Upcycle Updates
We all know what recycling is, especially you hippie Berkeley folks, but have you heard of upcycling? In terms of fashion, upcycling is basically using discarded products like used aluminum cans or trashed denim and repurposing these items into new fashion products. While there are many brands out there who use discarded fabric scraps or vintage jeans to create new clothing, I will be focusing on brands and designers that creatively use non-typical products in their clothing. Here are the latest upcycling updates:
VVORK VVORK VVORK
Launched in 2017, VVORK VVORK VVORK takes Persian rice bags and converts them into fashion pieces. The Brooklyn designer, Zeynab Izadyfar, aims to integrate her Iranian culture, specifically the iconic rice bag, into an everyday piece of clothing. Her idea sprouted from the endless piles of used rice bags stacked in her mom’s kitchen as her mom never wanted to throw them away. The name of her line is also inherently Persian as in Farsi there is no “W” sound, so the V is how one would pronounce the word “work”. From Farsi calligraphy-inscribed pant pockets to rice bag logo-patched jackets, Izadyfar perfectly combines style, creativity, culture, and sustainability in one line.
RubyMoon
This sustainable swim and activewear brand makes their nylon yarn from used fishing nets and other ocean waste material to help save the living beings dying in the oceans from trash. In addition, RubyMoon makes sure not to use petroleum in their swimwear making process. This means that their clothing produces 42% less emissions than other high end swimwear. To add to their sustainability, the brand makes sure that all manufacturing processes are done in an ethical and transparent manner without exploitation in the supply chain. And, 100% of their net profits are lent out in small loans to entrepreneurial women in eleven developing nations. Their pieces are even named after the women they’ve invested in. Their gym to swim collection serves as a double-use line for both activewear and swimwear!
Bottletop
This brand started off making handbags from bottle caps in Kenya and, after collabing with Mulberry, was able to support artisans and health education for young people in Africa. From there, the founders found more usages for the upcycled metal rings from cans and developed a unique chain mail fabric. They continue their goals of sustainability by training others in Brazil and Nepal to upcycle material and breed a positive cycle of reuse. Through their Bottletop Foundation, they continue to support health, education, and skills training in developing countries.
Lyme Terrace
The founders of Lyme Terrace wanted to create sustainable menswear that also had a sense of style and comfort. First off, their packaging is biodegradable and made from wildflower seeds so it can literally be planted and sprouted into flowers! Second, their fabric, found originally at the Future Fabrics Expo is a recycled polyester fibre made from locally found, used plastic bottles. They also make sure that their supply chain is ethical and transparent.
When style trends shift so quickly and when social media makes sure everyone knows that your skinny jeans are so 2016, fast fashion emerges and thrives. Everyone wants the latest styles for cheap, so the Forever 21’s and H&M’s of the world flourish. Unfortunately, this comes with extreme amounts of waste and typically unethical manufacturing processes. While it’s unfair to tell broke college students to always buy sustainable and ethical (because typically these options are much more expensive), perhaps this article can serve as a reminder to buy more sustainably when we can. This can include buying from brands like above, or shopping more at thrift stores, or upcycling our own clothes into something new and fresh.
Words by Tasnim Tallman