Pontypool man to launch a sustainable fashion brand

Owned by Matthew Jones, YogaMatt hopes to encourage bigger players in the fashion industry to switch to sustainable alternatives.

The company launched at the start of the pandemic as a fitness business, and is set to launch its full clothing range on Tuesday, September 27.

Matthew Jones in the brands new fitness range picture: Matthew Jones (Image: Matthew Jones)

Matthew Jones in the brands new fitness range. Picture: Matthew Jones

Mr Jones said: “The idea started during the pandemic, I got certifications to become a yoga teacher and taught twice a week on Facebook Live.

“I did a lot of reading about fast fashion and how much waste we have – I didn’t see many big brands taking on sustainability.

“I can’t take on the world but certainly turning some of those plastic into clothes is a start, the clothes are stylish and resistant to sweat.

“Watch this space, we want to be a business of action, we want to show what we’re going to do and not just talk about it.

“We want to shake up the fashion industry and to push the big brands into what we’re doing.”

YogaMatt's eco Logo picture: Matthew Jones (Image: Matthew Jones)

YogaMatt's eco logo. Picture: Matthew Jones

The brand's first collection, Elements, features t–shirts for men, and sports bras, leggings and t–shirts for women.

In the past week the brand has launched a new item of clothing every day.

Mr Jones said: “It took a long time to get the sampling and fit right.

“We asked factories to produce clothing only with recycled materials – there is an elevated cost but it is worthwhile.

“We are going to constantly pursue new ideas, so the collections released will be exclusive.

“I also volunteer my team as a PT at High Street Fitness Pontypool and do a yoga class on Thursday between 6pm-7pm, we are community based.”

The brand's website will launch in conjunction with the fitness colection on September 27.