Upcycling+Fashion = Trashion

Typical of the fashion world, apparently upcycled fashion wasn’t a cool or catchy enough phrase to describe this type of upcycling. Hence, Trashion was born.

From the Top of the Tree

On a top level, Barneys of New York collaborated with 8 rather prominent designers (Rodarte, Alexander Wang, Versace, Rogan Gregory, Derek Lam, Stella McCartney, Ann Demeulemeester and Bottega Veneta), and Elle to create Project Blue.

The sentiment behind Project Blue was to take donated denim, collaborate with the eight designers to create functional, wearable, amazing pieces, auction them on Ebay and then donate the proceeds to Oceana, an organisation who wins specific and concrete policy changes to reduce pollution and to prevent the irreversible collapse of fish populations, marine mammals and other sea life.

I have quite the obsession with turtles. I think I once decided to keep seeing a guy just because he had a turtle tattoo, so the work of this particular charity is seen as imperative in my world.

Baby Loggerhead Turtle (Credit: Oceana/Cory Wilson)

It begs the question of why this is not done more often on a commercial level by top designers.

Stella McCartney for Project Blue

The auction ran for 10 days with items selling for an absolute song (well in comparative terms that is!):

Bottega Veneta dress - $306
Ann Demeulemeester jacket, tank top and jeans - $140

Stella McCartney jacket and jumpsuit - $306

Derek Lam top and skirt - $306

Rogan dress - $251

Versace dress - $321.01

Alexander Wang jacket & shorts - $305

Rodarte dress - $1,875

Read more at Denimology & Outsapop

Derek Lam for Project Blue

MMM…

” LEATHER BLOUSON JACKET “

The jacket is made up of 14 backs of jackets and trench coats in leather.

Different leathers are superposed and give a gradation of shades going from white to black.

Born in Belgium, Martin Margiela worked as a design assistant for Jean Paul Gaultier for two years before starting his own label in 1988. Known for his innovative designs and avant-garde style, the reclusive designer who famously never appears on the runway or in photographs is a master of deconstructing and reconstructing garments.

Whilst Margiela also produces a traditional line, he also produces what is coined within the design house as the Artisanal collection, a collection of remade and restyled garments for men and women.

Artisanal garments by Margiela have been part of his collection since the fall/winter 1989-90 collection. Made by hand at the firm’s atelier in Paris out of vintage materials, the Artisanal collection is limited in quantity.

Whilst one has to concede that a lot of these pieces aren’t exactly wearable in the everyday, sifting through I did find some really unique pieces that could function quite well as statement pieces to blend with the everyday items.

” RECORD DRESS “

A crepe de chine dress is decorated with 33 and 45 rpm records.

The records have been cut, then shaped while warm to mould to the shape of the body.

” OVERSIZE T-SHIRT “
An extra large T-shirt is partially slashed in bands to create a circular motif.
The new armhole is made with a series of hand-made knots.

” FISHNET DRESS “
A fishing net is directly draped on a dummy to create a long evening dress.

” FOOTBALL JACKET “

A leather jacket is made of footballs. The balls are cut up, flattened and
applied on leather similar to the rubbery inner tube of the ball.

” PEARLY DRESS “
Vintage buttons are embroidered on a silk chiffon to create a bit-mapped effect motif.

Two rectangular pieces of silk muslin are assembled to form a dress.

The front is embroidered with various buttons of mother-of-pearl, metal, plastic to draw a mouth.

An abundance of rings, identity bracelets and chain necklaces in

silver and gold plate recreate the shape of an evening dress.

Next: Trashion’s Grass Roots Provide Fertile Ground

Inspirational Spaces

I live in the smallest apartment in the universe. It has for some time been known as "The Mouse House". This is a difficult (read disastrous) thing for someone who has a lot of materials, old photos, clothes, apparently doesn't have a shred of "everything has it's place" mentality and inherited the dreaded hoarding and collecting gene from her mother (she doesn't throw ANYTHING out and was horrified when I threw out a roll of carpet when I moved out of my old, considerable larger apartment... I think she almost had a tear in her eye as she exclaimed "But you might need it one day" and had a definite smirk of satisfaction when one day I did!).

I'm never going to have one of those minimalist apartments with three things in each room (much to the disgust of some of my minimalist friends). So what's the alternative? Lately I've come across some wonderful inspirations for a home that utilities the whims of the collector to create spaces that showcase the different aspects of your personality and create wonderful, personal, ordered spaces without having to compromise on homeliness.

Using these along with a great book called Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston, a couple of my fav of the moment blogs & websites (here and here), really useful articles like this, and inspiration images from House&Garden, Real Living and Inside Out, the Mouse House revolution is about to begin!