Step Into a Waste-Free World with Wasted Collective

For their latest collaboration, Ronald and Jesse called upon Geoff McFedtridge, a highly-regarded artist who reflects their fervent love for the planet. McFedtridge has pumped out projects for Nike, Stussy, Patagonia, and more — but in this capsule collection, his passion for combining creativity with environmental preservation really shines. Every one of his custom graphics for Wasted Collective reflects the environmental values that the brand champions.

Read office’s exclusive interview with co-founder Jesse Levya below.

Why did you choose to collaborate with Geoff McFetridge for the capsule collection?

I think the conversation with Geoff was about the brand and how it made sense for Geoff. We really started looking at the apparel and what we wanted to do around the three areas that we're focusing on, which are recraft — our interpretation of upcycling — the idea of re-use — which is repurposing vintage garments and giving them new life — and then the idea of recycle and focusing on the best recycled materials we can source. When we started looking at what the aesthetic and what the vibe would be, we really liked this idea of the outdoors, but city meets outdoors. That kind of led us to who would be somewhat of a muse for us as we started designing. My background was at Nike, and we always had an athlete as a muse. So when Ronald asked us to work on this, we started thinking about who we would design for. We weren't just designing for ourselves, but we are actually designing for a consumer that lives a lifestyle that we really aspire to. And Geoff was one of those types of consumers because of his art and graphic background, as well as the fact that he lives in Los Angeles, but his office is in Atwater. So if you know the Los Angeles area, that's one of the creative hubs of LA. He's also a very skilled skateboarder and surfer; he skis, he adventure runs, he cycles. The outdoors is really his heartbeat into sustainability, from an environmental standpoint, and the environment is his playground. So how do we protect the environment? And then it all kind of comes full circle. So that's why we chose Geoff; it was a natural piece.

What was the creative vision behind the designs in this collection?

Geoff designed all of them; I love the thought process behind all of his graphics. I mean he's a graphic designer, so he's trained in the idea that every graphic should tell a story. The story elements of his artwork are really great and I've always been in love with it.

You touched a little bit on the recraft and re-use programs that Wasted Collective implements. Can you tell me just a little bit more about that and what goes into those processes?

The process of recraft was figuring out, 'How do we do more with existing fabrics?' And so we had to kind of break down the fabrics. There are existing fabrics, and/or raw, and raw fabrics are brand new fabrics that have never existed before. My first trip to Bali was when I met Ronald; Ronald has a beach club called Potato Head. When I got there, there was this amazing hotel and amazing restaurants. I did a little bit of research on it, and it was incredible how [they used] a lot of the recycled materials, in terms of like the architecture and the art and the furniture. So when we got back and decided we were going to do this apparel piece, we really wanted to focus in on, 'How do we make upcycling ours and how do we give a unique twist to what we're doing?' So we started working through this idea of redefining classics, because when I went to Potato Head, everything was always driven around the classics. It was, you know, all these classic foods, but everything done in a very sustainable way, whether it was plastic free, or organic, or whether it was plant-based. So that was again, learning from what Ron had started. So we started with the very classic chore jacket and a cargo pant. Our recraft is really about sourcing fabrics that would otherwise be put into a landfill. So it was taking those garments, selecting them, sorting them into a color palette, sorting them into size and weight of fabric as much as we could, and creating new apparel with them. So that was the recraft piece. Geoff appreciated the re-use aspect, which is our take on reusing vintage. Some vintage you never want to touch because the value of it is through the roof, but other vintage it's just going to get destroyed. It's going to get put into a landfill, but a lot of it could have a lot of life if you just gave it a new wash, gave it maybe a new pattern and really kind of curated it. And so for us with re-use, we picked garments that we felt, 'You know what? The lifecycle of this garment's not done.' We could actually show consumers that you can take old garments and they can become beautiful all over again.

When I did some background research on the brand, that was one of my favorite parts of Wasted Collective — that consideration for the planet and the transparency of production methods, pretty much from beginning to end — which is really awesome because a lot of brands aren't doing that. I wanted to ask about you experimenting with new cleaner fibers; what are some examples of the other sustainable resources that you guys utilized in the collection?

