Indorama continues Green Fashion innovation as it celebratres 10th anniversary

The chic and cool everyday attire, colourful party dresses, dark avant-garde long cloaks, hand-made cross-stitch shirts, and light vivid handbags from eight young Thai designers earned much applause from audiences at a Reco Collective fashion show on Monday night.

However, the sound of appreciation was amplified when they learned that almost all of the materials used in these designs are recycled clothing, PET resins, fibres and yarns.

Hosted by Indorama Ventures, the world’s largest producer of PET resins, in collaboration with Thai Taffeta, Earthology Studio, Dapper, and Ecotopia, the fashion show demonstrated the preferred options of the fashion industry as it goes “green” and joins the global sustainability trend.

The Reco Collective’s inaugural fashion collection features eight designers across seven brands: CHANA, ENDPROOF, HeARTh, JIRAWAT, MJSN, and PREAM.

The show also contributes to its efforts to encourage increased use of recycled materials in people’s daily lives, as well as to raise awareness among the general public about which used materials can be revived and transformed into brand new clothing.

Aradhana Lohia Sharma, vice president of Indorama Ventures, said at a media briefing before the show that Reco Collective is a practical test initiative aimed at setting a new standard for sustainable fashion.

Reco Collective began in 2011 as a staged competition for young Thai designers to showcase their work. However, in order to sustain their career paths, Indorama Ventures leaders developed a programme to serve as an incubator and accelerator lab, assisting potential designers in successfully launching their green fashion into the market.

"We, Indorama Ventures, are so proud to be a part of this journey for the last 10 years to see the beautiful creations that have come out of Reco,” Sharma said.

“In fact, the jacket that I am wearing tonight is one of the creations of one of our previous designers from last year.”

Sharma emphasises that the Reco Collective campaign is a key initiative in Indorama Ventures’ overall sustainability strategy, focusing on raising recycling awareness and encouraging sustainable consumer behaviour.

Meanwhile, the programme works to advance recycling education and empower individuals, businesses, and communities to recognise the value of recycled materials and circular products through functional and innovative design.

She promised to continue the Reco Collective programme, but admitted that there are more challenges to face, such as expanding the partner network and supporting and promoting young Thai designers to become entrepreneurs.

“I think it would be a bonus for them to learn how to build the brand. And I think hopefully these seven brands that the designers have created last and can be found in local stores.”

Kamonnart Ongwandee, director of the RECO Incubation Lab course, adds that the real challenge after the fashion show was to encourage these young designers to manage their brands and products as businesses.

"We [RECO Incubation Lab Course] want to see them excel in the business world. They [designers] must confront problems on their own, but we will facilitate and provide tools, channels, and networks to help them overcome those difficulties", she said.

As one of the new Reco Collective key partners, Sirithip Sripaisal, the CEO of Dapper, Thailand’s leading fashion brand, has pledged to support the Reco Collective’s green design products through marketing and sales.

According to Indorama Ventures, Dapper helps bring unparalleled expertise in retail and e-commerce to the table.

Sharma, the company’s vice president, said this is the first time Reco Collective campaign have collaborated with several commercial stakeholders throughout the supply chain to engage with the designers, guiding them on how to run successful and sustainable fashion brands.

“Dapper and Ecotopia will bring with them the expertise in retail and e-commerce that will provide a platform for RECO Collective designers to make their creations commercial,” she said.

Indorama Ventures is transforming the RECO initiative into RECO Collective to commemorate its 10th anniversary. This transformation, they say, represents a collaborative platform that encourages talented designers while also promoting sustainable fashion through innovation and recycling.

The RECO Collective says it goes beyond competition to become a collaborative initiative. It not only promotes the use of recycled materials, but also actively participates in the development of special collections and ready-to-wear products through collaborations with renowned designers.

The initiative now addresses innovation, intensity, and sustainability in the fashion industry.