Hyundai Motor has announced the launch of its sustainable fashion collection – Re:Style 2020 – created by upcycling discarded automotive waste materials from manufacturing and scrapping processes.
The company says it has taken a creative approach to sustainable fashion by converting auto waste into marketable products in collaboration with artists – Alighieri, E.L.V. DENIM, Public School, pushBUTTON, Richard Quinn, and Rosie Assoulin.
The eco-friendly fashion collection features a variety of products such as jewelry, jumpsuits, working vests, bags, and various other clothing. For example, Alighieri created a collection of necklaces, chokers, and bracelets with repurposed car seatbelts, car glass, and foam materials. A work vest with pockets has been made using airbag materials by pushBUTTON. The collection also includes a tote bag made of seatbelt webbings, carpet fabrics, and foam, designed by Rosie Assoulin.
The idea behind Hyundai’s ‘Re:Style 2020’ has been to make use of waste materials from the auto scrapping process that ultimately ends up in landfills. Though materials such as iron and nonferrous metals are currently recycled as part of the scrapping process, some other materials such as leather, glass, and airbags cannot be. It was these leftovers that were sent to the collaborative partners of the fashion collection.
The sales of sustainable fashion products will begin on October 13 at London’s Selfridges pop-up store and Selfridges online store. Proceeds from the sales will go towards the British Fashion Council’s Institute of Positive Fashion.
Hyundai says that by demonstrating that discarded resources can be reimagined into valuable products, the company aims to encourage other industries to see waste as a recreative opportunity. “(And) work collaboratively toward an environmentally accountable and economically efficient future,” says Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Motor Company.