The minds behind this operation met through work in Zurich. Thus was born Prototypes , a brand that draws on a potential that remains unused. Instead of producing new garments, it opts for an approach focused on upcycling and reuse strategies, in three conceptually intertwined lines.
Prototypes core offering is the Second Life Line, which make use of deadstock fabric and garments to create new pieces of clothing. The opportunities are plentiful and there is no reason why nine football scarves can't be a one-of-a-kind-jumpsuit or why a table cloth can't be a dress. Not everyone is trained in fashion design, though, so Prototypes would like to offer some guidance: The Proto Packs equip those with the will and desire to do it themselves with a manual and sewing patterns to do so.
Each Proto Pack allows to replicate a style from the Second Life Line and comes in different difficulty levels. Almost anyone can create a hoodie out of two old sweatpants that are laying around. An even smaller effort is required for the Proto Prints: the transfer prints can be ironed onto any garment, allowing for the customization of, for example, a t-shirt you have been tired of wearing before. It's fun and easy, like a tattoo with no consequences. And of course, all the material used for the packaging is biodegradable and the labels are made from recycled plastic bottles..
"The design collective, as ever guided by the principles of upcycling and repurposing, makes their newest collection an honest ode to football in the midst of the gentrification of the unifying sport in working class Britain. Qualities and rooting in local communities have been pushed to the fringes. Without dwelling in nostalgia, Prototypes now brings it back to grass-roots and navigates the entire wardrobe. An authentic understanding of said culture and a close examination of its protagonists provide inspiration for FW2024: figures that are important to the social fabric of any local club — the groundskeeper, the kitman, the coach, the youth — are assessed for their potential. Prototypes shows that it does not need to stop with lazily replicating an aesthetic, appropriated for cultural clout. In line with the brand’s ideological framework, Series06 is constructed from upcycled sportswear like tracksuits or old football shirts. This time around, sportswear can be read as another kind of uniform. One that in commercial use expires and renews seasonally and is therefore available in abundance as material for upcycling. Series06 is a tribute to football’s communal beginnings, updated with a contemporary sensibility. The campaign is shot at a local club in England with collaborative partner Betsy Johnson. For the upcoming season, Prototypes will sponsor the kits for the club’s new women’s team."