2020 YEAR-END ISSUE | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY 67
Produced in partnership withincisive look at their positions on fashion,
materials, and sustainability — along with a
highly appealing men’s and women’s line. They
have changed the outlook on fashion by being
so involved in the environment, and aren’t afraid
to pull out the bullhorn and proclaim it (among
other avenues, they advertise on CNN). They
care about their products and how they will
have an impact on people and the environment.
Rareform Backpacks
Hikers and mountaineers are another high-
volume outdoor group highly dependent on a
clean environment and the sustainability
practices it requires. Which is what brothers
Alec and Aric Avedissian realized in 2013, when
they started Rareform Backpacks in Southern
California. They began creating sustainable
luggage and recycled backpacks by using
billboard vinyl and keeping them out of
landfills.
Billboards are one of the most wasteful
products, due to the combination of short shelf
life and lack of recycling, plus the sheer volume:
in 2019, an estimated 450,000 billboards lined
America’s roads and highways. The average
lifespan of an advertising billboard, which
averages 12 feet x 48 feet, is only four to eight
weeks before it’s taken down. Now, many of
them have a new destination besides the
landfill: they are shipped from throughout the
U.S. to Rareform’s warehouse to be washed,
hand-cut and sewn together into unique
designs.
What’s cool about Rareform is that no two
bags are exactly alike, and they’re designed to
turn heads. So will their material composition,
which is durable, waterproof, comfortable,
unique, light weight, eco friendly, and vegan-
friendly. They make cooler bags, messenger
bags, duffle bags, totes, backpacks, wallets, fanny
packs, travel accessories, wristlets, surfboard
bags, hats, and keychains. Also featured is TPU
waterproof lining, a nylon-lined interior that fits
most laptops up to 15 inch with ease and
includes strong quality YKK zippers, which can
be found in all products.
Rareform’s story began on the popular TV
show Shark Tank. Since then, they’ve been able
to recycle over 50,000 pounds of billboard vinyl
a month. Rareform products can be found in
350 retail stores across the country, in addition
to Whole Foods, Patagonia shops in Japan, and
on BestBuy.com. Big brands and companies are
reaching out directly to partner with their
billboard waste, not the least of which is Disney.Like many sustainable fashion companies,
Rareform gives back to environmental causes:
1% of their annual sales go to nonprofits that
sustain our natural playgrounds, in this case.Gucci Off The Grid
Gucci Off the Grid is an extension of Gucci
Circular Lines, which implements a circular
production to reduce waste by reintroducing
byproducts back into the supply chain. It
minimizes the brand’s use of new raw materials
and explores all manner of regenerated textiles.
This concept of circularity bends the straight
line from product to consumer to landfill by
designing clothes with their “end of life” in mind
instead. The goal is to ensure as many “lives” as
possible for a garment by using materials that
can be broken down, recycled, and made into
something else on a constant loop.
Gucci is one of the first luxury brands to
commit to a circular future, starting with Gucci
off the Grid, a 37-piece unisex line of sporty
daywear and accessories made from organic,
recycled, or bio-based materials. Among their
products are backpacks, shoes, shoulder bags,
mini bags, hats, duffle bags, wallets, tote bags,
credit card cases, vests, passport cases, pouches,
jackets,and pants with gaiters.
The main material behind all of this, which we
mentioned before with Outerknown, is Econyl. It
is sourced entirely from regenerated materials like
fishing nets and carpet flooring. The econyl
offcuts are recovered from Gucci’s manufacturing
and then recycled to create new Econyl materials
as part of a pre-consumer fabric take-back
program. Leather scraps from the collection are
also recovered and upcycled as part of the
Gucci-Up program, which led to the reuse of
around 11 tons of leather scrap materials and
saved approximately 4,500 tons of carbon dioxide
in 2018, according to the company.
The brand has been following a ten-year plan,
committing to amplify its focus on social and
environmental sustainability. This sustainable
business model was announced in 2015, and
Gucci has aimed to hit specific milestones by
2025 like reducing its environmental footprint
and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.