Simply Abu Dhabi XXXVI

8 7 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I C reative activism – using the arts to advocate issues – is not only an effective way to raise awareness, but it’s become the moniker for clothing labels, brands and celebrities who want to make a change. In the 21st century, a time of mass consumption and disposable convenience now known as the Plastic Age, sustainable clothing is, finally, seen as a desirable option. Parley for the Oceans – an environmental organisation that sources up to 120 tonnes of plastic waste from the seas each month and turns the waste into filaments – was at the beginning of the revolution. Founded in 2012 by Cyrill Gutsch, a designer and strategist, Parley now counts NASA, American Express, the UN and the Maldives among its many collaborators. And far from operating in a blame-and- shame cycle, for Parley, the big task is to “questionmaterials, question design and question economy”, says Gutsch. Since Adidas first partnered with Parley in 2015, the sports brand has been set on transforming marine plastic pollution into high performance sportswear. In 2017, Adidas launched its new swimwear range made from a technical yarn fibre named Econyl, which is made from waste deposited in coastal areas. Offering the same properties as regular nylon, it is also used by champion surfer Kelly Slater in his menswear label, Outerknown. As early as 2016 Adidas collaborated with Stella McCartney to create shoes that integrate Parley Ocean Plastic, which is sourced from localised clean-up operations based in the Maldives and along 1,000 coral islands off the western coast of India. This included three new versions of its UltraBoost trainer made from 95% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics. Fast forward to September 2019, and demand for the eco footwear that retails for $170 a piece is growing exponentially. “With Adidas products made from recycled plastic, we offer our consumers real added-value beyond the look, functionality and quality of the product, because every shoe is a small contribution to the preservation of our oceans,” says Adidas’ global brands executive Eric Liedtke. “Therefore, after one million pairs of shoes produced in 2017 and five million in 2018, we plan to produce 11 million pairs of shoes containing recycled ocean plastic in 2019.” Moral fibre b y J u l i a Z a l t z m a n