On July 11th, 2024, MCM launches its innovative collaboration with Harper Collective, proudly forging a path towards a future of sustainable and eco-conscious travel.
Harper Collective is the brainchild of visionaries Jaden Smith and Sebastian Manes, with the mission to transform reclaimed materials into luxury products, starting a new era where sustainability and beauty seamlessly coexist. Co-founders Manes and Smith, inspired by their shared passion for environmental responsibility, declare, „Sustainable luggage is the Future of Travel” – a vision shared with MCM.
“The MCM brand was founded during a time of innovation, exploration and discovery across culture, travel and technology in Munich, 1976. This inspired our Smart Luxury philosophy where sustainability is our ultimate goal. As a leading luxury fashion house, it is our responsibility to do things better for our planet and society.” says MCM Chairperson Sung-Joo Kim.
MCM was impressed from Harper Collective’s project launch in Selfridges last summer and approached the founders. The alignment and excitement to develop a personalized luggage set together, was instant. Five months later, the collaboration was presented at Milan Fashion Week in February of 2024, with enthusiastic reception.
Harper Collective’s hard-shell rolling travel cases are crafted from a revolutionary blend of 70% recycled ocean plastic, such as fishing nets, and post-consumer plastic, and are produced at an Italian workshop just 47 miles from Milan. By ingeniously turning waste into valuable treasures, Harper Collective leads the charge towards a greener, more responsible travel industry.
Mrs. Kim is committed to changing consumer behavior through thoughtful product development, stating “Buying less and buying better is a philosophy that we subscribe to, encouraging our tribe of 21st century digital nomads to do so. By taking a smart approach to our collection development, we introduce a sustainable lifestyle presentation through season-less designs.”
The collaboration with MCM takes its cues from Harper’s existing ‚Ghost‘ collection, aptly named after the abandoned fishing nets that contribute to its materials. MCM integrates it’s own upcycled components, while Harper Collective introduces perfected new elements, making this partnership even more exceptional and lightweight.
The luggage range uses MCM’s iconic cognac Visetos to wrap the new lightweight aluminum handles. The interior features MCM’s signature recycled quilted nylon,– creating a distinctive fusion of style and sustainability. Upcycled MCM webbing straps from three different decades complete the interior. Luggage tags are created from upcycled Maxi Visetos material. No two pieces are exactly alike due to the genuinely upcycled nature of the source material – central to the Harper Collective vision is embracing the beauty of imperfection, and not letting viable materials go to waste, regardless of unique qualities.
Each piece includes a blockchain-linked NFC chip provided by Temera, a Beontag company, the world’s leading product traceability company for the fashion and luxury markets. Temera also provided their technology solution to serialize and authenticate each individual piece. The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is enabled through Aura Blockchain Consortium’s platform, the unique non- profit organization of luxury brands, of which MCM is a member. The combination of NFC chips with the DPP allows our customers to effortlessly verify the authenticity and sustainability of their purchases by simply scanning the embedded NFC chip. This initiative reflects our shared commitment to setting new standards for trust and transparency in the luxury industry. This ensures that each MCM x Harper Collective piece is both genuine and eco-friendly, with the entire lifecycle of the product transparently documented and easily accessible to the customer.
In MCM boundary pushing style, the collection will be promoted with a noteworthy CGI (computer generated imagery) campaign, beautifully conceived by Jaden Smith himself and featuring artwork by the graffiti Japanese artist Inagaki. An alien journey from outer space to the depths of the earth’s sea, an alien confronts the dilemma and opportunity of plastic waste. With it’s limitless, future focus, the piece folds nicely into the 2024 MCM campaign “From Munich to Mars”.
Available at all MCM flagship stores, the Harper Collective website, and the Harper Collective shop at Selfridges London, the collection comprises three distinct silhouettes: Cabin, Cabin Expandable (a new development), and a large check-in case. The collection’s exclusivity is emphasized by its limited production.
Harper Collective and MCM’s collaboration marks a boundary-breaking venture, setting a precedent for the future of luxury travel that harmonizes with the environment.
