M.I.A unveils debut eyewear collaboration with Parley for the Oceans

Sri Lanka born, UK-based artist Maya Arulpragasam, who performs as M.I.A, has unveiled her first eyewear design collaboration with Parley for the Oceans.

The luxury ‘Clean Waves’ brand created by Parley for the Oceans invites elected artists, creatives and activists to design innovative products made from Parley Ocean Plastic, a range of premium materials created from upcycled marine plastic waste by the organisation’s Global Cleanup Network.

The new Clean Waves range includes a core ‘Archetype’ model in 14 variations and an exclusive capsule collection of modular sunglasses by M.I.A created from marine plastic debris and reclaimed fishing nets, one of the key threats to sea turtles, whales, sharks and other marine life in the world’s oceans.

The brand also acts as a creative fundraising platform and 100 percent of net proceeds will support the expansion of Parley’s remote island cleanups, education and infrastructure projects. Parley’s Global Cleanup Network hopes to reach 1,000 islands around the world, beginning with a series of locations dotted throughout the atolls of the Maldives.

Cyrill Gutsch, founder and chief executive of Parley for the Oceans, said in a statement: “Clean Waves is a new idea of a luxury brand, a creative fundraising platform where artists, designers, activists and material scientists unleash their skills to drive the Material Revolution alongside the protection of islands and oceans.

“Every Clean Waves collection is designed to provoke a future of creativity, collaboration and eco-innovation — with the goal of creating a world where humans live in peace with the ecosystems of nature.”

To connect consumers with the remote islands they are helping clean up, GPS coordinates are subtly engraved on every Clean Waves product. Through their purchase, consumers help protect these areas by supporting Parley projects and receive updates and exclusive content from the area.

Gutsch added: “Plastic is everywhere – it’s a design failure that harms sea life and human health. While we can’t phase it out overnight, we can stop making more. Clean Waves is the urgently needed platform where creators support our movement by designing products from Ocean Plastic – our premium material made from upcycled marine plastic debris.”

The Clean Waves collection is available exclusively online at cleanwaves.com, at Selfridges in London and select Dover Street Market locations globally. Clean Waves M.I.A. Edition sunglasses are priced at 250 pounds / 340 US dollars / 300 euros, while the Clean Waves Archetype sunglasses are 200 pounds / 280 US dollars / 240 euros.