Dive Brief:

• Sparkling water brand Spindrift appeared as part of the latest collection of fashion designer Anna Sui, which was showcased at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), per details emailed to Marketing Dive.
• Sui's spring-summer 2021 line, called "Heartland," features hats made from upcycled cans of different Spindrift flavors, with the product labels visible. Beyond the runway, the designer showcased the apparel on her Instagram page.
• Spindrift offers its own merchandise through an online shop, with offerings like a $20 baseball cap, according to information called out in an email to Marketing Dive.

Dive Insight:

Although Spindrift is not officially collaborating with Anna Sui, the label appearing alongside the high-end fashion designer might strengthen its cachet as a trendy brand and reinforce its commitments to being environmentally friendly. The news could make Spindrift more appealing to cause-oriented consumer groups like millennials and Gen Z, who put a premium on sustainability and have also driven the recent explosion of interest in flavored sparkling water.

Upcycling continues to gain traction for brands that are angling to show their goods can be repurposed and less wasteful. Coca-Cola last year worked with fashion house Diesel on an online capsule collection of clothing made out of partially recycled materials.

Along with contending with established players in the seltzer category like La Croix, Spindrift faces new products from major multinational marketers including Nestlé, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, the latter of which introduced a brand called Aha earlier this year.

Spindrift has long leaned into the simplicity of its beverages and their natural ingredients as a selling point. Headwear in Sui's spring collection preserves the message with a spotlight on the brand's packaging, which reads "Sparkling water & real squeezed fruit" and "yup, that's it."

Spindrift sells its beverages through online sites like Amazon, and e-commerce channels are growing more important for food and beverage marketers looking to court consumers wary of in-store shopping amid the health crisis. Despite a flurry of competition, Spindrift has fared relatively well. The brand raised $29.8 million in funding earlier this year, right before the novel coronavirus hit the U.S. in force. Its total financing now sits at around $70 million, according to Crunchbase data cited by Food Dive.

NYFW, which this year served a mix of socially distant and all-virtual shows due to the coronavirus pandemic, has held some surprising appearances from brands, whether through official collaborations or otherwise. Home improvement retailer Lowe's worked with several designers to provide the backdrop to their livestreamed events, and then sold the set items on its website.