JOURNAL
A Second Life for Textiles with Homeboy Threads
Textile scraps at Homeboy Threads' headquarters in Los Angeles, photographed by Aidan Klimenko
We’ve always been passionate about honoring our responsibilities to the planet and future generations through careful consideration of our environmental and social impact. In alignment with our ongoing mission to reduce waste wherever possible, we’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Homeboy Threads, a division of Homeboy Industries—a Los Angeles-based organization that provides training and support to formerly incarcerated individuals as they reintegrate into society. By collecting, manually sorting, and downcycling our local fabric scraps, Homeboy Threads provides a solution that gives textile waste a second life. We stopped by Homeboy Threads’ Los Angeles headquarters for a closer look at their process—and spoke with their Director of Strategic Partnerships, Elisa Johnson, about the program’s key broader mission, most rewarding aspects, and plans for the future.
Two members of Homeboy Threads' team: Work Readiness Trainer Boris Jimenez and Apparel Warehouse Manager Amy Anderson
How did Homeboy Threads begin? What were some of the key intentions you focused on while building this program?
We incubated Homeboy Threads under Homeboy Recycling. We started having conversations with the GUESS team about apparel and textiles, doing some outreach, talking to innovators about the state of fashion’s “waste” stream—and learned pretty quickly that there was a real call to action to see how we might play a part in making some changes. We scoped out a pilot project with GUESS and learned that so much of what we did really well on the Electronics side was very applicable to apparel and textiles.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of this program?
The opportunity to create a new space for job training and job placement for our people. We have already brought on twenty-four trainees to learn the business. Some will stick and find a career path. And as they grow within their jobs and responsibilities, the business will scale and grow. Then we can hire more people and create financial support for the programs of Homeboy Industries.
“Walking alongside brands as they build out their impact strategies, and helping bring those aspirations to life, is one of the most exciting parts of what we do.”
– ELISA JOHNSON, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES
Denim scraps, ready to be broken down and repurposed
Can you walk us through your process of repurposing apparel and textile waste? What are some of the most environmentally-conscious and safe ways to do so?
From our vantage point, reuse is always the best first option. If an item cannot be reused in any way, we have a network of approved textile to textile recyclers we send our non-reusable apparel and textiles to. The process looks like this: as items enter the warehouse, the first level of sorting is “reuse” or “recycle.” If items are designated by the customer for resale, the item can be sold directly to a consumer via our Homeboy Threads e-commerce site. The “recycle” items get sorted by fiber type, then routed directly to one of our approved recyclers.
What feels most exciting to you about partnering with fashion brands?
Walking alongside brands as they build out their impact strategies. We are uniquely positioned to enable brands to bring their impact aspirations to life.
What does the future of Homeboy Threads look like?
We are hoping to continue to build relationships and scale the business. We would ultimately like to be able to employ hundreds of folks and allow them to specialize in areas they are passionate about.
More textile scraps from our Fall 2022 collection
