2. Design for Recycling/Upcycling

UPCYCLING: The process of converting waste materials or useless products into new products of better quality or a higher environmental value (economic, intellectual, emotional or material).  to a product through the process of re-using it.
Taking an item that is old and worn or just plain ordinary and giving it a new lease of life is incredibly beneficial to the environment. All of these scrap fabrics are still functional, still beautiful, still useable so why don't we do something about it.


Livia Firth is a huge advocate for eco fashion; she is the 'green queen' of the red carpet showcasing the most ethical fashion and textile designers. Not only does she walk down the aisle with husband Colin Firth but she seizes his suits soon after he's worn them and with the help of Junky Styling turns them into beautiful garments. Preaching "Quite rightly fashion has attracted attention over labour rights and its environmental footprint, but there are also some amazing skilled designers with a stunning aesthetic and vision, but who also prioritise the environment and social justice. I wanted to help give them a platform'.
I have since began researching her clothes' sources in the hopes of discovering how to wear sustainable fashion.


junkystyling.com
Inspired by the recycling in San Francisco and Tokyo, and the resourcefulness in Vietnam and Thailand, designers Annika Sanders and Kerry Seager began collecting high quality second hand clothing to deconstruct and re manufacture. Each garment is one of a kind and customers are able to bring their clothes for a makeover at their 'Wardrobe Surgery' service. 

fashionCompassion.com
An ethical fashion retailer working with socially responsible luxury brands from the developing world. incorporating and adhering to FairTrade practices. 

fromsomewhere.co.uk - Orsolo de Castro and Filippo Ricci 

fromsomewhere s/s12 

Fromsomewhere uses luxury designer pre-consumer waste (proofs, swatches, offcuts, end of rolls) and upcycles them turning them into high fashion pieces. When a designer cuts out their pattern pieces their is a huge amount of waste fabric most often from a beautiful roll of decorative silk. Why do we then waste these scraps of material when such time and effort has gone into creating its design? Fromsomewhere successfully reclaims these scrap materials destined for the trash/landfills and produces unique pieces that balance consumption and disposal. They successfully combine the modern design and demand approach alongside the customer's need to be fashionable with desirable, affordable pieces. 

I love the playful and retro look of their collections and the simplicity in combining the found materials. They cleverly co-ordinate the colours and fabric swatches so the designs look effortless and clean rather than haphazardly thrown together as you would expect from dissimilar fabrics. With the recession hitting hard around I feel everyone should take a leaf out of fromsomewhere's book and instead of turning to cheap materials in order to sell more, should source high quality materials and patchwork them together.


Even Tesco's Florence & Fred (F&F) range have jumped on the bandwagon, joining forces with fromsomewhere creating a 6 piece capsule collection that is made from end of line stock.

This technique reduces the amount of pollution standard industrial recycling puts into the environment and re-values original and unnoticed materials. Textile surplus is no longer waste!

Another inspirational designer is Stephanie Nieuwenheys who uses leftover wood chips on the floor of her university to make a garment that is not only visually appealing but environmentally friendly. It shows that we students can also begin to design ethically and ecologically!