DUDE London and The Skill Mill Champion Trashy Fashion with The Rubbish Collection

Sep. 19, 2025

While there’s no shortage of rubbish advertising around, it’s generally not something agencies set out to create. But independent creative agency DUDE London is making an exception with The Rubbish Collection, a bold new campaign that’s ‘trashy’ in the most literal sense of the word. 

Created in partnership with social enterprise The Skill Mill - which provides employment for young ex-offenders in watercourse and horticulture services -, leaders of World Cleanup Day on 20th September, The Rubbish Collection is a capsule clothing line inspired by - and aiming to solve - one of the biggest issues facing East London’s famous canals. Not Lycra-clad cycling louts, but litter. A long summer of barbecues and picnics has left the paths, shore and water filled with discarded bottles, cans, takeaway boxes and other junk. The solution? A 14-part fashion range which takes trash out of the canal and incorporates it into people’s wardrobes.

Launching today, ahead of World Cleanup Day on 20th September, The Rubbish Collection features a series of quirky designs that pay homage to real items of rubbish picked out of Regent’s Canal, recreated in paint by local artist Marta Morientes. From flat caps featuring sunken bikes to T-shirts emblazoned with crisp packets and shorts that let wearers show off the junk on their trunks, Morientes has channelled her characteristic colourful and eclectic style into a series of unique patterns that epitomise the playfully trashy aesthetic.  

Spanning T-shirts, Hawaiian shirts and trunk co-ords, bandanas, swimsuits, hats, beanies, dresses, tank tops, hoodies, sweatshirts and more, the collection is designed with a clear purpose: to tackle trash in the canals. All profits will go directly to The Skill Mill to help fund World Cleanup Day, an annual charity event taking place on 20 September, which co-ordinates local clean-up activities across 211 countries, bringing together millions of volunteers.

The collection is available to purchase via rubbishcollection.org from today. Londoners are encouraged to sport their ‘rubbish’ threads with pride and join DUDE and The Skill Mill on 20 September 2025 for World Cleanup Day this year.

David Parks OBE, Managing Director at The Skill Mill said:

"The Skill Mill is delighted to be collaborating with DUDE who have created this wonderful collection. It brings a serious environmental message in a fun way. We really hope people choose to buy these items which not only look great but also have an impact. At the same time please consider adding World Cleanup Day to your calendar each year on 20th September."

 

Vic D’Andrea, creative, DUDE said:

“As someone who walks down the canal every day, this was more than a passion project for us: it felt like personal duty. So many talented people were excited to get involved and help us make it a reality. It’s been a great journey, fun and challenging in turn, it’s great to get our hands dirty and make a real difference - and make everyone’s walk by the canal even better.”