SEVEN DESIGNERS. ONE CHALLENGE.
Designers use up-cycled materials to create artistic, high-fashion garments from recycled materials that push back against the ethos of the fast fashion industry.
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Lunaversoul on the cover of 425 Magazine Spring 2020 Fashion Issue: Art Meets Earth
RECYCLING
“Landfills are among the biggest contributors to soil pollution, so that made me think about how we could find better ways to recycle things we no longer use. I incorporated recycled items rescued from the trash before they were disposed of, as well as locally sourced recycled art supplies and materials, unusual found objects, some fabric, and various items from my personal stash of supplies. Up-close you just see the garbage, but when viewed from a distance, the various colors and shapes you see start to look like a work of art.” — Camisha Jackson, Lunaversoul Jewelry
ART MEETS EARTH
Earth is the mother that never gets tired of giving, but sometimes we give her nothing but pain in return!
Choosing to recycle comes with a lot of responsibility, but it’s one we must embrace because, in the end, it ricochets and somehow affects us. 425 Magazine came up with this unique challenge- To create high-fashion garments from recycled materials. I was thrilled when they asked me to be a part of it.
With a budget of only $50, we were asked to create high fashion pieces using materials that have been recycled. I decided I would make a wearable art Jacket Jewelry piece which I named HerWin meaning “recycled.”
When you look around you with a fresh perspective and different eyes you’ll begin to see beauty in the seemingly meaningless things. Even trash will serve a purpose. For this project, I opened my eyes and my mind to new possibilities, my treasures came from the most unlikely places, recycled items from the trash, locally-sourced recycled art supplies and materials, unusual objects, and different items I had at home.
I was in the process of remodeling my home so I had to take a trip to the local landfill. I took a lot of reference pictures once I got there. Looking at those pictures from a distance- from a different perspective, I saw art. The colors and shapes began to look like artwork to me and this was the inspiration for my design on the beadwork for HerWin.
Being at that landfill, I felt motivated to do more for the earth, I made a conscious decision to go beyond standard recycling and dispose of my unusable things in a better way.
So, I went to visit some creative reuse centers that work with Puget sound manufacturers and businesses to help divert materials from area landfills every month.
Another source of inspiration for me was my childhood memories. My mom was a free-minded creative and an upcycling genius! She created the most extraordinary costumes using anything she could find around the house. She created her masterpieces by hand sewing since she didn't have a sewing machine.
She worked without any sketches or patterns, she developed her ideas off the top of her head, and went straight to work on it. To tell you how remarkable her pieces were, she entered many costume contests and won them.
I decided to travel through her path in my own creative journey for this wearable art piece, to work with no sketches or patterns. I worked to bring to life the idea in my head and I was going to sew it by hand. My challenge was no longer to create a unique stunning piece, it was also to create it in a way that I’ve never done before. I didn’t have a clue about how to make these kinds of garments and I was recovering from major surgery but I traveled this road until I met my goal , even though I struggled uncomfortably through it most of the time. I actually had to work on this piece from my couch laying on my side due to the stitches from my surgery.
I ended my journey with a beautiful and unique wearable art piece that I am very much proud of. And I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of this amazing project.
Here are some photos in the gallery below that I took throughout the creation process.
Materials Used:
Recycled fabric scraps
Wallpaper
Tractor seat
Milk bottle caps
Curtain samples
Upholstery leather
Car interior leather swatches
Sea glass
Shower tiles
Art glass
Fashion leather scraps
Aquarium rocks
Recycled buttons
Ceramic beads
Semi precious stones
Vintage art glass buttons
Vintage beads
Broken toy parts
Broken jewelry parts
Metal cord cover from Boeing
And other found Items
