Nick Graham and Goodwill Partner for William Good
Eight million pounds of donated clothing pass through Goodwill Industries’ Northern California distribution center each year, according to Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties. A new collaboration between Goodwill and Nick Graham aims to “claim further value” from these donations with the launch of a repurposed clothing line.
Graham, who is known for founding iconic underwear and loungewear brand Joe Boxer, gives new life to the donated clothes (and donated toys) with his unique brand o f humor. Some William Good creations were closer to the costume end of the spectrum, such as a plush swan attached to a dress that recalled the swan dress worn by Bjork at the 2001 Academy Awards. A sturdy mustard coat was embellished with toy dolls bordering the hem. Among the more wearable items a replaid jackets and woven men’s shirts adorned with screen prints.
“ It’s not just about cutting a jacket up. It’s about stuffed animals meeting clothes, adding these other values. hellip; Everything that we do is going to have a sense of humor, a sense of lightness to it,” Graham said.
Graham and Goodwill Industries launched the William Good clothing line at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in October in Culver City, Calif. For the launch, the Los Angeles–based indie folk band Whispertown 2000 performed in William Good clothing.
William Good falls under the umbrella of Graham’s consulting company, 100 Minute Co., independent from his Wonderbrand business.
And William Good’s mission is a far cry from Wonderbrand’s.
“Wonderbrand is a manufacturing company, so we actually produce clothing. I thought, ’The world has enough clothing.’ But it’s not good business for me to say that,” Graham joked.
Good for the environment and the economy
At the same time that Graham was seeking out Goodwill, Alvarez-Rodriguez was looking for a way to make further use of Goodwill’s donations in an environmentally friendly fashion as well as create jobs.
“Because [William Good] is repurposed clothing, it means that we use much less energy to make a William Good product. It’s already been cultivated. It’s had a first life. It’s had a second life. Now we’re giving it a third life,” Alvarez-Rodriguez said.
For more information, call (415) 575-2206 or visit www.shopwilliamgood.com. —Rhea Cortado
