The British slow fashion designer, Lydia Bolton, is bringing cycle-friendly upcycled clothing to the streets of London thanks to a limited run partnership with the electric transport and mobility brand, Lime.
The exclusive collection is to be launched off the back of a recent study conducted by Lime in which it was found that nine out of 10 adults admitted to avoiding cycling when wearing certain items of clothing, while over half of cyclists wish there was more high-fashion, cycle-friendly clothing available.
Sticking to its own commitment to sustainability, Lime has tapped into the slow fashion expertise of Lydia Bolton to now deliver a collection of recycled statement designs developed to empower people to travel and shop with the environment front of mind.
Each item in the collection has been crafted from second-hand clothing sourced from the charity retailer, TRAID’s London stores. Through the process, Lydia has worked with sleeping stock and deadstock fabrics, as well as old tents, quilted jackets, jerseys, and puffer jackets to bring new life to the tired textiles through patchwork-style prints.
The collection includes an adaptable coat with a detachable lower half to be worn short or long style, a high-vis jacket made from garments such as a quilted jacket, green jersey sweater, a strip of tent fabric, and reflective material form a pair of high-vis trousers, on-the-go shorts, and clothing clips made from four strips of sourced braided t-shirt jersey and reflective trouser fabrics.
Lydia Bolton’s Re-Cycle Collection dropped exclusively on eBay via a charity auction on August 14, with 100% of the proceeds donated to Friends of the Earth. The collection will also be available at the Re-Cycle pop-up shop at Boxpark in Shoreditch on August 24.
“As a slow fashion designer and sustainability advocate, I’ve loved having the opportunity to work with Lime to identify and create high fashion solutions for people who want to travel in a greener way,” said Lydia.
“Being able to create everything from deadstock and waste textiles has meant I’ve been able to bring my experience and channel my passion into this project. As Lime has become so synonymous with London’s bustling city culture, I’ve taken cues from the city’s surroundings and current trends to inspire the Re-Cycle collection.
“I wanted this transitional collection to feel authentic to how Londoners move around and use the city.”
Lizzy Day, sustainable operations manager at Lime, added: “Cycling in London is at an all time high – we’ve seen more than 12 million Lime e-bike trips taken in the last three years. But barriers still exist that prevent it becoming fully integrated into our daily routines and lifestyles. One of those barriers is the lack of fashion-friendly clothing that also lets you ride comfortably and safely.
“By working with Lydia and TRAID, we’ve created a collection that inspires a future of cycle-friendly fashion that can help more people travel sustainable without having to compromise their outfit choices.”
