SIBUR and WOS to release a joint collection of clothing made of recycled materials

SIBUR and WOS, a leading Russian fashion brand, have announced their plans to collaborate in producing a cutting-edge fashion collection. Thanks to SIBUR’s extensive expertise in circular economy, this will be the first time the luxury clothing segment will use fabric derived from recycled plastic to produce garments that will be in no way inferior to those made from traditional materials in terms of sensory friendliness and other important properties.

The fashion industry has traditionally been a testing ground for experiments, reflecting trends in the modern world. An increasing focus on the sustainability of processes and materials has become a major driver behind consumer demand.

The development of this new collection has been entrusted to Andrey Artyomov, a famous Russian designer and the founder of the WOS brand. In 2020, he was named one of the 500 most influential people in the fashion industry by Business of Fashion. WOS is renowned for its experiments in using sustainable technologies in their collections.

While fashion may be often perceived as something ephemeral and short-lived, the new joint capsule collection will have practicality and durability at its heart. The collection will include items with universal silhouettes in standard colours that will not lose their relevance over time and will become the central piece of any wardrobe. The fabric used in the collection is derived from recycled plastic and is GRS (Global Recycle Standard) certified.

Alexey Kozlov, member of the Management Board and Managing Director of SIBUR:

“As a responsible polymer producer, SIBUR has long advocated the smart use of plastics and best disposal practices. With its extensive expertise in recycling and re-use of polymers, SIBUR has joined forces with one of Russia’s most progressive and sustainable clothing brands to create a capsule collection suited for the lifestyle and demands of a new kind of person, a collection that seeks to be both cutting-edge and environmentally friendly. This is a vivid illustration of how plastic can find its second life in new items. Moreover, this is the first step towards developing sustainability in the Russian fashion industry.”

Andrey Artyomov, designer and WOS founder:

“Partnership with SIBUR, one of Russia’s leaders in sustainable development, has been a new and very exciting experience for me. The values that I put at the heart of the WOS brand, including technical efficiency and lean resource management, align perfectly with the values pursued by SIBUR in its championship of environmental responsibility. I have always paid particular attention to the materials my clothes are made of, but I did not know much about plastics and plastic recycling. This collection gives me an opportunity to get new insights in this area. I hope that this new knowledge will help me improve the main collections of WOS, too. This partnership will help many people see that the fashion industry can, and should, be sustainable, and that plastic is not just rubbish, but a valuable raw material.”

Photography for the project was handled by the contemporary Russian artist Bogdan Shirokov. Images from SIBUR’s PolyLab R&D facility where polymer products made from recycled materials are developed will be included in the collection’s lookbook and prints.

The collection will be released for limited sale in the autumn of 2021. The proceeds from the sales will be transferred to a charitable foundation and will be used to support carbon footprint neutralisation projects.

Relevant information about the collection can be found on the WOS website at https://wosbrand.co/wos×sibur

Walk of Shame is a Russian brand founded by the stylist and designer Andrey Artyomov in 2011. Irony, spontaneity and youthfulness are the key tenets that lie at the heart of the brand. Every collection has references to Andrey’s childhood memories of Ufa, Soviet modernism, and Russian and international art. In 2020, Mr Atyomov was named one of the 500 most influential people in the fashion industry by the Business of Fashion magazine and shortened the name of his brand to the more concise ‘WOS’.