California Apparel News

The beginning of April ushers in the start of Earth Month and, to celebrate, The RealReal announced a partnership with eight luxury brands to present the inaugural release of pieces from its new ReCollection upcycling program. Working with A-COLD-WALL*, Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, Jacquemus, Simone Rocha, Stella McCartney, Ulla Johnson and Zero + Maria Cornejo, The RealReal created its ReCollection 01 to make unique pieces that were once worn or damaged clothing that was originally designed by these fashion houses. In addition to partnering with these luxury brands, The RealReal sought the expertise of Atelier & Repairs, the Los Angeles-based apparel-upcycling business that promotes a circular economy by giving new life to old, or imperfect, clothing.

“For the past decade, The RealReal has championed the circular economy, extending the life of luxury goods through resale, repairs and now our ReCollection upcycling program,” explained Julie Wainwright, founder and chief executive officer of The RealReal. “To have such a dynamic group of luxury brands join us for our first collection sends an incredibly powerful message about the importance of circularity and the opportunity we all have to support a more sustainable future for fashion. Our hope is that ReCollection will inspire people to think about the afterlife of what they own and embrace more conscious consumption.”

Using components of unfinished American quilts, ReCollection 01 nods to the skill in creating these types of goods, for which the region is known. According to ReCollection guidelines for sustainability, each piece was created in the United States by workers who were paid fair wages and made the goods without any virgin materials, through work that yields zero waste.

“As a designer, I think it’s the biggest compliment for your designs to have an afterlife—to me, that is luxury. And I take it into consideration from the beginning of the process. The timelessness of the design, how it’s made, what materials are used to produce it—it is all part of our ethos at Stella McCartney,” said Stella McCartney, founder and creative director of her eponymous brand. “We invest a lot to make sure that our products are made to last rather than end up in a landfill.”

With its first ReCollection 01 collection, The RealReal has released 50 pieces that are the result of an upcycling process, which yields one-of-a-kind items from luxury fashion houses. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of pieces within the collection, which is priced $195-$2,450 retail, will be donated to reforestation organization One Tree Planted. The RealReal ReCollection 01 is available through the ReCollection 01 site. .