I'm not going to claim to be the expert in sustainability. But what I've tried to do is look at brands or look at industry leaders who have done things in either capsules or as their entire brand and go, 'How can we learn from that?' I think a lot of people in this space always admire Patagonia and Yvon and what he's done. One of the things that I love about Patagonia is that, you know, there's recraft, there's re-use, and there's recycled materials. But the consideration is, if we're going to use recycled materials, like nylons and ripstop nylon, how do we make those so they last a long time? So what we wanted to do is make sure that if we were going to use a recycled material, that the quality of it was very elevated. We've always been in love with the Japanese way of make. So our recycled product is in two spaces, in Los Angeles and Japan. The Japan pieces [are] centered around the idea of recycled cotton, recycled nylon, and then a very old practice called washi cotton, and the water treatment is amazing. It's actually not harmful for the environment, the way that they grow and pull bark and kind of weave it into fiber, which goes into their washi cotton. We're also working with a really great partner in Los Angeles, working on tees and fleeces that are all around 50/50 — 50% better cotton initiative, 50%, recycled cotton, and the quality of it has to hold up. We don't want to sacrifice the fun aspects of fashion, but we know we have to do better. So we think about how we can look to brands or look to solutions that are better for the environment.

Why is it important to you and to Ronald that sustainability is an integral part of Wasted Collective?

I think it's fundamentally at the foundation of a lot of what we've done and what we've been doing. So whether it was Ron at Potato Head, and how he's built up the notion of sustainability through his hospitality work, or me and my background at Nike of always pushing to have sustainable materials. Whenever we were designing, it was like, 'It's the right thing to do.' When it came together, we were like, 'The world doesn't need another apparel brand.' It just doesn't. But we thought, as a small brand, we could be that brand that maybe a bigger brand looks at and goes, "If they're doing it, we can do it at a bigger scale.' And that's what has been really cool about working in the sustainability space. It's different from the performance innovation space, you know, with big athletic brands, everything is filled with NDAs. In the sustainability space, everything is open and everybody wants to learn from each other. Nobody's trying to keep the better practices a secret because that's not going to help anyone. If a big company with their huge supply chains and everything can actually learn from that, I think we grow. So that was a big piece for us — thinking about how we can inspire people. If we have a really good practice, we should share it.

Something else that I really liked about this collection was the inclusivity aspect. What influenced the decision to make all of it gender neutral?

For me, the last positions I held when I was at Nike were around skateboarding, and when we built the skateboarding line, it was always about inclusivity. We didn't look at it as a guy or a girl skateboarder. We looked at it as a skateboarder. When I would talk to Ron about that, he was like, 'I totally agree.' It doesn't matter if you're male or female, or however you identify yourself instead. Hopefully, we're able to offer things that anybody can buy into. So that's really how we started. And it's really hard. It's easy to say you're going to do it, but it's really hard because fits are different and sizing is different. But it's one of those things, that as a small brand, we can take on. And we're not saying that it's perfect, but it's kind of our own approach to it. We have two different fit models. We try and size things, which is the opposite of what you should do in the fashion industry. Typically, you know, you size it against one fit model and then you scale it. Sampling things in two sizes at every round, it's going to cost a little bit more, but hopefully, it allows for better fits and more people to buy into the brand — which is our goal.

On a more general level, where did the name “Wasted Collective” come from?

It came from a lot of different places. There's so much waste. We kept talking about waste a lot on our trips to Bali and waste in terms of plastics. I mean, Bali is such a beautiful place and it's so crazy that a place that's so beautiful is hit so hard with trash all throughout the ocean, you know? So the word waste just kept coming up. And then this idea of, between Ronald's connections and my connections and one of our other designers, Adam, who works with us, and his connections. We just kept talking about all these people, if all these people who we look at as peers, or as potential partners, if they can all buy into this in a small way. So that's where ‘collective’ came from. We put them together and there you have 'Wasted Collective.'

Do you have any plans to do any similar collaborations to this one or what type of direction do you think that you'll head in for some future collections?

I think one of the things we've talked about is adding to the group of people we're working with. But more importantly for us is continuing to work with the people that we first started with. I have this real belief in the 'Power of Three' — the first collaboration, we're just getting to know each other. The second collaboration, both are bringing something in, and the third collaboration, I think we're going to bring something new. I think that happens over a relationship and I think great collaborations are great relationships. I think it's very rare that the very first collaboration that you work on with somebody is perfect because you always kind of hold back a little bit until you're comfortable. So for us, we want to continue to kind of go down that path of building with who we have because we really love the collaborators that we're working with. They bring a different skill set for us in terms of whether it's an illustration, or animation, or crazy use of color and pattern.

What's your favorite item from this capsule collection and from Wasted Collective as a whole?

So for Wasted Collective, my favorite warm-weather pieces are the waffle shorts, where you see this really great waffle cotton which is amazing and the shorts are extremely comfortable, but I also can work out in it. I love the look and vibe of it. The last week I haven't stopped wearing our traveler jacket. It just works for me. The top pocket fits either my phone or my AirPods and then my wallet or whatever can go in the side pockets. We made both of those pieces in Japan, so the craft is just insane. Then from Geoff's line, I think my favorite pieces are probably the Reuse Crew that we're going to launch with — which hasn't come out yet. That piece I really love because of the idea of again, giving a thrifted piece a second life. I also have been really wearing a lot of the 50/50 crew, the 'Sorry for Being Wasted' crew.

