‘Garbage Jacket’ Turns Old Firefighter Suits Into Fire-Resistant Athleisure Wear

It was a cold and icy day on the Rambo: First Blood set 40 years ago. Sylvester Stallone was caught freezing when a piece of rotting canvas poking out from under a truck caught his eye. In search of warmth, he took the fabric, cut out some armholes, and inadvertently created one of the most iconic outfits in movie history.
 
If you’re wondering what that has to do with the title of this article, that serendipitous moment has thus inspired Vollebak’s latest ‘Garbage Jacket’—or at least the act of turning trash into treasure has.

In Vollebak’s case, the clothing brand didn’t go snooping around movie sets for scraps of tarp and other material. Instead, it has given new life to old firemen suits and turned them into stylish hoodies.

The result is a soft, fire-resistant jacket made from discarded protective gear, plant waste, recycled bottles and brass. The meta-aramid fiber from the firefighters’ suits gives this piece a formidable strength that could have you walking through fire relatively unscathed—should you ever find yourself in that situation. According to the company, 500 tonnes of the gear gets tossed into the trash in France alone.

Video via Vollebak
 
This particular material makes up 70% of the jacket and is also the same type used for fireproofs worn by Formula 1 drivers under their racing gear. The rest of the hoodie is made from para-aramid fiber, typically found in bulletproof vests. Although, you should be warned that it’s not precisely bulletproof. Here, the thread has been blended into a single layer, while bulletproof gear needs eight layers to protect its wearer.
 
Inside, the jacket is lined with fabric made from recycled nylon and other scraps of materials used to produce clothes. The hardware of the hoodie, such as the zippers, is made from repurposed bottles, and the buttons are derived from brass that has been salvaged.

If you’re in the market for something that can get you through as much action as Rambo finds himself in, this jacket is now available for US$645.
 
 
 
[via HiConsumption and Trend Hunter, images via Vollebak]