Hyundai is turning leftover materials from the production of its cars into fashion.
It’s called upcycling and is an emerging cultural trend, one that encourages the transformation of leftover materials into new products.
The company has partnered with fashion brand Zero + Maria Cornejo to host Re:Style — an exclusive event that will showcase the collaboration between the automotive and fashion industries.
The event will take place at the opening of New York Fashion Week, at the trendy Public Kitchen restaurant, on September 6.
Zero + Maria Cornejo is recognised as a eco-friendly designer brand that is known for the use of natural dyes, natural silk, and materials that require minimal oil.
Its clothing is worn by many celebrities.
For the project, Hyundai and Zero + Maria Cornejo have produced a 15-piece capsule collection that reuse leftover leather produced after seat development, along with upcycled Zero + Maria Cornejo fabrics, including 100 per cent organic cotton Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold Dylan denim, reimagined in entirely new shapes and silhouettes.
“The whole idea is to do something creative with things that have had a life before,” says Maria Cornejo.
“It’s about making something new and re-imagining things. Re-create, re-imagine, re-cycle. How do we get creative with less?”
Hyundai and Zero + Maria Cornejo have also designed a run of limited edition T-shirts that will be sold in-store and on Zero + Maria Cornejo’s website, with the proceeds benefiting environmental organisations.
The program will also include branded content and a partnership with Nylon, a leading pop culture and fashion media outlet.
Re:Style is the second cultural project from Hyundai following the successful “StyleNite” event in Los Angeles late last year.
It’s part of Hyundai’s creative approach to reach young and trend-focused millennials by teaming up with key figures in the fashion industry.
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