Two brands committed to repurposing old clothing have come together to design a special collection that celebrates sustainability.
Upcycled denim line Denimcratic and Rit, the household dye brand best known as a key ingredient in the tie-dye T-shirts at Woodstock in 1969, created a capsule collection of recycled denim and knitwear. The garments are dyed with Rit’s nontoxic products.
Launching on Earth Day on April 22, the collection includes bandana and butterfly tops, micro mini-skirts, bucket hats, and knit T-shirts with colorful, environmentally friendly dye effects.
To tease the collection, the duo released a T-shirt made with recycled cotton and organic bamboo, with “Save Mom” on the front, on the Denimcratic site. The shirt retails for $59.
Denimcratic founder Gabriella Meyer worked with Rit’s creative team on the collection during the pandemic, when consumers were heavily experimenting with their own tie-dye and denim DIY projects. Production was kept local to Chicago, where both teams were based last year.
“In an industry where there is so much overconsumption and waste, it is more important than ever to show our dedication to sustainability this Earth Day,” said Jonathon Spagat, creative director of Rit Dye. “Gabriella is a true original and a remarkable example of someone who is committed to reducing the environmental impacts of the fashion industry. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with such an eco-conscious designer who makes some of the coolest denim and knitwear around.”
The pandemic and accompanying tie-dye craze have been a boon for the once struggling dye company, according to an Adweek article that outlined some of the company’s strategies for continuing momentum. It recently partnered with Reebok on a self-dye sneaker package, followed by a DIY shirt and tote bag kit for actor and singer Jaden Smith. It also has a collaboration with sock and T-shirt brand Bombas slated for this summer.
Denimcratic has garnered a sizable celebrity following, with Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid and Cardi B some of its most notable fans. The brand offers denim, accessories and “ugly tees,” and often incorporates political and social messages into its designs. It featured several upcycled voter T-shirts during the U.S. presidential election, and created an upcycled denim vest to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement last year.
In 2018, Meyer co-designed a collection with denim designer Marta Goldschmied entitled “We Wear the Pants,” which featured a pair of skinny jeans and a matching jean jacket laser printed with approximately 30 news reports about sexual harassment in the workplace from major U.S. newspapers.