Happy Earth Day! Isn’t our planet amazing?
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We were featured by Ecouterre a few days ago… Yeah!!!
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Why don’t all clothes include detailed production data? (This is a tag from one of the new Upcycled Collection pieces by Reet Aus.)
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Have a beautiful day!
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Merry Christmas!
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Eco Costume Designer →
Arterritory.com talks with Reet Aus about the nature of trends, working with waste, and the true cost of cheap clothes.
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Process Tutorial: Upcycling a leather jacket into a bag
Karine Mkrtchyan is an Armenian designer who shared some of her work with us via Facebook. Her use of leather jackets to make beautiful upcycled bags impressed us, to say the least! We’re so pleased that she agreed to write a tutorial explaining her process. Without further ado…
Leather jackets are quite popular in Armenia, especially in the northern colder regions. The rainy season is usually associated with strong winds, which makes this product quite demanded due to its protectiveness. But what happens when it gets torn or worn out? It gets stuck on a shelf, as it isn’t appropriate for wearing, it isn’t ethical to give it away, and yet no one wants to throw it out. I found the best use for upcycling these unwanted items: to make one-of-a-kind bags. The process itself is inspiring. I have to deal with an already made piece, leave out the torn parts, and assemble another product which will have the same basic theme as the jacket. Each time it’s a new experience.
Click the images to view larger versions.
I want to share one of my latest works. This leather jacket belonged to a woman and had some torn parts. It’s very useful to draw a sketch before starting to work, as well as to measure the biggest usable pieces and the size of the desired bag. I decided that my bag would be 43 x 29 cm. For the corners and the bottom, I defined a width of 8 cm.
I suggest choosing the biggest parts first. The corners, bottom, and strap/handle come later. As you can see in the picture, there is a nice detail on the back. I decided to use as it is, by just turning it 80 degrees. Voila, a nice detail for the front! Next comes the back.
I found two pieces that were still good, but didn’t like how they connected. I cut a smaller strip (4 cm width) and put it in the middle using the opposite/suede side. This is another trick that you can do. Good quality leather is usually well processed on the opposite side. It makes a nice contrast, while still using the same piece of product. The only additional material was the zipper. Even the lining was made out of the jacket’s lining.
A few more recommendations: use a heavy-duty sewing machine and special needles for leather. The best size of thread for leather is no. 20. The sewn parts will look nice if glue is applied inside along the seams and hammered to give a professional look, otherwise the seams will look bulky and untidy.
Be sure to check out Karine’s designs at intromod! If this guide inspires you to make an upcycled bag, or if you already create upcycled bags, we’d love to see the results. Email pics to rachel@trashtotrend.com.
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This short film is a symbolic play on the essence of the fashion and clothing industries. It examines the process of mass production promoting sustainable consumption.
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Turn a glove into this cuddly squirrel!
