Courtesy of Melanie McClintock/ai ai gasa
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Yard sales and sidewalk handouts may typically offer passersby a place to purge loose change or pick up frugal possessions, but for Brooklyn-based fashion designer Melanie McClintock these yards and sidewalks are a marketplace of inspiration. Through her Brooklyn chic attire, McClintock not only strives to create dapper designs but also weaves used materials in to her garments to encourage sustainability. And yard sale items aren't the only used goods inspiring McClintock's fashion designs. The pieces in her most recent AiAi Gasa clothing line are made from abandoned umbrellas. Now, I call that fashion foraging at its best.
About her latest fashion line McClintock explains, "I am currently using umbrellas exclusively in my designs. Basically I let the fabric dictate most of the garments. Because they are waterproof, they make ideal outerwear, so I have been focusing on jackets, hats, and vests. I fully line everything I make so they are like a double wind-breaker...nice and warm!" In addition to element-guarding garments, McClintock reuses umbrella parts to make jewelry, purses, and dolls. "I would say I use over 50% of the umbrella: I use the soft material for clothing, the spoke ends for jewelry, and the plastic handles for hand-made Japanese good luck dolls. The other 50% I recycle with my other metals."
McClintock's umbrella couture began upon entering Tree Hugger's 2006 Umbrella Inside Out fashion design contest. Although she didn't win the contest with her rainy day wedding dress, two years later McClintock is selling her water-proof apparel in boutiques across New York City. She also plans to tour her sustainable clothing line across the U.S.A in a mobile store—a double-decker bus engineered to run on vegetable oil rather than gasoline oil.
"We are still raising money and looking for green investors to help make it happen. The Mobile Pop-Up Shop is the answer to a few of my favorite things in the world...fashion, recycling, education, people, and travel. I made a list and the pop-up was the best solution," McClintock explains.
Well, are you feeling as encouraged as I am now? As we learn from Melanie McClintock, our scraps and rubbish really can be someone else's inspiration. If you're like me and not very friendly with that good, old sewing machine, here are three easy ways we can also contribute to sustainable fashion:
- Before sending used items to a landfill, check-in online with your local Free Cycle Network. This nonprofit web community is a place to connect with people in your area disposing of free materials you can use in your next fashion project, or to connect with locals who are searching specifically for the used material you're hoping to purge. Some of the items you may find or choose to gift include clothing, yarn, electronics, pillows, kitchen ware, glass and furniture.
- Always use your dollars to support sustainability. Whether buying for yourself or others this holiday season, use disposable fashion cash to support green retailers and designers who make it a point to sell sustainable accessories and clothing. This includes items made from recycled or environmentally-friendly materials, fair-trade fashion, and locally-made clothing that travels a small distance to end up in your favorite store, using less fuel to deliver it.
- Tap in to your inner thrift by visiting local consignment shops and thrift stores. Personally, I have purchased some of my favorite fashion pieces from thrift stores including belts, boots and jackets. But besides supporting thrift stores with your dollars, you can also find consignment stores that buy back your used wardrobe for either cash or store credit. Now that is music to my frugal ears.
Read more about green fashion:
How to Go Green: Wardrobe
Turn That Dress Into A Scarf
Copy This Look: Megalyn Echikunwoke's Polished Eveningwear
Turn an Old Shirt into a Stylish Shrug
Making A Cargo Scarf The Green Way
8 Ways to Make Your Clothing Last
Are you a green hipster looking for all things green and cool? Then you'll love actor and eco-activist Adrian Grenier and his team of environmental experts, who live it up with sustainable style on Planet Green TV's Alter Eco.
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