Selfridges celebrates sustainability in fashion in new Material World project

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jan 19, 2017

Selfridges is collaborating with eight young fashion and accessories designers who use materials such as plastic, leather, cotton and wool to create sustainable alternatives as part of its new Material World project.

The line-up includes Dutch brand Dick Moby and its handmade sunglasses made with 97% recycled acetate and bio-acetate; Swedish label Deadwood, specialists in leather recycling inspired by original vintage styles; British menswear brand Tengri which uses fair trade Mongolian yak hair for its easy stylish knits; and Study New York, which  advocates of socially and environmentally conscious cotton production. 

They will be joined by Kilometre Paris, a label that adds unique and bespoke embroidered designs to classic hand-woven pieces; British brand Le Kilt, which preserves original kilt-making techniques; Californian jeans label Tortoise, celebrated for its denim washing methods that use less than one cup of water; and New York based athleisure brand VYAYMA, which provides an alternative to synthetic yoga wear.

Each designer will collaborate with Selfridges’ visual team to design a window on Oxford Street inspired by the materials they work with.

“We are a shop selling “stuff”, so let’s take a closer look at the very materiality that makes it. Material World will examine sustainable textile development, with a focus on social, local and global production stories. The project will explore current problems and their impact as well as presenting solutions and ideas, with honesty and humour, in a retail environment,” says Selfridges creative director Linda Hewson.

Selfridges will also open Community Clothing pop-up shops to each of its stores in London, Birmingham and Manchester. The company was founded in 2016 as a manufacturers cooperative with a simple mission; to make excellent quality affordable clothes for men and women; to create great jobs for skilled workers and by doing this to help restore real pride in Britain’s textile communities.

Material World is the first Selfridges project for 2017 and will run until the end of March.