Behind the Canvas – Episode Three: The Converse Renew Collection

The third episode in our ‘Behind the Canvas’ series with Converse takes a look at their new, sustainable Renew Collection. We headed down to their temporary pop-up space at Coal Drops Yard, London, to learn more about how the brand is transforming waste into something brand-new.

The range is environmentally conscious at its core, with the entirety of the upper created out of recovered plastic bottles. Each bottle is ground down into flakes and melted down into pellets, to begin forming the yarn itself. This material is then constructed into the canvas to be dyed and built into the final product.

Ahead of the launch event last week in London, project specialists visited staff at size? Carnaby Street to explain a bit more about the release, and to emphasise the importance of how the future of product development lies within the recycling of pre-used materials and sustainability.

Brandon Avery, VP of Global Innovations, took us through the step-by-step process and talked through the different organisations Converse has been working closely with in order to collect the bottles needed to start the production line.

A designer in her own right, our size? Carnaby Street Sales Assistant, Tia Clarke, also attended the event. Tia’s work focuses on the development of new, environmentally conscious approaches to creating clothing.

Converse’s eco-friendly Renew collection is now available at size? – click here to check it out.