Out With The Old, And In With The Old
Out with the old and in with the old. And I’m not talking about vintage. What I’m referring to up-cycling, which we have been seeing a lot of. Up-cycling is something that designers like Bethany William have been doing lately. Clothes and accessories come and go from our wardrobe, but this time these items are staying, albeit in a new form different from their original form. We can see that up-cycling is going to be the new macro trend. What is a better way to get rid of unwanted pieces of clothes, accessories, and other items, than by reusing them for a different purpose? For example, taking an old children's book and turning it into a designer bag. With up-cycling, using a DIY process to re-invent old garments into something new provides a rewarding feeling. Not only does this process extend the life of clothing and reduce the fashion industry’s environmental impact, it can also help those in need.
With the fashion industry seeking evermore to make a positive environmental impact and to become more sustainable, the benefits of up-cycling are clear: it minimises the amount of unwanted materials being sent to landfills; it helps to reduce the need for new or raw materials; it is better for the planet in terms of air/water pollutions and greenhouse gas emissions; and up- cycling does all this by not sacrificing fashion — it gifts our wardrobe one of a kind, unique pieces that can’t be found anywhere else.
Bethany William is a British designer best known for her up-cycling movement in turning waste fabrics into much more lively garments. These sustainable designs have won her many awards. William’s latest collection (which you can see to the left), titled “All Our Children”, was inspired by children's books and storytelling — lives of people she never met.
William’s also gave 20% of the proceeds from the collection to the Magpie Project. She decided to create a brand new bag from old children’s books and make it tell a story of its own. We can already see signs of how up-cycling will change the fashion industry in the near future. So too with day-to-day life.
We are already seeing designers such as Bethany William practising this, and also a designer I had the pleasure of meeting who goes by the name of ‘Pickle me design’, which you can see on her Instagram (PicklemeDesign). She already has quite a big following, and she has worked with famous, illustrious companies such as Nike, Footlocker and Urban Outfitters.
Author own image (2021)
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