Beyond Retro launches bag collection made from discarded prison uniforms

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Feb 22, 2017

Beyond Retro, the UK’s largest vintage retailer, has stepped up its upcycling efforts with a new collection of bags made from an unexpected material: discarded American prison uniforms.

Launching exclusively in Topman on 24 February, the limited edition line highlights the brand’s mission to reclaim and reuse more of the world’s second-hand product as an answer to the 13 million tonnes of textile waste generated in the US every year.

Discarded prison uniforms are usually sent to landfills or cut into rags, the company said.

“We wanted to free ourselves from what’s expected. By unlocking the potential of ignored materials, we can transform anything, even prison uniforms, into a must-have bag. Through a little imagination and innovation, there’s no need to discriminate in our fabric choice," commented creative director Steve Bethell.

The bag collection comes in four different styles, including a backpack, a tote, a drawstring bag and a gym bag.
 
Also going into Beyond Retro's LABEL collection for Topman is a line of bags made from surplus army camouflage lined with prison uniforms, and a line of bags made from classic Carhartt workwear.
 
The styles were exhibited at Pure London earlier this month and will be available for wholesale.