Documenting the Anthropocene

May 4, 2020

icebreaker x Justin Brice Guariglia

This Fall/Winter ’20, icebreaker has created a collection in partnership with artist Justin Brice Guariglia. The New Zealand-based apparel brand, a leader in sustainable clothing, is celebrating its 25^th anniversary in 2020. The brand believes that nature provides the answers, and for 25 years has developed clothing based on natural fibers as an alternative to plastic-based synthetic apparel.

Justin Brice Guariglia is known for his large-scale works that document the Anthropocene, the current geological epoch in which humans are leaving a lasting trace on the planet. “I’ve partnered with icebreaker to showcase my artworks on their natural apparel as I believe in the philosophy of the brand – advocating kinship with the natural world,” says Guariglia. For the icebreaker partnership he has used his visually stunning interpretations of the Greenland ice sheet, captured while on a research mission with NASA scientists.

The icebreaker x JBG collection features 100% merino base layers, T-shirts, mid layers and accessories with Guariglia’s abstracted artworks. The collaboration provides a platform for his bold voice in the conversation around climate change and offers consumers design-led natural alternatives. The merino in icebreaker apparel is annually renewable and biodegradable.

The fashion industry is one of the major forces currently polluting the planet and contributing to the waste epidemic. Research shows that washing synthetic clothing releases plastic microfibers into the oceans – up to 700,000 in one wash. Today, microfibers make up 85% of human-made debris on shorelines around the globe. Knowledge is power, and icebreaker believes that work such as Guariglia’s enables consumers to reflect on their individual choices and seek out the solutions.

“As humans we all have the capacity to drive change, and the more we learn the more we can act and make positive choices,” says icebreaker Chief Brand and Product Officer, Carla Murphy. “Everything we do is designed to move people closer to nature and closer to choosing natural alternatives.”

ICEBREAKER X JUSTIN BRICE GUARIGLIA

The collection features luxurious merino fibers that breathe naturally and sit softly next to the skin, and dynamic knit fabrics with zoned climate control. The topography of the changing planet is printed on the fabrics to embody the conversation around climate change action. 

NATURE DYE 200 OASIS LONG SLEEVE CREWE / ANNIVERSARY JBG

The classic icebreaker base layer updated with a bold new look. The 100% merino wool fabric is soft and breathable, and dyed using natural pigments from renewable plant sources, with 80% less water wasted than with traditional dyeing methods. The all-over print is an image of Greenland’s ice sheet taken during a research mission with NASA. The Oasis is constructed for optimum mobility and to prevent chafing across the spectrum of daily motion.

UNISEX LONG SLEEVE PULLOVER / JBG

A 100% natural evolution in high-performing warmth. The pullover features icebreaker’s innovative quilted merinoloft™ fabric, a triple layer of protection. The outer is double jersey merino, the lining is merino jersey and the insulation is natural wool loft, which provides a warm, breathable and natural alternative to synthetic fill and duck down. The layers are quilted and offer a high warmth to weight ratio. The raglan sleeve construction provides added mobility.

ABOUT ICEBREAKER

Founded by Jeremy Moon in 1995 in New Zealand, icebreaker pioneered the ethical and sustainable production of natural performance apparel. Now a part of the VF Corporation, icebreaker continues to challenge the status quo while championing natural, transparent and responsible ways to do business.

Following the publication of its Transparency Report in 2018 and 2019, icebreaker was one of only a handful of brands to be awarded an A+ rating in the Tearfund Ethical Fashion report, two years in a row. The report found icebreaker to be excellent in every area, including scrutiny of policy, traceability, transparency, supplier relationships and worker rights at every stage of the production process.

icebreaker looks to nature for the answers and for innovative ways to do more with less. Working with what nature provides and adapting as nature does, icebreaker enables consumers to join a movement towards choosing natural and preserving our planet for generations to come.

icebreaker is sold in more than 5,000 stores in 50 countries through wholesale, Touch Lab retail stores and e-commerce platforms. To discover more, visit icebreaker.com

NORTH AMERICA MEDIA CONTACT: Jess Smith, Jess@OutsidePR.com, 415.565.9530

icebreaker Limited
Level 2, Lot 3, 130 Ponsonby Road
Auckland 1011
PO Box 68907, Newton
Auckland 1145
+64 9 903 6101
icebreaker.com

ABOUT VF CORPORATION

Founded in 1899, VF Corporation is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies connecting people to the lifestyles, activities and experiences they cherish most through a family of iconic outdoor, active and workwear brands includingVans^®, The North Face^®, Timberland^® and Dickies^®. Our purpose is to power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and our planet. We connect this purpose with a relentless drive to succeed to create value for all stakeholders and use our company as a force for good. For more information, please visit vfc.com.