Frank and Oak has launched a new “Circular Denim” collection of jeans, the latest effort by the fashion brand to make the production of its garments more sustainable.
The new collection of jeans is made from a circular process in which discarded garments are collected and broken down into individual fibres. Those are mixed with new fibres to ensure the material remains durable and isn’t going to be sent to the landfill in the near future, before being made into one of the brand’s Nina, Dylan or Tyler styles.
Sustainability has received an even greater emphasis at Frank and Oak over the last year, with co-founder and CEO Ethan Song describing it as the company’s “number one priority.” The fashion brand aims to have 50% of its products made through “minimal impact processes” in 2019, up from 30% in 2018 and 5% in 2017. Those processes include reusing or recycling materials, reducing the amount of water used in production, reducing the amount of animal products used in its insulation, and its “Good Cotton” collection, launched in June, which is made from organic cotton that the company says uses no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, maintains soil fertility and promotes biologically diverse agriculture.
Last year, Frank and Oak also revamped its packaging for both online and in-store orders, moving to 100% recycled and recyclable boxes for online orders, 50% recycled bags for online orders and 100% recycled and recyclable bags for in-store purchases and reducing the amount of packaging for each online order.
The new Circular Denim line is being promoted through an out-of-home campaign, with wild postings in Toronto highlighting how it is helping Frank and Oak divert garments from landfills over the next four weeks. Its sustainable options will also be part of its annual fall campaign, which will debut in the near future.
The collection was also front-and-centre at the launch of Frank and Oak’s newest flagship store this weekend, located in Toronto’s Eaton Centre. Visitors received a free gift with any denim purchase, had the option for a free embroidery service to customize their denim and were encouraged to post from selfie-friendly changing rooms with the “#ResponsibleDenimLab” hashtag to promote the virtues of sustainable denim.
The store occupies 3,000 sq. ft. and features both men’s and women’s wear – unlike its previous Toronto flagship location – and was designed by Montreal-based firm Ivystudio with function and an easy-to-navigate layout in mind.
