The Met Office teams with eco fashion brand Rapanui

15 Dec '11

4 min read

The Met Office has released a new range of weather related eco clothing made by leading UK eco fashion brand Rapanui.

The collection features a range of bold weather related designs inspired by the imagery, science and history of the Met Office and is made using eco fabrics in a wind powered factory.

Mart Drake-Knight co-founder and designer at Rapanui said:
“The Met Office is the international authority on climate change research, as well as being our national weather service that provides weather forecasts that we can trust and rely on.

“At Rapanui we think that it's not that people don't care about climate and the environment, it's just that they don't know where to start when it comes to organic, ethical or low carbon alternatives. Our brand is about making eco fashion cool and accessible. "

"We were delighted when we were invited to design these Met Office t-shirts. I think as well as being a nod to the Met Office's heritage and expertise, we managed to add a bit of 'Britishness' and humour to capture the spirit of 'the weather' as a subject.”

The collaboration builds on the successes of the first range of t-shirts launched in May 2011.

Luke Green from the Met Office said:
"Weather fascinates everybody and this clothing provide a fun way of reaching new audiences about the work the Met Office does. We are delighted to be working with Rapanui again to design and produce this new collection which is the first step in developing new collaborations to promote our brand."

At Rapanui we design and make casual wear in line with the latest trends, but from more sustainable materials. We use ethically accredited factories that are powered by wind and solar energy - and by using cutting edge eco-textiles, we create products that have a unique natural softness and feel when worn. The result is clothing that looks great and feels great too.

Whilst the organic, ethical and low carbon approach to our supply chain is unique, our real contribution to sustainability has come from the traceability of our products, our work towards improving traceability in our industry and the conversation this has sparked between shoppers, brands and manufacturers.

Using our trace mapping tool, at Rapanui you can find out exactly where our products come from, how and where they are made: From the seed being sewn, picked, spun, sewn and transported. It is traceability from seed to shop.

Rapanui has also developed a potentially industry-changing ecolabelling system to summarise the detailed and often confusing information on clothes packaging, and make it easy for consumers to shop quickly with a conscience. This ability to make a quick informed choice is something missing from, but entirely compatible with, the high street.

This work has gained national recognition in the press and at awards ceremonies and has been taken on by high street brands looking to replicate our success. A draft proposal is set to be presented at a parliamentary commission later this year, with a view to be proposed as EU legislation.

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