Fashion, but make it sustainable
“Take a hike, show off your reusable bottle collection, and be snobby about coffee for a while. The PNW Collection is here,” Girlfriend Collective announced via Instagram this morning.
A photo from the brand’s Instagram page showing the models, clad in Girlfriend’s latest collection, who vary in heights, ages, ethnicities, and body types. All models are PNW locals from Seattle and Portland, as @girlfriend announced on Instagram. Image Courtesy of Girlfriend Collective.
The “reusable bottle collection” refers to Girlfriend’s cropped workout tops and stretchy leggings in Pacific Northwest-inspired hues. Each product made by Girlfriend is made of 80–100% recycled materials, including single-use water bottles, recycled polyester, recycled fishing nets, and cupro (a fiber made from the waste left behind by the cotton industry.)
The PNW colors are named on their website accordingly: Foam, Blackberry, and Olympia, to name a few. Promotional videos show the models in action: hiking muddy trails and up fallen trees. Their clothes blend seamlessly into the scenery of Lake Wenatchee, Washington behind them.
“I was first motivated to buy a set from Girlfriend because of their mission, but after I went for my first run in my Midnight Blue set, I was so impressed by the comfort that I immediately bought two more sets!” said Brooke Stroosma, a Waste Zero Coordinator at Recology.
“Sustainability and inclusivity are the most rewarding parts of the job. We want to reach out to as many people as possible and be welcoming with our products for all different sizes, bodies, and lifestyles,” said Girlfriend’s Art Director, Diana Kim.
Each product made by Girlfriend is made of 80–100% recycled materials, including single-use water bottles, recycled polyester, recycled fishing nets, and cupro (a fiber made from the waste left behind by the cotton industry.)
Girlfriend Collective outsources their materials from Taiwan, whose recycling practices have been described as a “beacon of hope” by Huffington Post. Twenty-five years ago, Taiwan was previously known as “Garbage Island,” and in the last decade has increased the country’s national recycling rate by 50%. Taiwan’s culture of communal environmental stewardship inspired Girlfriend to study government-certified recycling centers there, according to Girlfriend’s mission statement.
Retired volunteers at the Tzu Chi Foundation’s recycling organization branch in Malaysia carry and sort plastics. Image courtesy of Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Malaysia.
Girlfriend’s process of turning single-use plastics into athletic clothing, designed for hiking Mount Rainier and running on the Burke-Gilman, has developed since the company was started in 2015, as explained on their website. After people recycle their single-use plastic water bottles in Taiwan, Girlfriend uses Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastics. The recycling center chops the water bottles into small PET chips, creating polyester, then sends them to a spinning mill. The materials are reprocessed until they are made into fine threads suitable for the clothes.
The negative impacts of the common fabric-dyeing process are another component of what Girlfriend combats. 10–15% of dyes get released into the environment during different parts of the dyeing process, according to the American Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering. Instead, Girlfriend sends one-hundred percent of their water to a wastewater treatment plant.
Girlfriend also holds themselves to U.S. labor regulations and standards. In their SA8000-certified factory in Vietnam, just 14 employees cut and sew Girlfriend’s garments. Each worker’s compensation package includes a starting pay of 125% of the local minimum wage, among other standard healthcare benefits.
When the clothes hit the market, they receive positive feedback as well. As one eco-friendly brand carrying Girlfriend merchandise, Weekendbee says, “A bunch of old water bottles never looked so good.”
Chamidae Ford (bottom row, middle) poses with other Girlfriend models at Denny Creek, Washington. Image courtesy of Girlfriend Collective.
Chamidae Ford, a Junior at the University of Washington has done freelance work with Girlfriend and wears Girlfriend’s leggings, workout tops, and bike shorts.
“I honestly really like them! Super comfy! Great colors, and I genuinely love wearing their stuff!” said Ford, “The work environment is also a positive place. They are a small, close knit team which is nice to be part of.”
Other sustainable fashion brands have found a home in Seattle. From Eco Collective, a women-owned, zero-waste store in Ballard, to the Allbirds franchise in University Village, more brands are promoting eco-friendly production.
Girlfriend Collective is a cult-favorite environmentalist brand at a time when environmentalism and climate change have become polarized. As other brands enact environmentally-friendly measures, Girlfriend strives to promote sustainability beyond their brand.
“Sustainability has been spreading, not just in retail but also in lifestyle, which is great news for the planet. Other brands do what we do, and we always encourage to be sustainable whether that’s with others or us,” said Kim.