In 2015 we set-out to change perceptions of waste on a global scale. While, in ordinary circumstances, this would be considered a monumental task, we decided to go a step further and do it in a world that had a reputation for turning its back on sustainability: the high-fashion industry. Despite most people believing we had lost our minds, we knew that we could create products that would compete with the global leaders of the high-fashion industry. The journey has been long but this past week we further confirmed that we are on the right path. We went live on Mr. Porter.
In the year 2000, while the world was celebrating the millennium and would only buy clothing they had physically held, Natalie Massenet launched the online store Net-A-Porter. Massenet, an American-born fashion journalist, developed the concept of a magazine in website format where users could ‘click’ to buy while trying to source product online for a fashion shoot. While most were initially sceptical, Massenet grew Net-A-Porter into one of the biggest and most respected e-commerce sites in the world. The Net-A-Porter group now sits at the apex of the fashion world and, in 2011, the launch of its menswear site, Mr Porter, has formed part of this success.
Through publications such as the Mr Porter Post newspaper, and the weekly online magazine called The Journal, Mr. Porter is now seen as an authority in the fashion world. Some of the designers available on its sites include Tom Ford, Gucci, Brunello Cucinellia, Balenciaga, and Polo Ralph Lauren. The Oberserver wrote that being stocked by the Net-A-Porter Group is becoming important to designers as it, ‘not only guarantees new customers, but its [Net-A-Porter’s] credibility gives a fashion brand value.’
Photo Cred: Mr. Porter
After months of designing, testing, and re-designing, we are incredibly happy and excited to announce that an exclusive Sealand range is now live on Mr. Porter. The range stands true to us, and it stands true to them. The upcycled products are innovative and edgy while, through the use of black materials, maintaining a considered, timeless, and sophisticated feeling. Check it out here.
Our launch on Mr. Porter has given us confidence in what we are doing. We have extended our footprint to other fashion giants in the UK such Matches Fashion, Selfridges and Liberties, as well as throughout the rest of Europe. We have seen growing demand in Asia, and are proud to be stocked in South Korea and Japan. These successes represent the acceptance of upcycling in the fashion industry. The road ahead of us is far longer than the one behind us, and we are working hard to go bigger and reach higher. Luckily for us, there is a lot more waste and we’ll keep using it.
