This event is all about all things recycled, upcycled, and eco-friendly -- but what does that mean in the world of fashion, and cosplay? We are going to give you the inside scoop on how you can be mindful about your outfit selections for our upcoming Eco-Event!
Upcycled Fashion:
Lets start with the basics - what is upcycled fashion actually mean? Upcycled clothes are made from unwanted materials that would otherwise go to landfills. This could be unwanted clothing, unwanted textiles, clothing scraps from textile factories, or surplus garments or fabrics (also known as deadstock).
This means that you can take clothing, fabrics, bedding, etc. and create something new - in doing this- you are upcycling! Upcycling allows fabrics to live a second life, and saved them from landfills - giving them a whole breath of fresh air! Lets look at some great examples of upcycled fashion from a few small brands:
This Upcycled Flannel from Etsy seller Sun Blushed Reworks is a great example of upcycled fashion - they took a vintage flannel, and patched it together with an old sweater - taking two garments that would have otherwise been trashed, and giving them a fresh new life - marrying the two together to create an amazing new sweater! Putting two garments together to create something new is a great way to not only be more Eco-conscious by saving these items from going to the landfill, but also create a a bold look that no one else is likely to have - making it a one of a kind piece!
This next outfit comes from another small Etsy brand called Forgotten By Jude - This Dress is not only absolutely beautiful, but is also the perfect example of taking something that may not have been clothing at first - and giving it a second life into a wearable fashion item. This Dress began as a Quilt of which the maker locally sourced, cleaned up, then turned into a beautiful dress using a pattern from a brand called Trama Pattern Studio. This dress was beautifully crafted, and goes to show that if you are a little bit crafty, and have some time to create something magical - anything can have a second life.
This next upcycle is perfect for those of us who are a bit sewing-challenged (like myself) This Upcycled jean jacket by Etsy seller Spatterful Chaos is a wonderful and simple upcycle - that just about anyone can do with some fabric paint, old clothes, and some creativity! The creator of this specific jean jacket painted beautiful angel wings on the back side of this plain jean jacket- giving it some personality, and essentially - a new life.
Upcycling is easy, and can be done by anyone! Its all up to the creator how involved the upcycling project is - which is what makes it so amazing and fun! Do any of these ideas have you thinking about what you might upcycle next?
Recycled Fashion:
Since we started with the basics on our last topic - lets start with the basics on Recycled fashion as well - so lets start with something easy, what is it?
Recycling is finding another use for an existing garment or in the case of textiles it sometimes also means converting (waste) into reusable materials. Garment recycling generally involves finding another use or user by re-entering a new phase for its life beginning at retail.
You may be asking yourself... what makes this different from upcycled fashion? What makes this category so different is the fact that this category also takes into account using things that are considered waste - such as newspaper, chip bags, or other typically discarded items. Lets look at some prime examples of recycled fashion from some small brands.
This first example comes from an Etsy seller by the name of 1000 treasures 4 u. This is the perfect example (and giving me flashbacks to my child hood) of a recycled fashion accessory. These Capri-sun purses are made from capri-suns (everyone's fave childhood, and if you're like me adult hood) drinks. The empty caprisun containers - of which most people would discard as trash - were used here and sewn together to create hand bags. These are a fun, funky, and colorful addition to any outfit, and saved lots of caprisun "empties" from making their way to a local landfill.
This next example is a brand whose focus using recycled materials to make beautiful clothing - the brand is Mara Hoffman - this brand uses a range of earth conscious materials including GOTS certified cotton, recycled nylon and recycled polyester. Some products are even Oeko-Tex STeP certified as well. Not only is this brand funky, fun, and eco friendly - but they are also sive inclusive - offering sizes XXS-3XL in nearly all of their items. This brand is a great example of how materials can be recycled into something fresh, new- and beautiful!
The next example we want to talk about is a brand called Veja. This brand is know for globally producing their ethical sneakers- of which use a material called B-mesh ("bottle mesh") which is made using already recycled plastic bottles. Each pair of sneakers uses 3 plastic bottles to produce. This brand not only offers this sustainable aspect, but they also offer Vegan footware as well! The black mesh shoes shown above are made using Vegan materials!
Whether you decide to go the upcycle route- or the recycled route, whichever Eco-friendly option you choose, make it GREAT! We are excited to see what this month's studio event brings in creativity wise. We will see you all at the Going Green event on April 30th! Until then, stay creative AZPM Fam.