As we have already stated a few times on our blog, we are a
big fan of Eco Fashion Week (EFW)! So we have obviously been following along,
and are blown away by how many of the designers showing at this seasons EFW are
producing clothing using up-cycled/reclaimed/repurposed textiles. Everyone’s
using these three terms, which all mean basically the same thing. Its that we, as
fashion designers, are taking clothes, fabric, and other materials that would
otherwise be thrown into landfills, and creating new amazing garments and
accessories from them.
Fair JAKE has been doing this since day one; it came naturally to us despite it being a challenge for us to find the
right market for our one-of-a-kind products. We have been successful doing the market circuit and have had fun not only meeting other vendors but also the customers buying our one-of-a-kind creations. There are several designers, such as
Preloved and Kim Cathers, that have been involved in the no-waste concept of design for many years and have figured out how to properly market themselves
to succeed. They, along with all the new environmentally and socially conscious designers such as ourselves, will hopefully continue to
grow and make this innovative way of thinking more main-stream.
That said you don't have to be a fashion designer to be a part of the process. Not only can you support those who do you can also "do" yourself. Many people already repurpose their hand-me-downs; I often hear designers and other
creative-minded folk talking about the cost savings of repurposing old clothes,
and this may be so, as long as you know how to sew. As an individual taking
apart old clothes and recreating something new, it won’t only give you peace of
mind but it is will also save you money and time shopping for that garment
you have in your mind but can’t seem to find anywhere. Yet, I have found
this is not always the case. As a designer, taking apart old clothes and repurposing them can be time consuming and costly which is where finding old fabric or bolt ends that will otherwise be discarded comes in handy.
We find that it comes down to what we are designing. Having more options such as OSF (Our Social Fabric) have really helped the movement. Fair JAKE takes apart old ties and makes them
into bow ties as one of our reclaimed products and every time I can’t help but
think of Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink, or Marge Simpson in the episode “Class Struggle in
Springfield”. In both cases, they are taking something old and changing it into something new. These processes have obviously been around for years and it is great
to see that not only individuals are taking hold of this concept but the
fashion industry is making big headway on the idea as well. As Fair JAKE moves forward to women's wear collections, we plan to keep the concept of recycled/reclaimed/repurposed textiles as a main feature in our company's designs.
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