The collection includes a washi cotton hat, t-shirts, Ecolife cotton sweatshirts, and crewnecks, including the ReUse Vintage Crew, which are all available to shop at thewastedco.com.

Fashion

From Prince Street to East 4th, a Ride With Rapha

April 29, 2024

To celebrate the coolest (and finest) cycle-centric brand Rapha's latest drop, we kept the party going after its New York Clubhouse launch with dinner and drinks at Ella Funt.

With a first campaign shot in New York, capturing riders through the lens of street photographers Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw, Rapha Performance Sportswear strikes the perfect balance between style and functionality, tailored for life in motion. Just in time for prime sunny weather here in New York, the collection is a perfect choice, both on and off the bike. "For someone like myself who lives in Amsterdam and commutes by bike daily," says Fayrouz Salem, Rapha Head of Lifestyle, "this is a dream come true. We've created pieces that work on the bike without having to compromise on style."

Shop the collection at rapha.cc and in select Clubhouses.

Photography by Anderson Martinez

Fashion

Happy 424 Day

Simon Rasmussen — What's going on?

Guillermo Andrade — Right now we're just setting everything up.

So, what are you doing, is it a party?

Well, I kind of felt universally forced, right? Because 4/24/24, I was just like, I don’t really have a choice here. The stars also just kind of aligned, so to be honest, I got this settlement that came with a bunch of clothes so I had this idea to give back to the kids who fuck with us by allowing them to buy our shit first. Not handing stuff out for free, but to do it in a way where we could skip the middleman of the industry, so to speak, and not allow clothes to disappear into the abyss of Farfetch or whatever else. So what we’re going to do is a sort of warehouse sale, which we’ve never done before so that was really exciting for me. I didn’t want to do just another warehouse sale, so it’s like a sample sale turns rager. We teamed up with Adidas and a couple of other sponsors, then drinks, DJs, and a performance.

Sick, I love it.

Yeah. My dream sample sale. Also, it’s not just hoodies and t-shirts here in there, it’s proper collections from the past three seasons. I’m also not picking and choosing, trying to make it accessible, like this was the only way I could afford to buy shit when I was a kid, bro. Sample sales were the thing I looked forward to the most.

I feel you. In New York, there's the annual CDG sale, which is when I used to cop all my CDG.

The only time I could afford Rick. I flew to New York once for a Rick sample sale and I was like, Wow, I can't believe I got invited. And it was mental. I still have those pieces. I will never sell them. Not even because I got 'em cheap. It was also just really fun. Even on the flight to New York, I was like, I can't believe I'm going to New York for a sample sale, what a fucking loser I am. But it was like the adult version of when I was a kid and I was like, Wow, I can't believe I'm 20-something and I'm still doing the thing I was doing in high school. So I hope we can create moments like that for kids here in LA.

Yeah. I love that. It’s important to connect with them; they’re essentially creating the brand. If you don't have them, good luck.

I mean, yeah. Fuck, bro. It's cool that we've been around for this long. I mean, it got a little rocky there for a second I think, for all of us. So coming out of it, tomorrow is a celebration. And it’s like an odd day of the week. It's a Wednesday, super random. And now that we've set it up, the homies are all like, Yo, I'm coming. I'm coming. Let me jump on stage, let me do this, and that's really what it's always been about. It's not some other strategy to get likes on the internet.

That’s how the best things happen, you just couldn’t help yourself. It was intuitive.

Yeah, it all came together in a really nice way.

Would you say that’s how 424 started as well? I remember we met in like 2010 on Fairfax and I was visiting with Rasmus…

Oh bro, it’s probably the time when I started the branch… do you remember Cecilia from Black Dakini? She’s the one that introduced me to CIFF and honestly, I didn’t even care what she was doing, I was just like, I’m coming, I’ll go with you. She said she’d give me half of her booth and I said, Awesome count me in. At the time, I had just gotten my green card and I wasn't allowed to ever leave America, so Copenhagen was one of the first cities I went to when I could finally travel. I mean, you see what we did at CIFF bro? It became our fucking hub for half a decade.

That was a moment for sure.

I remember the first account I got was Antonioli, and he came super gangster, being like, You're going to sell me these clothes. And I was like, bro, I didn't come to sell clothes. I'm just kind of catching a vibe with my homie and I made these things. And he's like, No, you're going to sell it to me. And then I was like, Oh my god that’s Claudio Antonioli. So then I went home, I googled wholesale, and figured that shit out. [laughs]

[Laughs]

Like you said, I couldn't help myself, but I didn't just make t-shirts and hoodies either. I was really on my Rick wave, so I made my version of the Rick things. It was that meets like The Boondock Saints, because I'm still a little bit of a Cali bro, sort of rock kid, but not really. I like hip-hop, but I like the way the rock stars look. I like the contrast. I thought it was cool. After that, I just never stopped.

