DUDE London turns canal trash into fashion treasure

Independent creative agency DUDE London has unveiled The Rubbish Collection, a capsule clothing line designed to raise awareness of littering in East London’s canals. The project is a collaboration with The Skill Mill, a social enterprise providing employment for young ex-offenders.

The 14-piece range incorporates patterns inspired by items found in Regent’s Canal, from discarded bottles and crisp packets to abandoned bikes. Local artist Marta Morientes recreated the rubbish in colourful, eclectic illustrations that have been printed across T-shirts, shorts, swimwear and accessories.

All profits from the collection will go to The Skill Mill to help fund World Cleanup Day, a global event that coordinates local clean-up activities in more than 200 countries. The collection is available now through rubbishcollection.org, with Londoners.

David Parks OBE, Managing Director, The Skill Mill: "The Skill Mill is delighted to be collaborating with DUDE who have created this wonderful collection. It brings a serious environmental message in a fun way. We really hope people choose to buy these items which not only look great but also have an impact. At the same time please consider adding World Cleanup Day to your calendar each year on 20th September."

Vic D’Andrea, creative, DUDE: "As someone who walks down the canal every day, this was more than a passion project for us: it felt like personal duty. So many talented people were excited to get involved and help us make it a reality. It’s been a great journey, fun and challenging in turn, it’s great to get our hands dirty and make a real difference – and make everyone’s walk by the canal even better."

By transforming waste into wearable art, DUDE London and The Skill Mill aim to bring attention to a persistent environmental issue while directly funding solutions.

www.dude.it

www.theskillmill.org

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