G Star RAW x Pharrell Williams

One of the most unique parts about this brand is that not only do they seek sustainable fabrics, but they use recycled materials in order to make their clothing. Specifically, they use recycled ocean plastic. Some of the clothes even say on them “WTF Are You Doing To My Oceans”. This is revolutionary because it is repurposing harmful materials. It also is a very powerful brand, because it has the celebrity endorsement of Pharrell Williams backing it. Polyester is made from crude oil, which is a nonrenewable resource, so they make polyester from nylon fishing nets and plastic bottles. Their wool is made from recycled wool. Their flax for the linen, is a renewable plant that is grown with very few fertilizers, none of which are synthetic. They also do not use chemicals to extract the fibers from the flax. They also make use of Monocell, which comes from bamboo and it requires little water and leaves no hazardous waste. They have 100% organic cotton in their RAW lines as well.

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What makes me ultimately skeptical about this brand is that they are a jeans brand, and denim is one of the worst contributors to fast fashion crimes. I cannot help but wonder if their RAW line is their line that distracts from the harms of denim, and while they seem to be doing a pretty good job, I get the sense that they could do a bit better. They claim that their raw denim is made with an innovative dying process that reduces the water demands for making the clothes by up to 95%, although they do not specify how. They also decided to stop sandblasting products in order to make them look worn and faded in 2010, and then they stopped selling sandblasted products all together in 2011. They also pay attention to who is making their clothes, because they prohibit cotton from Uzbekistan, as they force adults and children to work in the cotton fields. They also do not accept forced labor or underage workers in any level of their supply chain, this includes cotton cultivation.

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As noted earlier, G Star RAW is effectively making a difference in the environment, however they do have a long way to go. While They have eliminated fur, they still use feathers and leather even though they come from meat production it should not be overlooked that it is an animal product. One of the most interesting parts of their materials policies was that they do not accept down and feathers from birds that are force fed during their life for any reason, including the production of Foie Gras. They also do not say anything about having concern for the wages of workers. There are things that I was unable to discover that made me a little bit skeptical about this brand, but there is no doubt that they are most certainly taking a step in the right direction.

Location:
24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75012 Paris
Hours: 10:30-7:30PM
Closed Sundays
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