Ocean enthusiasts and fashion lovers have joined forces for "The Vortex Project," a new opportunity to transform ocean plastic waste into stylish denim apparel.
The project is named after the Pacific Trash Vortex, which is known as the world's largest landfill. As the name suggests, the Vortex project mainly recycles plastic waste from the coast and ocean, and enhances its reuse to produce raw materials for yarn, fabrics and other consumer products.
One of the project's sponsoring partners, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, joined forces with eco-friendly apparel company Bionic Yarn at the American Museum of Natural History during New York Fashion Week this month to launch the "Whirlpool Project."
Addressing over 300 fashion industry figures and media representatives, Paul Watson, Minister of the Ocean Keepers Association, stated, "Plastic is suffocating the ocean and marine life at an unprecedented rate. Straws, single-use plastic bags, plastic rings from six-pack beverage containers, bottle caps, and other plastic waste either entangle marine life or clog their digestive systems, leading to the death of these beautiful creatures. We hope this initiative will open up many meaningful opportunities for collaboration in the future."
The "Whirlpool Project" will also involve the Ocean Keepers Association in collecting, developing, innovating, and advocating for awareness, and will collaborate with Ocean Keepers Association chapters around the world to launch group beach cleanup operations.
The first partner in the project is G-Star RAW, the denim brand under the Dutch design company G-Star, which focuses on fashion apparel. The company will collaborate with Bionic Yarn, a company that focuses on environmentally friendly materials, to create the new Raw for the Oceans denim collection, with the main materials coming from discarded plastics in the ocean.
Raw for the Oceans' fashion reputation was orchestrated by Pharrell Williams, known as "Pharrell Williams." Williams is a Grammy Award winner and a renowned singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, fashion entrepreneur, and creative director of Bionic Yarn.
The event was made possible by Parley for the Oceans, a platform comprised of artists, activists, trendsetting avant-garde figures, entrepreneurs, and inventors who raise awareness of plastic pollution and seek to address the problems affecting marine ecosystems.
Parley for the Oceans made its debut last year with a presentation by Williams and Watson at Berlin Fashion Week, and the American Ocean Keeper Association is also its official partner.
Sources: Environmental Information Center (2014-02-09)
