The foundation Committed to Sheltering People Experiencing Homelessness and Ending the Homelessness Crisis Launches Ready-To-Wear to Further Support Its Mission
The Sheltersuit Foundation, a non-profit that creates and distributes warm and protective clothing and products to people experiencing homelessness, debuted its fashion label for the first time from Paris Fashion Week on March 4.
While studying fashion and producing one-of-a-kind outerwear, Bas Timmer learned that a friend’s father had died of hypothermia from sleeping outside in the cold next to a homeless shelter. Unsettled by the life-threatening vulnerability of people experiencing homelessness, he quickly sourced leftover weather-resistant materials – a sleeping bag and a tent – and made a jacket with a panel that converted into a sleeping bag, which he offered to a man in a similar state of precarity.
Born from this point of reflection on need and conscientious care, Timmer expanded the project into the fully-fledged foundation it is today, and has since distributed more than 20,000 warm and protective products across Europe, South Africa, and the U.S. – all while committing to the use of upcycled materials, reducing waste, and providing jobs for people removed from the labor market.
Sheltersuit had its first brush with Paris’ luxury fashion scene via a collaboration with Chloé, in which it created Sheltersuits and backpacks created from the brand’s deadstock materials for its Fall 2021 show.
For its Paris Fashion Week debut, Sheltersuit Label has received support from Chloé with a donation of further materials and deadstock, along with know-how and studio space in the heart of Paris. Additional fabrics have been donated by Gabriela Hearst and sourced from LVMH deadstock. The collection encompasses menswear, womenswear, and gender-fluid garments that emphasize purposeful design. Further extending the community of collaboration and support, this season features creations by independent designer Lisa Konno, and luxury sustainable denim pioneer RE/DONE – both at the forefront of making a positive impact through fashion.
Timmer sees the ready-to-wear label of Sheltersuit as serving dual functions to support the foundation’s mission. First, it will raise further funds to support and expand the creation and distribution of products to people who need them. Second, it will raise awareness for the foundation’s mission while also raising awareness about the global homelessness crisis in general and inspiring new ways to work together and help those in need.
