What are "recycled, rescued, and vintage materials"?
Unlike conventional fashion designers, I don't design a line, then buy materials, then make the pieces. Instead, I acquire fabric and notions (notions are things like thread, elastic, buttons, zippers and other closures), and then I design fashionable, trendy styles based on what I have. Recycled refers to things I've acquired that have had a previous life. For instance, an old t-shirt turns into a pair of leggings. That is a piece made of recycled materials. Rescued means the goods are either used are unused but they were cast off or thrown away anyway. For instance, an used portion of a roll of fabric, or thread spools from a factory that isn't going to use that color thread anymore. We use a local non-profit organization to rescue these types of items. Vintage means materials that are over 20 years old and have been either used or unused. We also receive clothing, fabric and notions as donations.
Why is it important to use recycled materials?
There is a huge amount of waste in the fashion industry. In fact, it is still one of the most wasteful of all commerce industries. Please see "The Story of Stuff" for more info about the manufacturing of the things you use, and why recycling, upcycling, reusing, rescuing, and buying thrift, vintage and antique things is a big help to the environment and the economy!
Can I donate clothing to you?
Absolutely! I love getting old clothes. Even something you bought from me but aren't going to use anymore. Feel free to email me, call me, or FB me to find out how to send me your old clothing or I can even pick it up if you're local to me.
What about your screen printing methods?
Sometimes I screen print my own designs onto clothing. I learned how to screen print by hand a few years ago and have perfected my method to exclude harsh chemicals, energy-hogging light boxes, or toxic inks. Thanks to my eco-friendly screen printing I can assure that each and every hand screen printed design is made with virtually no carbon foot print!
