Richard Quinn and Public School Turned Car Waste Into High Fashion
Fashion

Richard Quinn and Public School Turned Car Waste Into High Fashion

by Aaron Royce

Sustainability has been at the forefront of fashion this year, and for good reason. If the Spring 2021 shows were any indication, brands are taking charge to integrate upcycled materials — and even revamped designs — in their collections to reduce their carbon footprints. It's this kind of thinking that propels Hyundai's eco-friendly capsule, Re:Style, which just launched its second season with a new roster of designers: Richard Quinn, Public School, pushBUTTON, Rosie Assoulin, E.L.V. Denim and Alighieri.

After the success of last year's NYFW project with Zero + Maria Cornejo, this year's designers were handpicked to create pieces with discarded materials from Hyundai's scraps and production processes. The final results offer a look at how brands can create fashion-forward pieces with the most unconventional materials — and environmentally conscious ones, to boot.

Materials like leather, seatbelts and glass have been revitalized in a variety of ways for the collection, which ranges from $253-$1,450 and is exclusively available on the Selfridges website. Richard Quinn, known for his splashy vintage florals, printed a new pattern on recycled airbags later crafted into a fitted corset. Alighieri has created a range of sculptural jewelry incorporating seatbelts, car glass and foam. Public School and pushBUTTON even repurposed airbags to create hypebeast-worthy vests.

As if the upcycled materials weren't already green enough, sales from Re:Style's line also promote eco-friendliness. Proceeds will raise funds for the British Fashion Council's Institute of Positive Fashion, which aims to increase sustainable practices in individual brands and the industry as a whole.

Check out more from the 2020 Re:Style collection in the gallery, below.

Re:Style x Alighieri

Photos courtesy of Hyundai