Gant Is Now Turning Ocean Plastic Into Clothes

Gant is taking plastic trash from the ocean and turning it into shirts.

The Stockholm-based fashion brand has launched a new "Beacons Project," consisting of creating a new line of shirts made using upcycled plastic salvaged from the ocean by fishermen in the Mediterranean. The initiative will see the label partner with Seaqual, a fiber brand that upcycles plastics collected from the sea to make a polyester filament.

"Through Gant Beacons Project we are launching an entirely new process of creating beautiful products with a conscious, sustainable approach, which will further grow and evolve over time," said Chief Marketing Officer, Brian Grevy. "We're determined to take responsibility and to do our part to make our planet better because the ocean's business is everyone's business."

The shirts resulting from the initiative will span menswear and womenswear, with options for women including a "Bio Oxford Popover Shirt" featuring a flared sleeve, and a "Bio Chambray Shirt" in a button-down style. Men will also get a "Bio Chambray Shirt" with a box pleat, and a "Bio Indigo Chambray" made using only indigo dye. All shirts in the series will feature buttons and packaging made from recycled materials.

Gant is the latest in a long line of fashion labels turning its attention to the seas recently. Ocean debris recycler Parley for the Oceans is well known for working recycled plastic into new fashion pieces and collaborating regularly with brands such as G-star and Stella McCartney, but water economy has also become a hot topic within the industry of late. Last month clothing giant Gap Inc. pledged to do its bit for the planet by saving 10 billion litres of water by the end of 2020, while beauty giant REN Clean Skincare recently unveiled a project to help to protect clean water and healthy, plastic-free beaches in collaboration with Surfrider Foundation.