A greener planet from blue jeans – Oxfam and Titanic Denim launch stylish range of sustainable bags

Limited edition recycled denim bags are the perfect ‘Christmas with a conscience’ gift

Oxfam today launched an exciting new collaboration with sustainable fashion brand Titanic Denim as part of the charity’s ongoing campaign to tackle throwaway fashion and the devastating impact it is having on people and the planet.

The new partnership will see a limited edition range of stylish recycled denim bags designed by Titanic Denim in two sizes and available at special introductory prices. The medium-sized ‘City Bag’ (€35.00/£30.00) is perfect for shopping; while the smaller iPad-size cross-body bag (€25.00/£20.00) is ideal for everyday essentials or as an eye-catching fashion accessory.

Michael McIlwaine, Oxfam Ireland’s Head of Retail, said: “We are really excited to be working with Marie Nancarrow of Titanic Denim, who has worked alongside stylists to the stars including Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Def Leppard, Twenty One Pilots, Robbie Williams and Sting. The new collaboration is about showing how we can all do more to reuse, repurpose and recycle and by being sustainable help tackle climate change. Together with Titanic Denim we are making a greener planet from blue jeans.”

The hand-crafted bags, suitable for all ages, breathe new life into old denim and are finished off with shabby chic shirt linings and colourful handles made from end-of-line seatbelts. Each designer bag is totally unique, made with love and comes stamped with a seal of sustainability in the form of the Titanic Denim logo and Oxfam’s ‘4 Good’ branding.

The bags are available in selected Oxfam stores in Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Malahide and Sligo.

Marie Nancarrow, designer and founder of Titanic Denim, said: “It has been amazing to work in partnership with Oxfam on this project because we are jointly passionate about reducing the environmental impact of waste going to landfill here in Ireland.

“Fast fashion and a throw-away clothing culture makes it the second ‘dirtiest’ industry next to oil. Our new collection shows it doesn’t have to be that way. By repairing and repurposing old fabrics and discarded items not only can we make something new, desirable and truly unique but also an important contribution to protecting the planet.

“I hope Oxfam’s customers will love these bags just as much as Titanic Denim has enjoyed making them and not just for the good they do but as a must-have fashion accessory in their own right. The bags are ethical, practical and stylish and make the perfect ‘Christmas with a conscience’ gift for those who want to give something different to a loved one.”

Michael McIlwaine added: “Throwaway fashion is putting increasing pressure on our planet and its people and it’s not sustainable. Those who are most affected by climate change have done the least to contribute to this existential threat. That’s why it is significant we are launching this collaboration today, at a key time for our planet while world leaders meet at COP 25 and the UN Climate Change Conference, is still in session.

“Across our programmes, Oxfam is tackling the impact of the climate crisis. We work with communities to prepare for unpredictable weather and disasters as a result of climate change and are there to help when the worst does happen, from drought to floods and earthquakes.”

Oxfam works across many areas of fashion: collaborating with big brands to recycle and reuse stock; joining forces with fashion houses to improve supply chain conditions; garment workers’ rights; and campaigning on climate change.

ENDS

Photos of the Titanic Denim bags are available for download via https://oxfam.box.com/v/TitanicDenimBagsPix

For interviews, images or more information, please get in touch:

ROI:     Alice Dawson-Lyons on 00 353 (0) 83 198 1869 / alice.dawsonlyons@oxfam.org

NI:        Phillip Graham on 0044 (0) 7841 102535 / phillip.graham@oxfamireland.org

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Titanic bags will be available in selected Oxfam stores at the following locations:

• Belfast: Oxfam Botanic, 88 Botanic Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1JR. Tel: 028 90 315413
• Cork: CastleCourt 4Good, Unit 10, Castle Court, Belfast, BT1 1DD. Tel: 028 9023 1157. Oxfam Cork 10 Cook Street, Cork, Co. Cork T12 T611. Tel: 021 427 5490.
• Dublin: Oxfam George's Street, Unit2, Wicklow House, South Great George's Street, Dublin 2, D02 TX84. Tel: 01 478 0777. Oxfam Talbot Street, 6 Talbot Street, North City, Dublin 1, D01 VR62. Tel: 01 8746835.
• Galway: Oxfam Galway, Abbeygate House, 9 Lower Abbeygate Street, Co. Galway, H91 W1XA. Tel: 091 561 491.
• Kilkenny: Oxfam Kilkenny, 48 High Street, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny, R95 V4P8. Tel: 056 776 2085.
• Malahide: Oxfam Malahide, 6 Church Road, Malahide, Co. Dublin, K36 RH22. Tel: 01 845 4319.
• Sligo: Oxfam Sligo, 17 Grattan Street, Sligo, Co. Sligo, F91 PD63. Tel: 071 913 8913.

• Belfast-woman Marie Nancarrow has been a model and fashion designer, working with designer Paul Costello, and alongside stylists for Katy Perry, Robbie Williams and Sting. Marie is the founder and designer of the environmentally-friendly, sustainable fashion brand Titanic Denim, which was launched in 2015. All of its items use recycled, second hand denim, jeans and fabrics. All designs are one-offs and hand-made right in the heart of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. Whether it’s designer jeans, jackets, handbags, a pooch-pouch, or a guitar case, each piece is 100% unique. Titanic Denim breathes new life, character and attitude into old jeans, customising and transforming them into a wearable piece of art. Titanic Denim not only resuscitates old jeans, it also gives birth to new products through old denim.
• The Titanic Denim bags are designed and stitched by the Titanic Denim team in a workshop in Oxfam’s distribution centre.
• Oxfam has 47 shops across the island of Ireland, selling high-quality pre-loved clothes, accessories, handbags, shoes and more. To find your nearest Oxfam shop, visit www.oxfamireland.org/shops
• Irish people dump 225,000 tonnes of clothing every year. Source: http://re-dress.ie/when-fashion-is-finished-garment-end-of-life-solutions/
• The textile industry is the world’s second largest polluter after the oil industry.