Apnea by La Draft
May 06, 2021
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 is a whole approach that guides us on a daily basis to try to reduce our impact on the environment and to be more eco-responsible: timeless pieces, reasoned production, being ambassadors of our values by supporting the Surfrider association, by giving a voice in our Journal to committed Ocean Lovers.
Every day, ask yourself the question of how to do even better...
This is how the upcycling project was born with La Draft Paris and the idea of recycling old swimsuits to make bucket hats, giving them a second life.
We are convinced, this is just the beginning!
Today, we are happy to introduce you to La Draft Paris, a collective of 3 boys who want to change the relationship with fashion, by offering you to "draft" your dressing room because in the end, what gives the real value of a garment is the story behind each piece.
Can you tell us about the concept of La Draft Paris?
La Draft is a label based in the north of Paris, which, through its clothing design office with a unique identity (both urban and elegant) advocates a return to both environmental awareness (through upcycling) and social (by working in sewing workshops in popular Parisian neighborhoods where the founders come from and employing designers in reintegration).
The concept is divided into two poles:
- The collection capsules 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, overstocked or defective pieces to brands and department stores. The latter thus avoid a dry or substantial loss and showcase their products differently.
What is the story and the people behind this concept?
La Draft is the story of 3 fashion-loving friends who quickly realized that they bought a lot of clothes and wore 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 please or no longer sell.
The 3 co-founders are not 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 that are linked by this love of beautiful materials.
What is upcycling?
Upcycling in French is the overcycling or upgrading from above of a product intended to be destroyed. This is the manufacturing process that was chosen by the La Draft teams. The teams thus work on selecting materials, because upcycling on a non-noble material with a limited lifespan does not add anything to the product. Then a cleaning job and finally a destructuring to finally re-assemble the part in its new Draft format!
How was the collaborative project with Apnée born?
Apnée knew us thanks to a common contact. The brand then contacted us because a complementarity of DNA was palpable. We immediately came to 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 bucket hat, a trendy and urban element par excellence.
What were the different stages of designing the bobs from faulty Apnée swimsuits?
It all started with thinking about changing the format of the product and the final look it would have. Then, as you can see in our campaign video, a destructuring work was necessary, then the La Draft magic operated to put in place the final product.
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 roll ends 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 the companies that 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 the companies that 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 renewed through projects such as Apnée and ours.
We are also proud to see our process spreading more and more widely, allowing us to collaborate with personalities such as 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 spreading more and more widely, allowing us to collaborate with personalities such as 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 that the upcycling of quality products, as La Draft does, becomes a natural gesture for everyone.
