Saving the planet one forgotten item at a time

Repurpose Me

Are you ever on the hunt for something specific at the thrift store?

Well this day I was. I was looking for nothing other than a cool fabric and it didn’t matter what form it came in. Thankfully, my eye spotted this lime and pink seersucker blazer. The blazer itself was gorgeous and trust me when I say I was pretty nervous about ruining a perfectly good blazer.

But I did it anyway. I took it completely apart and worked with all the princess seam and collar pieces. They formed such unique curving shapes that I formed them around the bust of my dress form. I’m also a (seer)sucker for a cool corset.

When the piece finally came together, I thought why not add some rhinestone straps too. I love how it turned out and it was a great project to strengthen my problem-solving mind.

Old to New

In an attempt to bring new life to a vintage EsteÉ Lauder silk scarf, I decided to experiment with a new draping technique.

Folding the scarf and draping it on myself, I was able to create a beautifully draped cap sleeve.  Upon removing the draped scarf, I fashioned several shaping darts on the dress form. Keeping in mind the print of the scarf, I focused on following lines within the design to create a tailored body with flowing drapes off the waist. I then hand stitched everything in place and added a closure.

Since making this piece, it has become one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe. It is the perfect top to go with nearly any bottoms and is always eye-catching. And you know when people ask where I got it, I blush and say I made it.

Entangled ARt Exhibit

Oh Darling, what about the oceans?!

I ventured into the deep sea through a collaboration with the incredible fiber artist Eli Taylor West. We wanted to create a look to emphasis the issue of human debris in the ocean. The design circled around the elegance of a kimono, which are believed to signify longevity and good fortune. Our world today has done anything but establish good fortune for our oceans and the only longevity we keep seeing is things getting worse.

In contrast to the dark side of the situation, we wanted to create a sense of beauty through the trash. I created an ombré effect down the kimono made from recycled fabrics. We sourced hundreds of plastic six pack rings to create an entangled design coming out of the bottom of the kimono. We made fish out of old cans and swirled wires of blue and metallic beads through out.

This ended up being an incredibly fun avant-garde piece to design and I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with Eli. Truly an amazing artist and soul.

Fashion Graffiti

What to do with an old worn out graphic tee? Slap it on a clutch and sport something everyone will be asking about.

I acquired an old Run DMC shirt from an ex-boyfriend and decided to design a bag around it. The shirt was clearly worn with some discoloration and holes. I top stitched it onto a striped fabric as the base of the design. To take it to the next level, I created stencils and cut out words to topstitch to the fabric. Honestly, I had no idea what words to write hence the "F*** YEAH." Fabric pens were used to create highlights and shadows.

When I looked at the finished piece, it just shouted 'fashion graffiti!' I had no idea that I could combine so many of my interests into one piece: fashion, art, graffiti, and music.

Update: It now serves as my computer sleeve and always gets noticed when I bust it out at coffee shops.