Hyundai Motor Company Debuts Collaborative Collection with Zero + Maria Cornejo, Utilizing Upcycled Car Seat Waste at Re:Style Event during New York Fashion Week
Represented by FACTORY PR.
Hyundai Motor Company debuted it’s capsule collection in collaboration with Zero + Maria Cornejo at Re:Style during New York Fashion Week. The event was held at Public Kitchen at PUBLIC Hotel in New York City.
New York notables, celebrities and fashion industry insiders all came out to celebrate the partnership including actress Sarah Jessica Parker, actress Rowan Blanchard, and more. Hyundai’s top executives were also in attendance including EVP and CMO of Hyundai Motor Company Wonhong Cho and CMO of Hyundai Motor America Dean Evans. Guests danced the night away to music provided by it-girl musicians Rainey Qualley and Bec Adams.
Zero + Maria Cornejo
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Photos: BFA
The presentation featured a mix of male and female models wearing the capsule designed by Zero + Maria Cornejo, a brand rooted in using ecological and sustainable fabrics wherever possible. Wastage is a huge issue for the textile and fashion industry and because of this, Zero + Maria Cornejo is constantly working to reduce the amount of leftover textiles as well as find creative uses of leftover yardage.
The fifteen-piece collection centered on the up-cycling of materials from both Hyundai and Zero + Maria Cornejo that normally would have gone been considered waste. The materials used utilize leftover Hyundai Transys car seat waste, as well as up-cycled Zero + Maria Cornejo fabrics, reimagined in entirely new shapes and silhouettes. A 100% organic cotton Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold Dylan denim was used for this collection as well. Hyundai Transys, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Company, has invested extensively in car seat research and development, establishing itself as one of the best and most knowledgeable manufacturers in the global market.
“The whole idea is to do something creative with things that have had a life before,” says Maria Cornejo. “It’s about making something new and re-imagining things. Re-create, re-imagine, re-cycle. How do we get creative with less?”
In addition to the capsule collection, Hyundai and Zero + Maria Cornejo have also designed a run of limited-edition t-shirts that will be sold in-store and on Zero + Maria Cornejo’s website.
Hyundai conceptualized Re:Style as a way to engage with customers who value ethical consumption, care deeply about the environment, and prioritize the story behind what they’re wearing on a day-to-day basis. Re:Style is the company’s second cultural project following “Stylenite” which made headlines in Los Angeles last year. Following the success of the NYFW event, the Re:Style program will head to Beijing Fashion Week to debut another sustainable collection with a notable Chinese designer.
“Hyundai Motor Company created Re:Style in order to keep pushing the dialogue around sustainability forward,” says Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Motor Company. “By partnering with Zero + Maria Cornejo, we’re aiming to prove that you can create something beautiful and new from something that was once used.”
The collaboration is another step towards Hyundai Motor Company making an impact in sustainability and lessening their eco-footprint, as evidenced by the recent debut of Hyundai NEXO, its first dedicated fuel cell electric vehicle that produces zero carbon emissions. The company has also worked with the BBC on a series titled “Innovators of Tomorrow” which shares innovators’ vision for a better future as well as sponsoring various global initiatives including a Sustainable Water Circulation Project in the Philippines and a Dream Village Project improving the underdeveloped villages in Chennai, India.
ABOUT ZERO + MARIA CORNEJO
Maria Cornejo has been a member of CFDA, The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. since 2003 and is a founding member of the Sustainable Committee. Recently, she was appointed to the CFDA Board of Directors by the new Chairman, Tom Ford. Maria’s long-term commitment to local manufacturing and responsible design has stewarded and catalyzed conversations of change in the American Fashion Industry. Maria served as the 2018 Brand Ambassador to Premiere Vision New York, creating a special sustainable capsule collection to help draw attention to the areas of sustainability, innovation and local manufacturing in the industry. In 2018 Maria was honored with the Fashion Group International’s Sustainability Award at their Night of the Stars Gala in New York City. Maria continues to direct her design team from her Bleecker Street atelier creating garments for empowered women everywhere, including Michelle Obama, Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, Anne Hathaway and more.
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With love,
FWO
