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Cover Potato Head founder, Ronald Akili, introduces his new sustainable clothing line, The Wasted Collective (Photo: Courtesy of The Wasted Collective)

Indonesian hotelier, Ronald Akili will be launching sustainable lifestyle brand, The Wasted Collective this November

Missing Bali's laid-back vacation vibes? Potato Head founder, Ronald Akili will be launching The Wasted Collective, a sustainable lifestyle brand which includes a clothing collection created alongside Jesse Leyva, former global creative director at Nike

The brand mantra, "Good Times Do Good", reminds people to live life to the fullest, but also taking nature and its resources into consideration. 

Using three sustainable fabric and production processes: Washi, a lightweight but strong textile fabric that takes only 1/35th of the land needed to farm traditional cotton; EcoLife,  a 50/50 blend of recycled cotton and sustainable virgin cotton fibres; and ReCraft, one-of-a-kind pieces made from repurposed apparel in Los Angeles.

The collection includes naturally dyed block colour unisex T-shirts, hoodies, upcycled chore jackets and cargo pants that will remind you of Potato Head’s tropical brand and cosy restaurant ambience. Available at the brand's official website later on this month, pieces from the collection is priced from US$50-300.

See also: An Insider's Tour of the Eclectic Interiors at Potato Head

Tatler Asia
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Above Photo: Courtesy of The Wasted Collective

Akili will also be opening the first Wasted Collective studio in Bali, providing a space where artists, innovators, designers and sustainability practitioners to co-create and design new items for the brand.

“We were designing The Wasted Collective, but the idea was accelerated by what has happened this year,” says Akili.

“We don’t think things are going to go back to normal. Instead, we really see new pathways opening up, channels for us to do better when it comes to living in sync with our planet. It’s about starting on a new foot. We always want to provide something that’s really beautiful, that’s fun, and that’s made with as much of a sustainable focus as possible.”

Sustainability has always been one of Akili’s focuses from when he first founded Potato Head Beach Club to now. It was just earlier this year when the Jakarta-based hotelier unveiled the last stage of Desa Potato Head—his vision for a hotel-meets-community centre which brings together music, art, design, food, wellness and sustainability in its 387,500sqft complex. 

Within Desa Potato Head, guests would find Katamama and Potato Head Beach Club as well as the 168-room Potato Head Studios boutique hotel which was set to open in September. Due to Covid-19, however, these plans have been pushed back with no confirmed opening dates.

While the brand does not ship directly to Hong Kong, satisfy your travel bug by making your way to Potato Head in Sai Ying Pun for some authentic nasi goreng and live tunes at their audiophile space.

The Wasted Collective will be launching later this month and can be found at the brand's official website. For more information, follow @thewastedcollective on Instagram or check thewastedco.com for the latest updates

See also: 10 Years In The Making: Inside Hotelier Ronald Akili's Desa Potato Head Project—Bali’s First Creative Village

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