Barneys embraces upcycled fashion with new BYT jacket collection

Barneys New York is the latest fashion retailer to jump on the upcycling trend. The department store has teamed up with new sustainable fashion brand BYT to sell a series of jackets created from repurposed waste product, WWD reports. 

The collection, which will feature everything from biker jackets to trench coats, will be created from excess materials from the luxury fashion industry. It will go on sale at Barneys on November 2, with prices ranging from $300 to $595.

"Getting this exclusive upcycled BYT and Barneys collection, which comes with so much heart and hope for better, into one of the world's most respected department stores talks loudly about how fashion, which has always been a reflection of our times, is changing," BYT cofounder Christina Dean told WWD.

Barneys is the latest in a long line of retailers to embrace sustainability strategies when it comes to fashion. Earlier this month, department store chain Nordstrom unveiled its new 'Give Back Box' concept, designed to encourage shoppers to donate their unwanted clothes to local nonprofit organizations and offer a potential alternative solution to the tons of clothing that find their way into landfills each year.

Fashion brands addressing the issue include Swedish retailer H&M, which launched its textile recycling scheme back in 2013, encouraging shoppers to donate old clothing of any brand in return for an in-store discount -- a concept that has led to its 'Close the Loop' collections created using recycled cotton. Meanwhile, ocean debris recycler Parley for the Oceans has collaborated with brands such as G-star and Stella McCartney, working recycled plastic into new, high-end fashion pieces.