Universal Works x The Pilgrm: Sustainable Clothing Project

We're very excited to announce that The Pilgrm has teamed up with celebrated men’s clothing brand, Universal Works, to create a very special collection of unisex clothing made solely from discarded materials. These pieces will be available to buy online at Universal Works for delivery from 19 November 2020, with all profits going to homelessness charity, Centrepoint.

Nottingham-based designer David Keyte and The Pilgrm’s founder Jason Catifeoglou, have collaborated on this unique project which uses only fabrics that are excess in some way. Many of these pieces are offcuts from some of the biggest fashion brands and all of the pieces have been saved from being scrapped and becoming landfill. At a time when fashion is fast, this is another step towards being more sustainable.

The project came about during a chance encounter between Jason and David at The Pilgrm, where David was staying after searching for somewhere with a strong focus on sustainability. The two got talking about the problem of waste in the fashion industry, and it was through this serendipitous conversation that they came up with the idea to create something special using unwanted materials.

David explains "We both wanted to create a collection that was almost anti-fashion to a certain degree, and not meant to change season-on-season. Most importantly, we had a shared idea to repurpose and breathe new life into 'old' materials to create a capsule collection that reflected the very place it would be sold! We didn't want just a souvenir t-shirt, but something that almost reflected that same spirit; something that could be worn for an evening hangout in the hotel's public spaces/whilst relaxing
in your hotel room or simply away from the hotel itself!"

The creation of the collection is centered around working with factories during their downtime and less busy periods of the year, therefore making use of what would otherwise be unproductive hours. Through this, the collaboration seeks to take the fast fashion element out of the process and produce items that are considered and meaningful, rather than to simply fill shelves.

The collection comprises of a limited number of utilitarian pieces in the Universal Works signature style. These will include comfortable t-shirts, long-sleeved tops and sweatshirts, that although the project had originally came about pre-covid are ironically well suited to these current times and the working-from-home climate. 

The Pilgrm hotel is built on the idea of responsible hotel development with a strong emphasis on reclaimed and repurposed materials and objects, making them beautiful once again whilst reducing waste where possible. When building the hotel, Jason and Steph, the founders, were keen to keep as many of the original features, including the striking mahogany staircase leading to the Lounge whilst carefully sourcing reclaimed flooring from schools, military facilities and other institutions. The team re-worked other materials such as old fireplaces, armchairs, disused marble and timber with an aim of achieving 70% reclaimed materials used.

Due to the nature of the project and the intention to create meaningful pieces, no item will be quite the same as the next and there will be a very limited number produced, depending on what excess fabric is available. The collection is now available to buy online via the Universal Works here, and select pieces will be available to buy at The Pilgrm and at selected Universal Works stores post-lockdown, with 100% of the profits going to Centrepoint.

“ This partnership was born out of a desire to reuse unwanted materials whilst creating something purposeful and as a result doing the right thing. Sadly, doing the right thing is often forgotten, so from the get-go we knew we wanted to make sure our efforts continued beyond the point of creation and the physical product. David and I decided early on to support the invaluable work of homelessness charity Centrepoint. After what has been a very challenging year for everyone, it has never been more important to help some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. Centrepoint has been a lifeline to thousands of people during this time, so it was an easy decision to donate all of the profits in the hope that we can provide some support over the coming months."   -  Jason Catifeoglou, CEO The Pilgrm

You can browse the full collection online here from 19 November 2020, and don't forget to bring your Universal Works x The Pilgrm label into The Pilgrm when our cafe is back open to enjoy a free coffee!