Posh Swaps Blog

Everyone is refashioning at the moment, obviously the word is getting out that you can get some really amazing clothes using second hand and vintage items. Oxfam has just opened a DIY store in its Camden shop with unique creations made from second hand. Top designer and styling Mrs Jones has revamped the store into retro heaven which has become an oasis of style for trendsetters and vintage enthusiasts.

Mrs Jones who is a stylist to the celebrities including The Killers, Kylie, Scissor Sisters and Goldfrapp has created a limited edition collection of only 30 reinvented Oxfam pieces that will be on sale in the shop and online soon. The shop opened on Saturday with a series of DIY workshops run by the stylist herself.

If you can’t get along to the store, you can always have a go at refashioning some second hand clothes yourself with their DIY tutorial on how to turn jeans into a skirt. You can also get some ideas from their sidewalk to catwalk gallery.

Si:Su is a label that design beautiful and ecological clothing and was founded by three graduates of Swansea Metroplitan University, Hanneke Van Ryswyk, Rachel Bryan and Helen Stew. The collections include casual for everyday wear and romantic pieces for special ocassions. All of the clothing is 100% recycled even the buttons and thread. Each item is completely unique and made from luxurious fabrics such as satins, silks and cottons with vintage ribbons and lace.

They also only use vegetable dyes and source all of their fabrics within the UK, especially in South Wales. All of the production is based in South Wales. The clothes are both nostalgic and contemporary with a handcrafted detail.

Yet another very good reason to go green. si:su can be found at Green Trading.

Eco fashion is every where at the moment, you only have to turn up at London Fashion week or go to your local high street and you will find eco fashion of one sort or another.  The main reason for it is that eco sells, consumers are becoming more aware of the impact that there fashion choices have on the environment and demanding that the clothing industry reduce it. Recycling and reworking of clothes is just one type of eco fashion that is on the rise. Recycling old clothes is probably the ultimate eco fashion. It reduces waste and also the environmental impact associated with manufacture of new clothes.

Recycling of clothes is nothing new. Sales of vintage and second hand clothes have shown huge growth in the last few years, but what is really on the rise is the reworking and refashioning of second hand and vintage clothing. Whilst many love second hand and vintage clothing just as they are, refashioning them into new pieces has the benefits of creating completely unique, designer and cutting edge.

The great thing about recycled and refashioned clothing is the way that old clothes, styles and fabrics inspire the designers to create something gorgeous and new. The new designs keep a bit of the history of the clothing from which they were made but also give consumers something fresh and exciting.

There are so many new labels that use recycled clothes to create new but Junky styling was probaby one of the first, deconstructing traditional suits from charity shops and jumble sales and reconstructed them to form twisted tailored pieces. Other great recycling ideas include turning old saris into sandals and leather jackets into hand bags.

DIY restyling and refashioning of clothes has also become hugely popular from changing shirts into dresses to dying prom dresses and wedding dresses, to changing jeans into skirts. There are a number now a number of blogs and online communities dedicated to restyling and refashioning of clothes.

Recycling and restyling of clothes is also getting further publicity through initiatives like alternative fashion week which has a strong emphasis on eco fashion and the choice of fashion graduates to use recycled materials in their final year projects and graduation shows.

picture from www.junkystyling.co.uk

I was really interested to read in my latest copy of Marie Claire (June 09) about the Vintage Clothes Girls. The article was about the groups, where like minded girls gather together, perhaps with a glass of wine to share and enjoy their hobbies. The book clubs and investment clubs that were popular in the ninties springs to mind. But more recently knitting groups have seen a huge rise in popularity. Perhaps a bit of girly chit chat and creativity is what we need to destress from our super fast and hectic lives. The groups in the Marie Claire article included handcrafters, novelists and photographers but it was the friends who meet every Tuesday night to refashion vintage clothes that really caught my interest.

What a great idea, each person turning up with a few second hand or vintage clothes and then bouncing ideas off each other before trying out their ideas and creating gorgeous clothes to wear. Each person in the group has their own unique style and so can bring different ideas along. The best part of it though is spending time with friends and turning old clothes into something new.

There are lots of great reasons to set up your own refashion group:

• Many women lack social interactions and spend much of their life on a computer. Creating or joining a group is a great way to meet and interact with others. Human interactions are important for both happiness and health.
• Attending a group and being creative is a great way to releave stress. It is therapeutic to be creative and slow down enough to think about your creations.
• Discussing and sharing ideas on fashion and clothing is a great way to develop your own sense of style and find clothes that look great on you.
• Refashioning second hand clothes is a great way to recycle and get your own free sustainable style.

If you would like to set up a group to refashion second hand or vintage clothes, let us know about it and we will post details here on our blog.

picture Annie’s in Camden Passage - from www.timesonline.com

Alternative Fashion Week is produced and presented by Alternative Arts and this year will be held on 20-24th April at Spitalfields London. Alternative Fashion week as the name suggests is different to other fashion weeks. It is open to everyone and free to designers to enter. It has an amazing atmosphere with 15 shows each day held in the vibrant fashion market.

Alternative Fashion Week has strong environmental concerns and actively encourages designers to use recycled and ethical materials. The number of ethical and eco designers increases each year. This years eco friendly and recycled collections include:

Laura Booty Cherished possessions, discarded nick-knacks, unwanted rubbish create glamorous dresses

Colchester School of Art & Design Recycling & reworking garments for men over 60

Cooltan Arts ‘Make Do and Mend’ collection of customised recycled clothing

Holly Dutton Bobbie’s Boutique Nostalgic collection using organic cottons, hemp and bamboo

Lu Firth Precious Mary Tailor made pieces using recycled materials

picture Laura Booty from www.fuk.co.uk