wipwrk is an innovative company run by two outdoorsmen who are passionate about giving gear a second life. Frank and Ben are the brains behind the company, and in this article they give us the run down on what happens in the background to run wipwrk, and the inspiration behind what they do.
Hi there! Could you introduce wipwrk for the readers?
Hey! We are Frank and Ben, the brains and the brawn of wipwrk.
How did wipwrk begin? Was there an initial moment that inspired you?
We knew each other at uni, and became friends learning to alter our own clothes. Ben’s opshop wins are usually too small, and Frank’s too big.
We were not too long out of uni, and both looking to change up our work from the consulting we had been doing.
Initially, we were looking to teach other people to sew tote bags at a neighbourhood house. We wanted to find endrolls/scrap fabric to do the lessons, and were recommended to go see the boys at Offtrack.
They have a program called Chameleon (formerly the 2nd Life Project), getting old gear back into the hands of disadvantaged students. With that program came tons of equipment they couldn’t use and was just being collected. That's when we saw the opportunity working with outdoor equipment.
It really took off from there, the boys at Offtrack gave us some space in their mezzanine, and we started designing some products with some old machines they already had.
Where do you source your materials? Do you have a process for ensuring that reclaimed materials are suitable for upcycling?
When we first got started, we took from anyone donating to the 2nd Life Project. The material was random, sporadic and inconsistent. We had so much that it worked for our first couple of drops, but we always had in the back of our minds that it probably wasn’t going to scale well. That became really evident when we got 30 of the same tents in one go and saw how efficient our processes could become if we were just solving the problem of deconstruction one tent style over and over again.
The material we get really informs the kind of products that we make. The products we make are often the last piece of the puzzle.
Divert, Develop, Shift.
Has starting wipwrk changed how you view consumption in the outdoor industry? Is there anything you'd like to see change? How can we educate consumers?
Yes and no. Everyone has seen the videos showing the aftermath of a music festival, but it still feels like an intangible problem. Like surely if there was a solution, someone smarter than us would have come up with it right?
We are seeing the entry of recycled synthetic fibers into some brands, but its not the majority, and there is more than just the waste that contributes to the issues of consumption in the outdoor industry.
Personally, we’d love to see a slowdown of versions to the same product just for the sake of it or because we are in a new season.
What are some of the challenges of creating a commercial product from upcycled and reclaimed materials?
Consistency, consistency, consistency. We have to be able to promise to our clients that we can meet the scale of their orders with the first product being the same material, colour (sometimes we get away with this one) and wear as the last product.
To meet these demands, we are partnering with outdoor distributors who toss their warranty returns. Turns out upcycling can be cheaper than a skip bin.
Do you have a favourite creation so far?
Frank: Ben designed a packing cube that looks like a microwave popcorn pouch and I’m obsessed with it. Can’t wait to release it.
Ben: We have a sling bag prototype made from parts of waterproof jackets. That thing goes! We’ve been stockpiling old jackets to make a run and I can’t wait to get that out for everyone.
Where do you see wipwrk in five years? Do you have grand plans?
Hell yes we do. We want to show that onshoring textile upcycling is both doable and profitable. We have dreams of a completely automated factory. From deconstruction to pattern cutting to sewing. The technology exists, just don’t have it in Australia. We are going to change that.
Frank and Ben on the tools.
Are there any makers or creatives that you'd like to shoutout?
Our great friend Derek at Banjo Valley (@banjo.valley). Our voice of reason when our ideas get a bit out of hand. He also makes amazing gear.
Also Luke Phillips who runs Into Carry (@intocarry.co), Into Coffee (@intocoffee.co), Better Circles (@bettercircles.co). We are endlessly inspired by the community he fosters around Melbourne.
You can find wipwrk in the links below:
Instagram: @wipwrk
Popcorn Bag, Hero.
Tool Roll Construction.
Divert, Develop, Shift in progress.
A big thank you to Frank and Ben for giving such a detailed look into the exciting world of wipwrk. I can't wait to see what the future holds for wipwrk.
I'd love it if you could send this to your friends to share wipwrk with the world.
Happy creating!
Abi x
All images courtesy of wipwrk.