Recently, adidas held a one-day pop up event in New York City promoting sustainable fashion and some of its biggest players. This event is tied to Adidas’ larger Choose to Give Back initiative, launched earlier his year, which invites customers to send new or used products from any brand back to adidas through the adidas Creator’s Club App to be resold or reused. As part of adidas’ ongoing mission to help End Plastic Waste, and in an effort to motivate consumers to properly dispose of clothing and other goods they no longer need this holiday season, all pieces on display at the pop-up shop will be available for purchase not in dollars, but for weight in worn goods.
“Clothing waste is a mounting problem, but facing it head-on and shifting towards a circular future will be our solution. At adidas, we see it as our responsibility to bring our consumers along on the journey and create awareness of how purchase choices – from opting for an upcycled shoe to donating end-of-life clothing – can make a huge impact,” said Katja Schreiber, adidas SVP of Sustainability. “We’re excited to bring this activation to life to show consumers that there can be a different, more sustainable model for fashion.”
This fun event, held on December 11th, showcased a “range of one-of-a-kind, vintage and upcycled collections from some of the leading voices in sustainable fashion, including: Theophilio, Ji Won Choi, Basketcase Gallery, Eva Joan Repair, Frankie Collective,Beepy Bella, and Tyranny & Mutation.” Guests were able to bring items from home to be repaired by Eva Joan and there was live screen-printing courtesy of Basketcase Gallery. Additionally guests were encouraged to bring old and used clothing from home in exchange for points which could be used to purchase the custom upcycled fashion on display. Adidas held a press preview before opening the event to the public. The Knockturnal attended the press preview in the morning and even stayed until nearly all the racks were cleared, which didn’t take long.
“Sustainability is instrumental in how we produce our pieces, so we are thrilled to be developing a bespoke collection made entirely of upcycled product from a brand that shares in our values,” shared Theophilio designer and 2021 CFDA emerging designer winner Edvin Thompson.
Here’s a breakdown of the amazing designers present at the event:
- Basketcase Gallery: Centered on creative design, apparel and photography, founder Zach Kinniger’s curations include a blend of sustainably-sourced and re-designed vintage clothing from various flea markets. Basketcase Gallery will offer a 10-piece collection of crewnecks, soccer jerseys, two-tone track pants, shorts and more.
- Beepy Bella: New York-based handmade jewelry and accessories line that uses ethically sourced materials from antique collectors, local vintage sellers and more, Beepy Bella’s collection will feature 10 original, craft-core hoodies, hats, sunglass straps and beaded shoelaces.
- Eva Joan Repair: A one-stop-shop that focuses on tailoring services, vintage clothing, textiles, patches and embellishments, Eva Joan’s collection will feature 12 original pieces, including tracksuits, dresses and more.
- Frankie Collective: Creative Director Sara Gourlay, known for curating vintage clothing with a modern twist, will offer a 14-piece cut-&-sew collection inclusive of upcycled skirts, puffer vests, patchwork bucket hats, insulated coats and bags.
- Ji Won Choi: Eponymous label of the South Korea-born and Oklahoma-raised fashion designer, boasting unique and sustainably-made high level ready-to-wear and accessories inspired by global cultures, Ji Won Choi will contribute a capsule collection featuring 3 reworked vintage adidas pieces.
- Theophilio: Brooklyn-based contemporary clothing brand from Jamaican-born, CFDA-winning designer Edvin Thompson, Theophilio will deliver a 10-piece collection of original patchwork hoodies, pants, crewnecks and t-shirts inspired by adidas gear.
- Tyranny & Mutation: Local New York vintage shop that trades, sells, buys and rents extremely rare vintage clothing sources from all over the world, Tyranny & Mutation will contribute a carefully curated collection of 20 vintage adidas / adidas-inspired vintage clothing, including tees, sweatshirts, track pants and more.
We also got an exclusive interview with Frankie Collective Creative Director, Sara Gourlay:
The Knockturnal: We’re here today to help promote sustainability in fashion, can you talk about some of the negatives of fast fashion?
Sara Gourlay: From promoting more consumption to stealing ideas of small designers to not paying workers fairly to using toxic materials, the list goes on regarding how awful and terrible it is.
The Knockturnal: Who are some of your fashion inspirations?
Sara Gourlay: Right now Aleali May she’s definitely my inspiration, she just launched a Barbie Doll that looks like her. I almost had a tear in my eye because as a little girl I would have loved that – to see a) a barbie that looked like me but also have my style. I think what she’s doing is amazing.
The Knockturnal: What can fans expect from Frankie Collective in 2022?
Sara Gourlay: We’re getting into new production, cut and sew, it’s a long process that started 2.5 years ago which involved finding factories that wanted to work with us and finding the sustainable natural material, so it’s been a long time coming, but if we’re going to put something new out into the world it has to be made out of ethical materials and made ethically.
For more information on how to participate in Choose to Give Back and join Creators Club, visit https://www.adidas.com/us/creatorsclub.