Sustainable fashion has gone mainstream with big and small brands alike announcing collections using recycled plastics or other synthetic materials. And some brands are going further by implementing upcycling in their annual collections. The main difference between upcycling and recycling is that upcycled clothes have been repurposed from existing clothes whereas recycled clothes are made from materials that have been broken down first. Upcycling is good news for the environment as clothing has the fourth largest environmental impact (after housing, transport and food), according to not for profit UK organisation, WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Plan). Over 300,000 tonnes of clothing ends up in UK landfills annually.
Although upcycling is rapidly gaining in popularity today, it’s certainly not a new concept, especially to designers like Orsola de Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution (with Carry Somers), an organisation that promotes ethical fashion (their first global campaign was #whomademyclothes). Orsola’s work promoting sustainable fashion dates back to 1997 when she and her husband Filippo Ricci launched the pioneering upcycling label From Somewhere. The innovative brand used fabric offcuts from luxury designers or old season speedo swimsuits to create imaginative new outfits. Likewise, menswear designer Christopher Raeburn who has been reusing surplus fabrics like army parachutes to create outerwear for more than a decade, is now a global success, with stockists worldwide. Sustainable menswear brands leading the way using upcycling at this month’s London Fashion Week Men’s included E.Tautz, Vinti Andrews, Studio ALCH, Bethany Williams and Patrick McDowell.
E.Tautz
E.Tautz makes clothes to last and certainly doesn’t advocate buying new garments each season. The brand wants you to “wear them until they wear out and when they do, fix them.” Once they can no longer be fixed, recycle them. The collection on show at London Fashion Week Men’s included pieces that have been fixed; darned, patched, mended and maybe even improved. A large number of the pieces in the show were made using textiles recovered from unwanted clothes that were placed in clothing recycling banks across the UK. The brand also enlisted the help of The Royal School of Needlework to resurrect often forgotten skills like darning, mending and patching.
Vinti Andrews
A standout Autumn Winter 2020 look from Vinti Andrews, the London-based brand from Vinti Tan and Paul Andrews, is a padded neon yellow hi-viz jacket, upcycled from used Met police coats. The rest of the collection is made from vintage sportswear and outerwear that has been deconstructed, sampled and cleverly recreated as “new” garments. Colors include neon orange and yellow, neutrals and navy.
Bethany Williams
All of Bethany Williams’s garments are 100% sustainable and made in the UK. The designer was a worthy winner of last year’s annual Queen Elizabeth II award for British Design (an award in recognition of young designers who excel in either sustainable practices or community engagement.) Bethany uses wool from Wool and the Gang, a company that offers renewable, biodegradable and dead stock yarns. The denim in her collection is sourced from Chris Carney Collections, a recycling and sorting facility and it’s reconstituted for Bethany’s designs. And this season she used upcycled classic Adidas Superstar trainers (celebrating their 50th anniversary this year) in her show.
Studio ALCH
Australian designer Alexandra Hackett’s Studio ALCH is now based in London. The designer focuses on the process of deconstruction and reconstruction, to extend the lifespan of pre-existing garments. For her AW 2020 collection, everything was produced entirely from recycled, organic or excess deadstock materials. Both recycled and organic denim was used. ALCH has worked collaboratively with various artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Young Thug and Frank Ocean and regularly works to reconstruct pieces for streetwear label, Patta. For Patta, ALCH deconstructed single units of Patta’s Script Logo Weekender Bag and transformed them into functional gilets. The internal and external pockets, buckles and textiles were all been taken directly from the original bag.
Patrick McDowell
British designer Patrick McDowell used vintage hoses, belts and garments upcycled from the London Fire Brigade for his latest collection. Vintage fire brigade buttons have been added to Burberry shirting samples while vintage fire brigade belts have been repurposed along with fingerless fire brigade gloves. In fact all of this emerging designer’s garments are crafted from reclaimed fabrics and ethically produced materials and are designed and made in England.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/