Hong Kong Alumni, Jesse Lee, reimagines denim for Levi’s and The R Collective
The R Collective social impact up-cycled fashion brand has launched their Denim Reimagined capsule collection designed by award-winning Redress Design Award Alumnus Jesse Lee and made using surplus denim provided by Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.). Denim Reimagined also launches The R Collective’s accompanying global #WearAndCare sustainable consumer care campaign to engage with locked-down and socially-distanced consumers about how they can reduce fashion’s climate impact through more sustainable consumer care behaviours.
“I was inspired by how the ocean’s natural beauty plays a huge role in regulating the Earth’s climate,” said Hong Kong designer Jesse Lee at Levi’s® Hong Kong in-store launch, with Digital Content Creator, Cecilia Ngan, of No 7. “Fashion inspires and designers must engage with customers, particularly during this uncertain time of socially-distancing, when we’re forced to reimagine the world we want to live in. Denim’s biggest climate impact is caused during consumer care and fabric production and so Denim Reimagined tackles both upcycling and consumer care, so we can all have caring closets.''
Denim Reimagined represents the culmination of a large industry-wide collaborative effort to bring about a beautiful collection with purpose and innovation. The collection offers an answer for one of the most pressing questions facing apparel supply chains in the midst of COVID-19 - what should be done with excess materials? The R Collective’s answer is to utilise select Levi’s® aged inventory and irregular and leftover samples in a creative design effort to prolong denim’s lifespan.
“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,” said 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.”
Alongside the Instagram-streamed conversation between Lee and Ngan, The R Collective also launches their virtual #WearAndCare sustainable consumer care workshop, hosted by six local and international fashion influencers, including Creative Director Kayla Wong, Climate Writer Jo Lorenz and Feng Shui Designer, Thierry Chow, to inspire audiences about how to care for and prolong their clothing’s life to reduce fashion’s climate impact. Streaming in both in English and CHinese on Levi’s® Hong Kong(SAR) and The R Collective’s Instagram will be #WearAndCare with fashion influencers, which will stream on Wednesday 20 May at 12 noon HKT.
You can find Jesse’s collection in the K11 MUSEA Levi’s® Hong Kong store (from 20 May 2020) and at TheRCollective.com
The Life Cycle of a jean - understanding the environmental impact of a pair of Levi’s 501® jeans.