ReFashioned: Cutting-Edge Clothing from Upcycled Materials

The area of recycling and upcycling is a rich and growing source of innovative design in the fashion and accessories industries.

In a fast-fashion world of throw-away clothing, it is the ultimate expression of the slow-fashion movement, with each piece individually conceived and crafted from scratch, using different materials each time.

ReFashioned features 46 international designers who work with recycled materials and discarded garments, reinvigorating them with new life and value. The result is beautiful and desirable clothing and accessories that also make an important statement to the fashion world about its wasteful and exploitative practices.

About the Author:

Sass Brown is Acting Assistant Dean for the School of Art and Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. Originally from London, England, Sass established herself as a designer with her own signature collection selling in the UK and across Canada. As a researcher, writer and blogger, her area of expertise is eco fashion, in all of its different expressions, from slow design and heritage craft skills to recycle, reuse and new business models. She has published papers, spoken, taught and advised women’s cooperatives and educational institutions in Brazil, Peru, Columbia, Sri Lanka, Italy, France, US, Canada and the UK, on the topic of sustainable design. Voted in the top 10 Women Who Changed the Face of Fashion by Fashion Compassion, Brown promotes the best in eco-fashion design, through a multitude of media, most notably her books, her website www.ecofashiontalk.com and her journalism.

Contents:

Foreword by Natalie Chanin (Founder of Alabama Chanin, US hand made clothing and homewares)

Introduction

Chapter One
Designers Working with Used Clothing (e.g. worn and discarded garments) or
Used Industrial Materials (e.g. defunct flour sacks)
Opening Text
2ETN (jewellery) [US]; Artemas Quibble (bags / jewellery) [US]
Atelier Awash [Germany]; CeeBee (bags / jewellery) [Italy]
Christopher Raeburn [UK]; Clare Bare (lingerie) [US]
Dalaleo (bags / jewellery)    [Brazil / Italy]; Denham [Netherlands]
Jeffrey Wang [China]; Julia Barbee [US]
Junky Styling [UK]; km/a [Austria]; KONDAKIS [Kenya]
Lu Flux [UK]; MAYER Peace Collection [Germany]
MILCH [Austria]; Nudie Jeans [Sweden]
Odette Picaud (jewellery / accessories) [France]
Otra (jewellery) [Canada / France]
Raggedy     [UK]; Saisei (bags) [Italy]
Schmidt Takahashi  [Germany]; Silent People (bags) [Italy]
Sylwia Rochala [Poland]; Tamara Fogle (bags) [UK]
The BEA Project [US]; Trashed Couture    [UK]
Ute Decker (jewellery) [UK / Germany]

Chapter Two
Designers Working with Unused Clothing Waste (e.g. textile cut-offs) or Unused Industrial Materials (e.g. plastic product scraps created during the manufacturing process)
Opening Text
Carmina Campus (bags) [Italy / Africa]
Eva Zingoni [France]; Friends with Benefits [US]
From Somewhere  [UK]; Goodone [UK]
Hibrida (accessories) [Chile]; Juana Diaz [Chile]
Kerry Howley (jewellery) [UK]
Michelle Lowe-Holder (jewellery) [UK]
Paulina Plizga [France]; Piece x Piece [US]
Rachel Freire [UK]; R.ds [Denmark]
Reet Aus [Estonia]; Steinwidder [Austria]
Trash-Couture [Denmark]; Waste Away (accessories)  [UK]

Conclusion

Further Reading
Designers’ Websites
Picture Credits and Acknowledgements