A new U.S.-based apparel and accessories company plans to make and sell clothing from no new materials. Looptworks will repurpose abandoned, pre-consumer materials into limited-edition products.
The inaugural collection will be created from 100% excess materials and components. The line consists of 20 apparel pieces for both men and women. Initial styles include jackets, hoodies, skirts, shirts and graphic t-shirts. Each product is a limited-edition and will be numbered based on the quantity of materials that are found for each item.
Unlike traditional apparel seasonal collections, each line has an extremely short lead time and therefore the brand says it will offer fresh, collectable styles frequently.
“Excess materials do not belong in a landfill,” says Scott Hamlin, founding partner of Looptworks. “We’re trying to call attention to excess and change the way people think about buying. Looptworks will create nothing new in the manufacturing of its products or in the running of its business. Everything will be designed and created from what already exists.”
The company plans to target an active lifestyle that brings together elements of board sports (surf, skate and snowboard) and outdoor activities (hiking, climbing, mountain biking, etc.) while adding a sophisticated, urban flair for style.
“The cool thing is that we never know what we are going to find,” says Gary Peck, founding partner. “By using design to create meaningful products out of materials that would otherwise get scrapped, we are giving people the option to have something that is very individual and we are doing less harm to the planet in the process.”
In 2006, Americans generated more than 11.8 million tons of textile waste, which represents 10 pounds for every person. Every week, one factory can dispose of about 60,000 pounds of textile waste that goes into landfills. Clothes that are discarded not only contribute solid waste in landfills, but also are part of a system that uses energy and creates carbon emissions in transit to distant lands.
While buying organic is less harmful than conventional cotton, it is still a huge tax on the world’s limited resources. According to Canadian Research Institute, it takes 400 gallons of water to make one organic cotton T-shirt. Even more shocking, it requires about 1800 gallons of water to manufacture one pair of denim jeans.
“Buying green, eco-friendly, organic, or sustainable products are a great first step in lowering our impact on the planet,” says Hamlin. “However, we are introducing the idea of creating even lower impact products by not making anything new and creating our clothing from materials that already exist.”
Initially, products will be available exclusively on the Looptworks website starting September 9, 2009, with the intent to expand into specialty retailers in the future.
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