Streetwear brand Champion has given new life to deadstock as part of its ongoing collaboration with HoMie.
The deadstock initiative is used to create bespoke upcycled items via HoMie's sister label Reborn. To date, the brands have created three Reborn capsule collections.
More recently, Champion senior product designer John Dang teamed up with the Melbourne not-for-profit brand to create six new apparel designs and accessories for the upcoming winter.
Called 'Champion Change', it includes a new co-designed logo across genderless hoodies, crews, lifestyle caps and socks, plus a reversible parka puffer in camouflage print.
HoMie stands for 'Homelessness of Melbourne incorporated enterprise', and supports young people affected by homelessness or hardship.
Champion ANZ brand manager Rory O'Halloran told Ragtrader this is their third apparel collaboration since 2019, with the previous two selling out in record time.
O'Halloran says that in addition to supporting young people affected by homelessness or hardship, HoMie also shares its commitment to sustainability.
"That's why we've partnered with them to repurpose Champion's returns, faulty items, and deadstock. With the help of HoMie's upcycling sub-brand, Reborn, as well as their VIP shopping days, we can give new life to these garments."
The venture has been a successful one, according to O'Halloran.
"Last year, we teamed up with HoMie and the iconic Smiley brand to kickstart a kindness revolution with our 'Start with a Smile' collection. We saw impressive sell-through early on, with the purple hoodie completely selling out.
"That's why we decided to bring the colour back in this season's collaboration, and we're already seeing promising results."
O'Halloran confirmed the two parties met four years ago.
"We initially reached out to offer retail positions in our stores to support their Pathway Alliance Program. This program provides an 8-month paid retail internship, giving young people the training and support they need to kickstart their working lives."
"From there, our partnership took off. We began with a small collaboration on apparel—a pair of socks—and it exceeded all our expectations. We realised there was something truly special between our brands.
"As a result, we decided to make our collaboration an annual thing, working together on a wide range of apparel and other product with profits going back to supporting HoMie's social impact programs."
HoMie co-founder and creative director Marcus Crook says this collaboration with Champion is an amplifier for the local Melbourne institution.
"It's a powerful platform to amplify our brand's mission and create a lasting impact," he says. "By having our collab clothing and message in stores across Australia, it increases HoMie's visibility and generates crucial funds to further our initiatives - ensuring that we can continue making a tangible difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness.
"This partnership is genuinely changing lives."
Crook says the pair are currently in the process of exploring another collaboration for AW24.
O'Halloran says that despite the difference in size between Champion and HoMie, the pair have a lot in common.
"It's like any new relationship, you know?" O'Halloran explains. "We had to take the time to get to know each other and be open to adapting our usual processes to make this partnership work. We had to leverage each other's strengths and be willing to try new things together.
"Even though our design teams are in different cities - which can be a bit tricky when it comes to hands-on designing - we trust each other and our communication is great, so it all works seamlessly."
O'Halloran says after a few years of working together, the pair have landed on a process that works and allows for equal contribution at all key parts of the production pipeline.
"Whilst we could have easily viewed HoMie as a competitor given we both play in the same apparel category and share the same target audience, we’ve always approached our partnership differently," he says. "There are no egos and we work together to bring the best in each other. We believe that when they succeed – we all succeed.
"I think the main difference in working with larger players is that with HoMie, we don't just collaborate on apparel collections; we collaborate on sustainable initiatives that support their mission, as well as offer ongoing support to their team to help them succeed as a business. Sometimes they'll come in and use our photo studio or catch up with our legal or logistics teams to help problem-solve.
"We're invested in HoMie's success and, for our team, seeing the tangible impact that our partnership has on the lives of young people is what makes us get out of bed in the morning.
Over the last year, Champion has secured various collaborations in Australia, including with Sydney art collective Pelvis and AU/NZ music artists. O'Halloran says that, depending on the collaboration, the brand measures ROI in different ways.
"It's not always about the bottom line; it's also about the social and environmental impact," he says.
"Collaborating with HoMie has been super rewarding, especially when we see the positive, sustainable results that their social impact programs create among young people affected by homelessness and hardship. In fact, to date, they have had 2,000 young people go through their Pathway Alliance Program and VIP Days and delivered more than 8,000 hours of paid training and employment opportunities at HoMie, Champion, and other retail stores.
"On the other hand, when we collaborate with other brands like Pelvis or artists like 66 Records (Australia's first African-owned record label), who we worked with on our recent Puffer campaign, ROI is more about adding value back to the communities that inspire us. It's an opportunity for us to give a platform to emerging artists and creators who are doing great things to drive culture forward.
"It has been an amazing journey, discovering new ways to collaborate and create a positive impact for both people and the planet. We are super proud of what we have achieved together thus far and the meaningful impact we have had on the lives of so many young people."
According to Crook, HoMie is continuing to explore more opportunities for joint product releases, limited-edition collections, and collaborative events.
"As we celebrate our 8th birthday, at the end of this month we have an exciting winter release planned, reintroducing our favourite garments from the past eight years.
"We're in the process of planning for the back half of the year and moving into 2024."