It was clear to me when I first met you that you were onto your own thing in LA. It made a lot of sense, and it was so cool. It was before 424 was its own brand; you just had the store and this really cool curation.

It was all my shit, bro. I was very, very invested in sharing all of these things that I was finding from all over the world, like Astrid Anderson. She was one of those designers at the time, so important to 424. The connection to Copenhagen specifically for me was huge. I had a big fan base there. It was incredible. And then here in LA, we were sharing the things that we were a part of and finding; it was still the early days of Fear of God, Rhude, Martine Rose. A lot of these brands, we were the first store to ever sell it — we were selling Hood By Air on the West Coast.

You had Rick as well, I remember.

Oh yeah. It took me a long time. But I got Rick, bro. By the time I had to close the store on Fairfax, I already had a Raf Simons account. I had reached my ultimate dream. It was really all the stuff I wanted to wear at the time. It was dope. The best of the best.

We had an office magazine newsstand in there as well.

Oh yeah, we did! I came to visit the one you had, and I was like, Yo, I got to bring this whole fucking thing over here. But yeah, in LA, after two days people forget you exist, but everyone’s been super supportive. We’re all 10 years older now. We've been around forever at this point.

It can be dangerous to take those breaks when you’re figuring shit out, but there’s something very genuine to this comeback you’re having.

Thank you, thank you. We’ve been in and out of those fucking showrooms in Paris for long enough. I've been in and out of these factories for the past 10 years of my life. We had to figure something out. And I think now really diving in, being in Italy full time and being there to develop these products over time, I think that the whole thing just really shows the suppliers respect you more. The people who are making your goods understand why you're making them. And I think now I finally got to the place where I'm not making Italian things, I’m making my clothes, I'm making Cali-centric shit, but with that European technicality and execution. With this Fall / Winter collection, it clicked.

So what’s the vision for the next year? What are you manifesting?

I'm just fucking relentless, bro. This is the way I want to live my life. Now that we are more aligned, more prepared, and have more experience, moving forward it is just more of becoming a fully functioning company that can provide and create opportunities for all of the people around me. We’ve been operating just on instinct for a long time.

Sustaining a business is scary, trust me I know.

Scary as fuck, dog. I just opened a store next to Bottega, bro, and it’s like what am I even doing? You have to just believe in the thing you're doing more than anybody else.

100%, and it seems like that’s what you’re doing.

And fashion’s kind of a competitive sport, as much as people don’t think it is. We can reach a certain level without losing ourselves. My biggest ambition at the moment is to create something that, when you leave one of our neighbors you come into our place you don’t feel that the level has been sacrificed at all. And it’s not easy.

Definitely. I wish I could be there tomorrow.

Thank you, bro. 10 years now. You’ve always shown me so much love. We have to do a booth or have the office part of the next 424 day. Shit let’s do a 424 day in New York.

That would be sick. Let's do it. I'm here. Let’s catch up soon.

Next season’s right around the corner so I’ll see you in Paris.

Yes, see you in Paris and Happy 424 day!

Fashion

Luis De Javier's PUTA Takeover

April 25, 2024

Last night with Luis De Javier, guests were overheard confirming this generation's most vital conundrum: “If I’m cunt, I can still be pussy.” “And if you’re pussy, you can still be cunt.” This sentiment echoed throughout the night as we celebrated De Javier’s first-ever streetwear collection, "PUTA". We spent seven hours at Ella Funt at a dinner turned party that only he could’ve thrown (co-hosted by emcee). It was too dark for even the most aspiring-to-look-mysterious of us to wear sunglasses inside. Under the semi-oppressive flash of party photographers, we danced as much as the space would allow, drank tequila out of teacups and kissed each other on the cheeks with a vaguely European intimacy. “I’m doing streetwear!” De Javier could be heard exclaiming — whether it be in disbelief or excitement, we couldn’t tell you.

Words and photos by Izzy Capulong

The Spanish-born London-based designer has been well-loved for his genderless tailoring, latex mastery, and overall message of empowerment. Dressing everyone from ravers to A-listers, De Javier’s latest drop pushes his design repertoire to a new level. “While designing for my celebrity clientele and showcasing my creations on the runway has always been my dream,” he notes, “It’s equally important to me that my brand resonates with a wider, more diverse audience.” While this collection’s medium has shifted from corsets to sweatshirts, the classic LDJ avant-garde sensibilities remain. Bikinis and booty shorts are shamelessly emblazoned with “PUTA,” blazers are constructed with ample shoulder padding, and I had my eye on the cheekily-named “Faguette Bag.”