growing market for purpose-driven responsible fashion, before the 13th October website retail launch.
Empowering the best sustainable designers
Hong Kong based British designer and London’s Central St Martins graduate, Grace Lant said, “I created the RECIRCLE box-fit mesh shirt and the RECIRCLE slim fit dress, with its racer-style front and scooped back, to help redefine consumerism whilst celebrating purpose-driven design. Today, fashion designers must balance artistry with innovation if we’re together to make change happen. It’s time to stop talking about solutions – and get them into action.”
Based in Hong Kong and now expanding their offices to London, The R Collective collaborates with award-winning sustainable designers scouted from the Redress Design Award, the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition run by sister charity, Redress, whose 11th competition cycle concluded on 11 September. Competition alumni Grace now joins The R Collective’s community of 10 global sustainable designers.
Providing options to avoid incineration
RECIRCLE is created using 100% recycled silk yarn made from recycling excess IP sensitive fabrics, sourced in partnership with other fashion businesses, which would otherwise routinely be incinerated.
Christina Dean, Founder and CEO The R Collective, says “We’ve had enough of the widespread industry-norm of incinerating textiles, including those carrying IP sensitive patterns, prints and logos. Globally 73% of materials that go into clothing end up in landfill or incinerators. We know there are better, albeit still challenging, ways to rescue and recycle these valuable materials back into clothes. At The R Collective, we work with several leading luxury brands to put a recycling, rather than incineration, supply chain into practice as we collaboratively manage fashion’s hardest textile waste,” she said.
A breakthrough recycling collaboration
To achieve this innovative recycled silk product, The R Collective partnered with High Fashion Group, China’s leading garment manufacturer that embraces sustainability and innovation.
Mr Will Lam, CEO of High Fashion Group, said, “Achieving circularity requires fashion stakeholders to collaborate. We all have key roles to play. This project demonstrates how we at High Fashion Group can magnify our key expertises in silk recycling, spinning and knitting by working with The R Collective’s challenging rescued textile waste streams, which too often otherwise continue to be incinerated.”
