Apnée by La Draft
Originally, a passion for the oceans.
To preserve the marine world, we started by reinventing our products by creating 100% recycled swimsuits from plastic waste collected in the Mediterranean Sea and on beaches.
Beyond the products, it's a whole approach that guides us on a daily basis to try to reduce our impact on the environment and be more eco-responsible: timeless pieces, reasoned production, being ambassadors of our values by supporting the Surfrider association, by giving voice to committed Ocean Lovers in our Journal.
Every day, ask yourself the question of how to do even better...
This is how the upcycling project with La Draft Paris was born and the idea of recycling old jerseys to make bucket hats, giving them a second life.
We are convinced, this is just the beginning!
Today, we are happy to present to you La Draft Paris, a collective of 3 boys who want to change the relationship with fashion, by offering you to “draft” your wardrobe because in the end, what gives the real The value of a garment is the story behind each piece.
Can you introduce us to the concept of La Draft Paris?
La Draft is a label based in the north of Paris, which, through its clothing creation office with a singular identity (both urban and elegant) advocates a return to both environmental awareness (through upcycling) and social (through work in sewing workshops in working-class Parisian neighborhoods where the founders come from and employing seamstresses in reintegration).
The concept is divided into two poles:
-
The capsule collections composed of unique pieces handpicked according to their material, which we rework according to our themes,
- Collaborations where La Draft offers its know-how in upcycling and re-working vintage, overstock or defective pieces to brands and department stores. The latter thus avoid a deadweight or significant loss and promote their products differently.
What is the history and people behind this concept?
La Draft is the story of 3 friends who are fashion fans who quickly realized that they were buying a lot of clothes and only wearing them very little. We then became aware of the potential that was present in our wardrobes, and of the global nature of this problem (7 out of 10 French people have clothes at home that they do not wear) and from there the La Draft concept was born. Through this label we have decided to give a second life to these clothes which, despite their quality material, no longer appeal or no longer sell.
The 3 co-founders do not come from a fashion school, which allows them to have an unformatted eye on the products. Ousmane comes from aeronautics, Ab comes from engineering and Smith from law, 3 really different profiles which are linked by this love of beautiful materials.
What is upcycling?
Upcycling in French is the overcycling or recovery from above of a product intended to be destroyed. This is the manufacturing process that was chosen by the La Draft teams. The teams therefore work on selecting materials, because upcycling a non-noble material with a limited lifespan adds nothing to the product. Then cleaning work and finally destructuring to finally re-assemble the part in its new Draft format!
How was the collaboration project with Apnée born?
Apnée knew us through a common contact. The brand then contacted us because the DNA complementarity was palpable. We immediately came up with the idea of a collaboration based on their swimsuit, a product that we had not yet upcycled. Finally, wishing to bring our universe to theirs, we decided to go with a bob, a trendy and urban element par excellence.
What were the different stages of designing the bobs from defective Apnea swimsuits?
It all started with thinking about changing the format of the product and the final appearance it would have. Then, as you can see in our campaign video, destructuring work was necessary, then the magic of La Draft worked to put the final product in place.
Were there any technical difficulties to overcome?
Indeed, the transformation (Drafting) of a product is not simple. In this case we had to find a solution to the flexibility of the swimsuits which prevented us from having a sufficiently rigid bob. We therefore opted for the use of end rolls to complete the product, which allowed us to stiffen the product and make it reversible.
What message do you want to communicate with this project?
The main idea here is that nothing is lost, everything is transformed. Overstocks or defective stocks are an incredible windfall for our teams, unlike companies which suffer from them more than anything else. It’s time to rethink the end of life of products…
The main idea here is that nothing is lost, everything is transformed. Overstocks or defective stocks are an incredible windfall for our teams, unlike companies which suffer from them more than anything else. It’s time to rethink the end of life of products…
What are you most proud of?
To see that fashion is being renewed through projects like that of Apnée and ours.
We are also proud to see our process spread more and more widely, allowing us to collaborate with personalities such as the actors Fary, Issa Doumbia, Panayotis and also allowing us to collaborate with brands such as Adidas or Apnée.
We are also proud to see our process spread more and more widely, allowing us to collaborate with personalities such as the actors Fary, Issa Doumbia, Panayotis and also allowing us to collaborate with brands such as Adidas or Apnée.
A small, easy gesture for the planet?
Buy less, but buy well.
What is your vision of fashion for the years to come?
We are committed to spreading our production process in the fashion industry and ensuring that the upcycling of quality products, as La Draft does, becomes a natural gesture for everyone.
Written by Apnée Swimwear
