Hyundai to Unveil Clothes Made From Recycled Leather Seats at 2019 NY Fashion Week
The automaker tasked New York-based fashion brand Zero + Maria Cornejo with the interesting project.
Hyundai is teaming up with New York-based fashion brand Zero + Maria Cornejo to produce 15 different clothing pieces featuring leftover materials from the company's car seat manufacturing division for this year’s New York Fashion Week in September.
This year’s theme in the Big Apple is “saving the planet in style,” and the collaboration involves Hyundai Motor Company and its Transys department, which is one of the industry’s leading car seat makers in the world. The automaker’s division will supply materials for Zero + Maria Cornejo to make unique clothing articles as part of its “Re:Style” cultural event commemorating the collaborative upcycling efforts between automakers and the fashion industries.
Some of the materials include unused leather products initially meant for the seats of some models, as well as 100% organic dylan cotton denim, certified by Cradle to Cradle Gold.
“The whole idea is to do something creative with things that have had a life before,” Maria Cornejo said. “It’s about making something new and re-imagining things. Re-create, re-imagine, re-cycle. How do we get creative with less?”
Cornejo has been able to grow her clothing brand through her use of eco-friendly materials, such as natural silk and dyes as well as minimizing her dependency on oil, all in an effort to raise awareness for environmental conservation and the preservation of natural ecosystems.
A significant number of highly influential celebrities, fashion designers, and stylists are expected to attend the high-profile Re:Style event, which will take place at the Public Kitchen restaurant on Sept. 6.
“Hyundai Motor designed Re:Style to further our mission of becoming a more sustainable company and to create dialogue around eco-conscious lifestyles,” Wonhong Cho, Hyundai Motor Company’s Global Chief Marketing Officer said. “This cultural event in the heart of New York City allows us to partner with one of the preeminent eco-friendly designers and share our vision for progressing humanity. We’re aiming to prove that you can create something beautiful and new from something that was once used.”
