WRANGLER BROADENS COMMITMENT TO UPCYCLING OF DENIM THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH BEYOND RETRO AND ACCELERATING CIRCULARITY

Kontoor Brands’ iconic denim brand, Wrangler, has announced new partnerships in a continued strategic effort to keep denim waste out of landfills through systemic circularity practices. The new initiatives allow Wrangler to do more with less raw material. The brand is proud to further its commitment to sustainability through circularity by partnering with organizations dedicated to helping the fashion industry take a step forward when it comes to waste reduction, including Beyond Retro, textile-to-textile non-profit Accelerating Circularity, and Austin-based sandlot baseball club the Texas Playboys.

“At Wrangler, we have been committed to taking the reins on sustainability throughout our 77-year heritage, especially through our dedication to durability and longevity, as denim lovers can wear their Wranglers for years on end,” said Vivian Rivetti, vice president of global design at Wrangler. “Working hand in hand with organizations like Beyond Retro, Accelerating Circularity and the Texas Playboys gives us the opportunity to showcase the potential of upcycling within the fashion industry. On Earth Day and every day, we are focused on creating a better future through meaningful partnerships and purposeful design practices.”

The brand’s partnerships and practices include:

Wrangler Reborn

Wrangler will reimagine its most timeless styles utilizing discarded denim through the second installment of the Wrangler Reborn Collection in collaboration with Beyond Retro, one of Europe’s pioneers in vintage and circular design. Wrangler Reborn initially started as a curated collection featuring vintage and preloved denim fabric from as early as the 1950s to the 2000s that celebrates the brand’s original, iconic, and revered styles. The collection cuts out the need for the production of new materials, giving new life to old jeans. Introducing a sustainable twist on some of its classic styles, including the Greensboro Straight Leg Jean, Reworked Short, Icon Jacket, and Heritage Shirt, the new line serves as the second installment of Wrangler Reborn after a successful initial launch in 2022. The collection contributes to both brands’ joint sustainability efforts to develop innovative and more circular ways of creating products.

Accelerating Circularity 5-Pocket

Wrangler is participating with a small selection of other brands in the mission of Accelerating Circularity, a non-profit focused on textile-to-textile recycling systems, to develop a new 5-pocket jean style from upcycled denim that will be exclusively available at Walmart.com. Wrangler joined the Accelerating Circularity Project to demonstrate the catalyzation of new circular supply chains and develop an ecosystem that diverts used textiles from landfills and converts them into new raw materials.

Texas Playboys Baseball

Wrangler will also partner with the Texas Playboys Baseball Club, an Austin-based sandlot baseball club renowned for its commitment to community engagement, to create one-of-a-kind, upcycled shade structure out of repurposed scrap denim and cardboard tubes, which will not only provide shade for players and spectators but also showcase the beauty of sustainable design and the transformative power of upcycling. After partnering with the Playboys to design upcycled uniforms for the team in 2023 to give older denim pieces a second chance to be lived in and loved, Wrangler is working alongside the organization to champion a greener, more inclusive future for the community.

To learn more about Wrangler’s sustainability initiatives visit wrangler.com/wecare. Follow @wrangler to stay up to date on launch dates and other sustainability information,