Razer’s New Clothing Line Looks Like Trash

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but even a casual observer can see that Razer’s new clothing collection looks like trash. At least this time it’s intentional.

Following up on its Sneki Snek promotion, in which the sale of a plushie went toward saving 10 trees, Razer is now introducing the Kanagawa Wave Collection. The designs are based on Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic Japanesese woodblock print depicting a rogue wave hitting Sagami Bay. Razer’s goal for this collection, which will be available in a limited run of 1,337 pieces per item, is to fund the removal of one kilogram of plastic from the ocean per item sold.

The obvious difference between the classic Japanese print and Razer’s version is that in addition to new accents using Razer’s signature shade of neon green, Razer also added in a bunch of bottles, cups, and other plastic garbage to call attention to the plight of our oceans. Admittedly, it’s not a very subtle message, but it certainly gets the point across.

Razer said the clothing line itself—which includes a hat, shorts, t-shirt, tank top, and a hoodie ranging from $50 to $150—is made from fabric created out of marine plastic recovered from beaches, with each item featuring Razer’s updated take on the The Great Wave prominently across each piece. It’s a bold look for sure, though if your home is already filled with neon green gadgets with tons of built-in RGB lighting, the Kanagawa Collection will probably fit right in.

Razer said that both Sneki Snek and the Kanagawa Collection were created to “engage and galvanize the community to help preserve nature and ensure the world remains an arena we can all continue to play in,” which is certainly a worthy cause.

However, the more encouraging part about about Razer’s eco clothing line is that it’s actually part of a larger 10-year initiative from Razer to help reduce its environmental impact, which ranges from eliminating single use plastics at its offices, a pledge to use 100% renewable power at its offices by 2025, and a goal to become completely carbon neutral by 2030. But potentially Razer’s most important goal is its endeavor to use recycled or recyclable material in all of its products by 2030 through the use of things like eco-friendly PCR plastics.

So even if you don’t like the the look of the Kanagawa Collection, it seems like Razer is really trying to address climate change and climate responsibility in its own way.

Alternatively, if you are interested in Razer’s new clothing line, you’d better set a reminder for April 7 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. That’s when the entire collection officially goes on sale.

[Update 8:00 PM ET] Added new information about Razer’s larger 10-year plan to go green which includes the use of more recycled plastics, switching to renewable energy, and new investments into environmental sustainability.