Fashion
May 04, 2022
by James Roberts
The North Face and Online Ceramics Have Fun Exploring Recycled Materials
by James Roberts
May 04, 2022

In a sellout drop with Online Ceramics, The North Face has debuted its new textile waste process, Re-Grind. Released on Earth Day, the highly coveted collaboration with the L.A. cult T-shirt dudes gave the old school climbing brand a chance to be more playful with a collection of T-shirts, hoodies, and functional outdoor gear.

The North Face’s new Re-Grind process recycles fabric scraps from the manufacturing process, turning them into new materials. This has been used particularly in the manufacturing of the graphic T-shirts in this collection. If not made with Re-Grind materials, the apparel is produced using 75 percent or greater recycled or organic fabric.

The collection is a capsule of everything Earthy and on-trend at the moment, from functional outdoor pieces like the field vests and backpacks, to the playful and cute illustrations of snails, turtles and plant pots. Its colorway of primary blue and green plus some earthy browns and undyed cotton gives the capsule a strong vintage and National Geographic vibe. Slogans like “Always Be Your Sunshine” and “Exploration Without Compromise” are like mini motivational quotes to inspire you as you go about your day.

The collection is a complete outdoor kit list with fleeces, jackets, hoodies, shorts, and mule slippers in addition to the T-shirts, field vests and backpacks. It might seem built for the great outdoors but The North Face categorizes the items under “Urban exploration” on its website. Best not try to hike the Rockies in it.

“We’ve always aimed to create apparel with positive messages that encourage people to shift their way of thinking. Collaborating with an iconic brand like The North Face has allowed us to fuse our unique, thought-provoking designs with the styles The North Face is known for, creating retro-inspired gear that celebrates Earth everyday,” say Online Ceramics co-founders Elijah Funk and Alix Ross.

The collection sold out online, but some pieces from the drop are available in certain markets and, of course, on resell platforms.