G-Star Raw x Pharrell Williams “Raw for the Oceans” Collection

Famed denim heavyweight G-Star Raw and super producer Pharrell Williams recently announced a collaborative project with Williams’ eco-minded company Bionic Yarn. After months of meticulous planning they recently launched their new joint venture, the G-Star Raw For the Oceans collection.

Announced in February, the line is a long term collaboration between Williams and G-Star that will help to reduce the impact of plastic dumping in the world’s oceans. Raw for the Oceans includes both a men’s and women’s collection comprised of jeans, tees, hats, sweats, and jackets completely made of fabrics constructed using Bionic Yarn recycled plastics.The collection is currently available for purchase through the brand’s website.

process

Bionic Yarn

Bionic Yarn was started in 2009 by Tyson Toussant with the objective of producing a high performance textile from plastic recycled from the oceans around the world. The fabrics themselves are made from a blend of cotton and newly recycled plastic fibers.

Bionic Yarn partnered with a service called the Vortex Project in order to amass the resources needed to make their recycled fabrics. Their studies show that waste in plastic and garbage outweighs fish harvested from the ocean at a 3:1 ratio per pound. So far Bionic Yarn and Project Vortex have assisted in removing and recycling at least 10 tons of plastic for this project alone. It is not a huge number in the grand scheme of things, but it is a step in the right direction to reduce our impact upon the oceans of the world.

The Collection

Most, if not all of the denim used in the garments is indigo or black, raw, and made from the previously mentioned Bionic Yarn blend. The denim itself is a light weight 12oz. right hand twill, and while not selvedge all of the denim used is raw.

Left to right the Raw Indigo, Raw Black, and Printed Indigo finish jeans of the RFTO Collection.

Left to right the Raw Indigo, Raw Black, and Printed Indigo finish jeans of the RFTO Collection.

The jeans come in 3 different finishes of G Star’s famed Arc 3D Slim Tapered fit. Two being raw indigo and raw black, with the third being a printed indigo finish. These are all available in the $240- $260 range.

Printed Indigo A- Crotch Trench Coat and Raw Black Bomber Jacket

Printed Indigo A- Crotch Trench Coat and Raw Black Bomber Jacket

The outerwear segment consists of two different jackets coming in multiple finishes. First is the A-Crotch Trench Coat. Why they put crotch in the name of a coat is beyond me, however it looks awesome so I’ll let it slide this time. The coat is made of the same 12oz. raw recycled denim that the rest of the collection is constructed of and comes in two finishes: Raw Indigo and printed Raw Indigo

The jacket includes a folded collar and button closure. The trench coat retails for $390(indigo) or $430 (printed). Check them out below.

Raw Indigo A- Crotch Trench Coat and Printed Black Bomber Jacket

Raw Indigo A- Crotch Trench Coat and Printed Black Bomber Jacket

The second jacket in the collection is the Fallden Bomber Jacket and comes in three finishes: Printed Indigo, Printed Black, and Raw Black. This piece may be a little more on trend for the street wear folks that read our pieces. Detailing on this jacket includes a ribbed collar, sleeves, and bottom hem, along with front pockets, and snap button closure. The printed versions of the jacket are retailing for $380 while the raw black finish comes in at $350.

hats

Rounding out the denim made products in the mens collection is the denim snapback cap. The denim cap comes in four different finishes and will run you $70 or $80 depending if it is a printed finish or not. You can pick up the denim cap in Raw Indigo, Raw Black, Printed Indigo or Printed Black.

Women’s Collection

Raw Indigo, Printed Indigo, and Raw Black Women's RFTO Jeans

Raw Indigo, Printed Indigo, and Raw Black Women’s RFTO Jeans

Ladies, we didn’t forget about you on this one. For the most part the women’s collection mirrors the men’s line, G-Star offers up the same finishes of the women’s Arc 3D Tapered jean in Raw Indigo and Printed Indigo or Printed Black at $260 and $240 respectively.

The next piece in the line, the A Crotch Jumpsuit is made just for the ladies! Coming in a comfortable Black or Indigo Print Stretch Denim the jumpsuit will run you between $370 and $400.

Jumpsuits

Following these first two pieces is the Women’s Bomber Jacket. Setting itself apart from its male counterpart, the women’s bomber ditches the ribbed collar and sleeves for fold down snap closures at the collar and snap closure at the sleeve ends. Rounded out with a ribbed hem and zip front the bomber is available in either raw black or printed raw indigo for $350 and $380 respectively.

Raw for the Oceans NYFW Event

NYFW

We also wanted to bring you a quick recap of the event that G Star threw in honor of the collection’s debut. Housed at 23 Wall Street in the Financial District the event highlighted the partnership between G Star, Bionic Yarn, and Pharrell. The space itself was stuffed to the gills with aquatic ambience; complete with a blue carpet, blue lighting, oceanic visuals and abstract music with whale calls incorporated into it. Around 6PM the lights in the main gathering room dropped as score composed by Pharrell filled the room.

Projections and smoke flooded the floor and ceiling of the runway as the music transitioned into a special cut of the Pharrell-produced song “Oceans” by Jay Z and Frank Ocean. This sensory experience heralded the entrance of Pharrell and a group of models clad in pieces from the collection. Pharrell then delivered a few words about the collection itself and making changes to lead more sustainable lives to protect the ocean and the environment before presenting the collection.

rfto stands

Have a look at the full collection on G-Star’s website.