Tractor maker and streetwear brand create a capsule collection using Thai rice straw

Siam Kubota, a manufacturer of tractors and other machinery, has partnered with Thai streetwear label Greyhound Original to launch an upcycled clothing collection made of rice straw. Left over after harvesting rice, the straw is an agricultural waste product that's typically used for livestock, compost and biomass fuel (if it's not burned on fields). Siam Kubota collaborated with Rajamangala University of Technology and with local collectives of rice growers, silk farmers and weavers to create a new fabric made of rice straw and silk.

Each piece in the ‘Turn Waste to Agri-Wear’ capsule collection was created using the resulting material. Launched late June 2024, the collection includes shirts, pants, jackets and hats. Prices range from THB 1,500 to THB 6,900 (USD 41 to USD 191), comparable to regular Greyhound Original items.

🌾 In Asia, where most consumers still see sustainability as a novelty or a luxury instead of a must-have, education and accessibility are paramount to driving mainstream behavior change. Appealing to consumers through a vertical with an existing cultural identity — in this case, streetwear — lowers the barrier to adoption. Of course, one upcycled capsule collection will not make Thais turn into sustainability advocates overnight. But it’s an eye-catching step towards long-term change.

It bears repeating that Kubota — which was founded in Japan in 1890 — makes tractors and mini excavators. That's miles upstream in the supply chain for venturing into innovations for end consumers. If an agricultural brand can create cool streetwear capsule collections, there's no excuse for any other brand not to develop their own creative spin on sustainability.