There has always been judgment and criticism against women who dress in streetwear. It’s been a norm that only men or those of a masculine personality can pull off/wear such a niche style. In recent years, society has been more accepting of the fashion sense in female culture but there still is and always will be those who just can’t wrap their head around the idea.
Founded in 2014, Vancouver, BC brand Frankie Collective has been innovating the women’s streetwear game with sustainability being a huge inspiration. Focusing mainly on classic 90’s staples with a twist, Frankie Collective has been taking various brand name vintage garments and repurposing them into fun, sexy one-of-a-kind pieces. The company aims to encourage women to break the boundaries of what is deemed “acceptable” fashion and instead feel comfortable and confident in their particular style.
If 90’s street brands are your thing than Frankie Collective is your new favourite place to shop. Reworking brands such as Supreme, Nike, Champion, Adidas, Nautica, Polo Ralph Lauren, Fila, and many more there are exclusive streetwear pieces to match everyone’s distinctive preference. On top of the popular upcycled brand names, the company itself has created their own collection called Frankie F1 featuring items such as cargo pants, swimsuits, crop tops, biker shorts, etc. Some of their most popular items sold are those with the icy camo print across them. The icy print adds a modernized feminine twist to the classic green camo making for a whole new kind of look. Even Fenty Beauty model Slick Woods has shown her interest in the F1 icy collection.
On February 16, 2020 Frankie Collective had the honour of working with singer Normani and her dancers to create an ensemble for the ladies with reworked Kobe Bryant jerseys following he and his daughters’ unfortunate passing. Normani and her girls performed as the headliners for the NBA AT&T pre-game concert in tribute to the fallen champion. They wanted to incorporate Bryant’s jerseys throughout the performance in a reworked kind of way and it ended in a wonderfully successful show.
Frankie Collective has very limited supply in their branded reworkings as everything is made 100% from salvaging vintage garments. Doing this helps eliminate the need to further damage the planet as they utilize each part of the garment until there is nothing usable left. All scraps that cannot be incorporated into their pieces are not thrown away as most companies do but instead are disposed of and recycled in an environmentally friendly way through the Canadian based company Fabcycle. As frustrating as this can be due to the lack of supply, they do post previews on their Instagram page of what products are to be released on a particular day and time. However, if you do happen to snag a Frankie Collective reworked piece just know that you are wearing something that not many other people get to and that alone shows the world just how badass your streetwear style commitment is.
Whether you’re a streetwear fan or not, Frankie Collective has many types of products to offer with new one-of-a-kind pieces being dropped frequently as well it’s just a matter of time until you find which ones work for you. Frankie Collective products can be bought online or through their new phone app. Check out their Instagram for news on what hot items are dropping next! Be confident in your streetwear style and help the fashion world move towards a more sustainable direction.