UPCYCLING COLLAB CLAUDIA GONTOVNIK

This week we’re very excited to be announcing the launch of our very special t-shirt collection in collaboration with multidisciplinary artist, sociologist and fashion designer Claudia Gontovnik. These limited-edition t-shirts are upcycled from our first collection Revolt. We partnered with Claudia in order to give these pieces an extended life by turning them into exclusive items. Gontovnik is an upcycling expert giving a new life to items that already had one and. The Miami-based Colombian designer is committed to stopping the widespread feeding of toxic chemicals into our environment. Upcycling is very much in trend as designers are using the technique to make creative and unique pieces by also promoting sustainability within the industry, plus it is less resource and energy intensive than recycling. 

Besides the upcycling expertise, we also chose to partner with Claudia Gontovnik because this brand has a mission is to inspire self-expression and style with sustainability values. Claudia's signature "suture" style highlights the pressing need to stitch together our differences in today's world. The raw and honest exposure of seams and visible knotting of the embroidery thread embrace imperfection and foreground. The pieces become a statement for her and the person wearing them.  After Claudia completed the design phase, the t-shirts were sent to Medellin, Colombia where a group of mothers, head of household, embroidered them by hand. This took several days to complete and in order to recognize their detailed and beautiful work we would like to give credit to these individuals: Paula Rivera, Sandra Alzate, Luz Marina Araque, Luz Marina Osorio and Arendis Santiago.

The t-shirts from this collection are made with soft and delicious 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton. In terms of sustainability organic cotton is a great alternative to conventional cotton and to other commonly available materials such as polyester. Conventional cotton despite being biodegradable is considered the dirtiest crop on Earth. The process to produce cotton fabric is highly chemical and water-intensive. Organic cotton is grown according to organic standards without the use of toxic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or genetic engineering. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification also looks at ethical practices throughout the supply chain, not only with regards to environmental practices but also with labor and social standards.

Leave us your thoughts on this collection! Hopefully you can appreciate it as much as we do. Here's the link to the collection.