SOURCING

I started this upcycling story from my own need of repurposing what I had and no longer wore as such, for various reasons: out of size, out of age, tears, discoloration. Friends followed and then people in the local community. (see here the materials I use)

I only reuse natural fiber clothes to give them a long and meaningful second life and make nontoxic new items (polyester and other synthetic fibers not only degrade in up to 200 years, being unhealthy for the planet, it is also unhealthy for human skin, which I myself do not want to use, wear or work with).

In addition to the natural nature of the fibers, I make sure they do not contain elastane (this shortens the life of the materials even when washed at low temperatures, something I do not aim for my items) and that they are cleaned when they get to them. Even though I, for my part, thoroughly clean the products before deconstructing and giving them a new life, I have made it my goal to educate people that upcycling (as donating) does not mean throwing things in the trash.

CLEANING & DECONSTRUCTING

After sorting all the garments I upcycle, I handwash them with homemade laundry soap (special reserve made by my grandparents more than three decades ago) and brush to remove any stains, then machine wash using ecological liquid detergent. I let them slowly dry.

Once everything cleaned, I deconstruct the garments: big fabric parts, addons (straps, waistbands), accessories (zippers, buttons), decorative thread. If there is something I’ve learnt in this upcycling journey of mine, it’s that every tiny piece I save would find its perfect puzzle waiting for it someday. It doesn’t care how much it has to wait, the moment, once it comes, is always magic.

DESIGN

The design process usually starts with an actual need of mine or someone around me. Bought a tablet and don’t have a sleeve for it, read in the park and need some cover or bookmark for the books, lose keys a lot in the bag and an organizer sounds good, have the car doors compartments full of used napkins and could use a portable can, going to a longer trip and need a bigger backpack, and so on. It is important to me to only throw (back) in the world items that will be used and reused for many times.

I sketch out a ton of different interpretations of the idea, then I narrow it down to a few strong options and decide the measurements. I cut a basic shape out of a paper and start constructing on it. Working with irregular pieces of fabric gives me the freedom (and sometimes, headache) to mix and match till finding the best combination; it’s a very subjective and personal phase that I enjoy a lot and bring me a lot of satisfaction when mixing the unmixed and having the final product in my hands and in my life.

DETAILS

The second thing that guides me is one specific element—I will have a certain patchwork pattern in mind, a type of handmade seam or embroidery, some leather flower combination, or just a detail I’m obsessed with. Sometimes I make sketches on my iPad, but most of the times I play with real materials and threads directly on the work in progress item. Sometimes I get straight to the point, but most of the times is a trial-error process, and not because it’s wrong, but because I feel it can be better. Working with small amounts of alike materials, I feel the need and duty to make the best of it. I know it’s a time-consuming process, but it’s a cost I choose to pay. It’s that cost that I see as a therapy and will never reflect in the price the client pays, but in my wellbeing.

PRODUCT RELEASE

Most of the items I make are one of a kind, but I make and release them in small batches. For many of the products (pouches, keyrings, jewelry, bookmarks), I love to work in phases, to go with the flow as long as I feel it: cut the pieces, match the appliques, embroider, sew the pieces together. For others (sleeves, backpacks, bags), I handmake one item at a time. For any of them, I take photos, write descriptions and release them when I have a small batch ready, this meaning five to thirty items. Then I move to another kind of item, to keep creativity and playfulness alive. I communicate product releases through mailing list.

SUPPORT AND FEEDBACK

In between it all, I try to keep close to customers and those who want to make room in their lives for one of my items. I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my products and make long time lovable functional stuff; the first-hand experience customers have with my work guides my future product releases, so it’s a real circle of life process. This way, pouches became cross bags, tablet and book covers got pockets, jewelry shapes turned into wall hangings.