Emirates has launched a limited-edition tote bag collection in support of 
Emirates
Team New Zealand (TNZ) ahead of its title defense at the America’s Cup, a sailing competition with a 174-year history. The new collection, known as Neo, is made from upcycled sails used at previous World Series, regattas, and America’s Cup competitions from 2011 onwards.
Locally produced limited-edition collection
The limited-edition Neo collection will feature up to 80 barrel and tote bags upcycled from North Sails 3Di, which are known for their lightweight structure, durability, and resistance to stretching and tears. The new range of bags is now available for pre-order on the Emirates Official Store. The Neo tote costs $40 or 8,889 Skywards miles, while the duffle costs $68 or 15,111 Emirates Skywards
miles.
Photo: Emirates
The collection will consist of 95% upcycled sails and follows the color scheme, stripes, and deep shapes seen on the Emirates Team New Zealand sails over the years. Produced by UAE-based manufacturer Jasani, the new collection is part of the airline’s efforts to minimize waste across its own operations.
It also aims to support partners like Emirates TNZ in repurposing and extending the life of materials destined for landfill by transforming them into valuable products. The Dubai-based carrier has been supporting TNZ for over 20 years, sharing the values of success and brand excellence in aviation and sailing.
The sails featured in the collection
Emirates is known for its extensive support of sports worldwide
and, in recent years, for finding creative ways of repurposing various materials. This time, the airline has combined the two and will announce new collections of upcycled items from the Neo range in the coming months.
The Neo collection includes a sail from an AC45 used in the World Series between 2011 and 2012, a sail from an AC50 used in Emirates Team New Zealand’s 2017 America’s Cup victory, and a Code 0 sail from an AC75 used in the lead-up to the 36th America’s Cup in 2021, where Emirates Team New Zealand claimed another victory.
Photo: Emirates
The team is now preparing for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match, which will start on October 12, 2024, in the Spanish city of Barcelona. All participating teams, including Emirates Team New Zealand, will race their AC75 America’s Cup class yachts.
Emirates’ upcycled collections
The Dubai-based carrier
introduced upcycled items collections in 2023
with the launch of ‘Aircrrafted by Emirates.’ The limited-edition range featured suitcases, backpacks, handbags, and accessories made from upcycled materials from retrofitted aircraft. The materials were collected from the airline’s Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, which entered
the industry’s largest-ever cabin retrofit program
in 2022.
At the time the collection was launched, about 14,000 kg of materials had already been recovered from 16 retrofitted aircraft. The products were sold in Emirates Official Stores, with all proceeds going to children in need via the Emirates Airline Foundation.
Photo: Emirates
Earlier this year, the carrier returned with ‘Aircrafted Kids by Emirates,’
a collection of thousands of children’s schoolbags and backpacks
upcycled from aircraft seats. The bags will be donated to community schools and organizations in Africa and Asia this year to support early education.
The collection represents a creative way to repurpose the fabrics from economy class seats of 22 A380s that have successfully undergone the retrofit process. Due to their durability and non-flammable nature, the materials will make high-quality backpacks for children in need. The launch of the bags came shortly after
the airline announced that it would add 71 more aircraft
to its $2 billion+ retrofit program.