Burberry is on team green.
In line with the FIFA Women’s World Cup, soccer-inspired brand Able Made teamed with Burberry on a soccer apparel collection using the British luxury house’s upcycled fabrics for the Made2 collection.
“We’re delighted to support initiatives such as Able Made’s Made2 collection by donating leftover materials,” Caroline Laurie, vice president of corporate responsibility at Burberry, said. “Partnering with organizations to emphasize the importance of circularity and sustainable practices helps bring positive change to our industry.”
Related Stories
Suzanne McKenzie developed the Able Made idea to help fund the Ucal McKenzie Breakaway Foundation, a soccer nonprofit for city-youth empowerment that she created in honor of her late husband, who passed away from sudden cardiac arrest on the field.
“Able Made is always looking for ways to be the most responsible with our fabric selection,” McKenzie told Sourcing Journal. “Burberry was most generous with donating fabrics to our Made2 program, our collections made with upcycled fabrics.”
Made in New York City’s Garment District, the five-piece collection “breathes new life into leftovers” with French terry and cotton jersey, as well as the donated fabric from Burberry. Highlights include the Chase Long Sleeve Sweatshirt, Able Made’s take on the classic sweatshirt, quilted with the brand’s signature monogram on the arms. The Blake Jacket is the eco-conscious company’s original off-pitch jacket, and the Blake Joggers are off-pitch pants with the monogram quilted on the legs.
“Able Made, to its core, is about great design and style first. The fit, the colors and the hand feel of fabrics are everything to us in how we create our collections,” McKenzie said. “We lead with product that is compelling enough for you to want to learn more, enough to draw you into the full part of our story. We want to set a new standard for how a business can be inspiring, beautiful and with a lot of heart.”
Ranging from $150-$600, the Able Made Made2 x Burberry collection “turns good intentions into action” and is available now on Able Made’s website.
Luxury has a close relationship with sports. Prada partnered with the Chinese Women’s National Football Team, the Steel Roses, for the World Cup and teamed with Adidas in May on a premium soccer cleat. Calvin Klein’s recent campaign featured female soccer stars, including U.S. striker Alex Morgan and French midfielder Kenza Dali. Luxury conglomerate LVMH is sponsoring the Olympic Games in Paris next year.
Able Made said it’s a different kind of brand than those becoming “influenced by the world of sports.”
“Street style is now sports style. What differentiates us from what’s happening in fashion’s interest in soccer is that we are soccer-inspired 365 days a year—not just around a World Cup season, a soccer team collab or a soccer-inspired capsule collection,” McKenzie said. “We are the only accessible luxury brand that is soccer-inspired with all the collections we create. Soccer is in our DNA.”
