Style
Dior taps Adidas’ go-to sustainability partner for a beachwear capsule
Parley brings its ocean plastics up a level in luxury.
Dior and Parley for the Oceans are uniting for the first time on a collection that brings a new eco-conscious perspective to luxury. For their debut partnership, the two have created a capsule of beachwear essentials that’s been three years in the making.
Parley’s popularity rose when it began partnering with Adidas on footwear and apparel made from oceanside pollution and discarded materials. For its upcoming collab, the two brands link in an effort to bring life to the capsule using materials like recycled polyester.
Eco-friendly luxury — The resulting collection features crewnecks, shorts, pants, plenty of matching sets, and beachy accessories. Using a primary palette of blues and ochres, the capsule is Dior all the way, complete with the Oblique, bayaderes, and Adriatic patterns and motifs. While it may have been a difficult challenge to give Dior’s couture materials a sustainable makeover, the ateliers were able to rework Parley’s virgin polyester alternative into jacquard, mesh, and technical fabrics.
Most of the pieces are monochromatic, taking on one or two shades of blue. Matching sets appear in bolder patterns and if your beach plans run until the sun goes down, a warmer pant alternative is available too. Bags range from totes to netted shoulder bags, canteens offer a hydrating functionality, and caps and bucket hats round out the accessories.
For even more sustainable impact, each piece in the collection supports Parley’s X10 impact program, meaning ten times the equivalent of each product’s carbon and plastic footprint will be intercepted from nature. The program will also avoid the use of new, virgin plastic and fund the development of new materials that replace long-term plastic.
Dior’s founder had always been inspired by flowers and oceans having grown up along the English channel. To source the materials for the capsule, Parley’s Ocean Plastic — material created from upcycled marine plastic debris and fishing gear — was recovered from coastlines and remote islands around the world from the Maldives to the Dominican Republic.
Buy it if you can — As you should expect, just because the collection is sustainable doesn’t mean it’s affordable. Baseball caps retail for $690, short sleeve shirts are priced around $1,500, and jackets go for up to $4,100. Shop the collection on Dior’s website and you too can show your love for the planet — at a price.