Benin's eco-fashion star turns trash into runway art

From aluminum cans to couture, Roberto Zinli’s recycled fashion is redefining style and sustainability across Benin's catwalk scene.

Transcript

00:00He has a passion for fashion, he's a social media star, and he cares deeply about the environment.

00:10Roberto Zinli, a.k.a. President Giangun, is known in Benin for his extravagant upcycled fashion.

00:17For everything there's always a trigger moment.

00:21We live in a world where every day we produce waste.

00:24And at some point, this waste contributes to the degradation of the environment, nature and even the ozone layer.

00:32So I ask myself, what can I do to help reduce waste production?

00:39His answer, he recycles everything he can find, from plastic and metal to wood and rubber.

00:46His favourite material is aluminium cans.

00:50After a night out, people throw away cans.

00:54So the first thing I do is collect and recycle these cans.

00:57And I cut them up.

00:59I put them in a pot to boil.

01:02Because they're waste, they're so dirty.

01:06His designs have made it from the streets of Parakou to the runways of the capital.

01:11The recycling artist also shares his expertise, giving seminars at fashion schools.

01:17And because the fashion industry causes massive carbon emissions and pollution, Roberto says his journey is far from over.

01:26Today we have a lot of clothes that we wear that aren't necessarily biodegradable.

01:33That's bound to destroy nature.

01:37So what I propose is this.

01:39Instead of producing more materials that damage nature, we can reuse waste in fashion, to give it a new image, a new life.

01:48Artists, models, actors, well everyone can help by using recycled fashion.

01:54Man 1 to 4ively HDblots, those guys who show these films, actors, etc.