Pharrell and G-Star RAW Team Up to Save the Ocean with Revolutionary, Eco-Friendly Clothing Collab
Photo: Anton Corbijn/Courtesy of G-Star RAW
Living on land (as, presumptively, most of us are), it’s easy to take the ocean for granted. Despite the fact that 71 percent of our planet is covered by it, for many people, its well-being isn’t always at the forefront of our minds.
But World Oceans Day, celebrated each June 8, hopes to change that, by bringing awareness to this important, necessary ecosystem that can sometimes feel like it’s a world away. Officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008, WOD celebrates the oceans and their inhabitants, while calling attention to vital conservation efforts.
2015’s WOD theme, “Healthy oceans, healthy planet,” aims to stop the approximately 288 million tons of slow-degrading plastic waste that ends up in the ocean each year, impacting the health of aquatic life, as well as humans. Getting in on the action is denim purveyor G-Star RAW, which brought superstar singer, producer, and CFDA Fashion Icon Pharrell Williams onboard for a World Oceans Day-inspired collaboration called the “Oceans collection.” Woven from “Bionic Yarn”—yarn made out of discarded plastic found on the oceans’ shores—the 55-piece collection is revolutionary in its creation, sustainability, and message.
Otto, the mascot of RAW’s Oceans collection.
For Williams, who was raised on the shores of Virginia Beach, supporting World Oceans Day was a no-brainer. “I grew up by the ocean,” he tells Yahoo Style. “I have a connection with the ocean. It yields so much life including our own. We owe it.”
He continues, “Growing up by the ocean we took so much enjoyment from it—holidaying by it and eating from it.”
As the first brand to create denim from Bionic Yarn—for which Williams has been an investor and ambassador since ‘08—the “Happy” singer was especially intrigued by G-Star’s pioneering Oceans project. “Making the world’s first of anything is never easy, and we knew G-Star was the best match for the challenge as they are experts in denim innovation,” he says, of getting involved in the collab. “We really just sat down and figured out how we could take what we each did well to make an innovative product from recycled plastic. The rest is history.”
Photo: Courtesy of G-Star RAW
For his part, Williams can be seen on G-Star’s site modeling the collection, which contains ultra-soft tees, washed down-denim bombers, distressed jeans, sweats, hats, and a playsuit. In addition to supporting anti-pollution efforts (and utilizing the great fit and quality that G-Star is known for), each of the pieces features a patch or graphic of the collection’s mascot: an adorable little cartoon octopus named Otto.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Williams tells Yahoo Style that Otto is his favorite fictional marine life character of all time. Better luck next time, Nemo and Flipper…
Shop G-Star Raw x Pharrell Williams’s Oceans collection, available now.
More from Yahoo Style:
Pharrell Williams Debuts His Latest Song in a New Killer Hat
Sophia Bush Proves Even Small Changes Can Help the Earth
The 9 Best Eco-Friendly Beauty Products
