Sea Change: G-Star wins at Cannes with denim from ocean plastic

Cannes – Dutch denim brand G-Star has won the Grand Prix in Cannes Lions' first product design competition for its collection made from plastic polluting the oceans.

The RAW for the Oceans collection repurposes some of the 10m tons of plastic that ends up in the oceans every year. The G-Star brand, known for its high-quality, cutting-edge design, worked with manufacturer Bionic Yarn and musician Pharrell Williams, who co-designed the collection. 

The project, which involved a complete rethink of G-Star's manufacturing process, is the first fashion collection in the world to use ocean plastic, according to G-Star. Jury member Dan Formosa of New York-based Smart Design tells LS:N Global that the panel was impressed by the thoroughness of G-Star's approach, including sourcing and manufacture. The collection includes 33% ocean plastic, and G-Star plans to incorporate Bionic Yarn into its other project lines in the future.

For more coverage of the 2014 Cannes Lions Festival, keep an eye on our Seed, Insight and Shows sections.