CONSCIOUS CHRISTMAS GIFTS

This year I've been plotting to give preluved jewellery gifts to all my friends which gave me the perfect excuse to indulge in my favourite past time - browsing Berlin's vintage markets, this time for some gold old sparkles.  Not only do they make fabulous Christmas treats for a bargain but I absolutely LOVE vintage shopping since it offers a great alternative to conventional gift shopping - saving the planet one reclaimed necklace at a time ;)

I managed to pick up a nice selection of different silver chains which I want to make into pendant necklaces using some decorative paperclips that I've found at Linie Clara Kaesdorf on my last stroll through Mitte.  To add a touch of class I decided to present them inside some re-usable upcycled jewellery bags which I made from old linen sheets I had lying around.

If you are looking to do something similar & fancy a little DIY this weekend you can start getting creative with this easy gift bag tutorial using old table cloths or other decorative materials you can find. In these crazy times of over-consumption it's so precious to experience the joy of giving handmade gifts to your loved ones!!

TRANSPARENT CLUTCH TUTORIAL

Summer holidays are a perfect time for creating some easy DIY accessories. The transparent clutch completes an easy summer outfit and is perfect to protect your essentials from splashes & sandy beaches.
In past season designers like Maison Martin Margiela have taken on the minimal cool of bubble wrap to define a futuristic look. To mix things up, you can experiment with various packaging materials or giant bubble wrap!
This simple tutorial only requires a sewing machine or heat sealer as well as:

// one large sheet of bubble wrap
// two press buttons (metal colour of your choice)

I up-cycled a bubble wrap bag from old delivery packaging with the sides already heat-sealed. But you can just fold up a single sheet of bubble wrap and sew up the sides with dtm or contrast cotton (left sides together).
Decide on size and style. My bag is a clean rectangle (40cm x 30cm) double folded (in this case 80cm x 30cm). Sew up sides and apply press buttons according to instructions (please see sketch for positioning). Fold over - close - done!

SUSTAINABLE SUMMER OUTFIT

- easy fit kimono top from re-used pillow cases, ROHstoff

- up-cycled denim pencil skirt

- up-cycled transparent clutch

- silver espadrilles, TOMS

.

Just in time for my holidays I fixed myself my first entirely sustainable outfit which ticks a whole spectrum of ethical fashion boxes ;)
The easy fit kimono top is one of my favourite shapes and an essential piece in my wardrobe because it looks great paired with all sorts of bottoms such as pencils, maxi skirts or jeans. Its light weight cotton quality from reclaimed pillow cases makes it perfect for summer.
I've always wanted a denim pencil skirt because they are so easy to wear - I up-cycled an old pair of stretch denim jeans and added some wear & tear for a distressed finish.  This is moderately easy to make yourself and I will explain more in one of the upcoming tutorials!!
The transparent clutch is nothing more than two sheets of bubble wrap with two brass press buttons attached to it. I love the sheer look and it's pretty convenient for protecting your mobile, sunnies & lippy at the beach!
I absolutely adore my new silver mesh espadrilles - they put a completely new spin on many of my existing outfits. Now I can easily re-mix a new holiday look without having to buy heaps of new clothes! On top of that they feel extremely comfortable and make for a conscious buy with their One for One^® business model that will match every pair of shoes purchased with a new pair of shoes for a child in need :))

I WOOD LIKE THESE!

The Fashion Week hype is heightening with all eyes on Berlin for this week and I decided to follow an invitation by startup concept-store LNFA to start off in style with a blogwalk party.  Following recent events and especially a great conference in Hamburg at designxport I've been finding out a great deal about new sustainable materials in the product design scene from one of my fellow speakers - Dr. Sascha Peters.
So I was extremely excited to see that there are similar efforts being made by emerging fashion brands when I ran into a maze of wooden sunglasses hanging from the massive concrete ceiling at the Bikini Berlin based space.
Made by Kerbholz, a young accessory brand from Germany the glasses (and watches) are mainly constructed from wood, come in all the right shapes & look incredibly sharp.  I was absolutely taken by Leopold, made from ebony & cellulose acetate!!
But what I loved most about them was that the designers put in considerable amounts of effort into developing a product which ends up in the earth rather than on top of it.
For me, as a designer that has become imperative - and I am absolutely certain that biodegradable & sustainable innovation packaged with compelling aesthetics will be the longest lasting trend, not just for this season ;)

KNOT-ED

Friday afternoon upcycling sessions have become a little treat since I rarely find the time - they are incredibly fun and a fab way to get fresh inspiration! 

This time I was in the great company of stylist & sustainable fashion expert Renata Hori.  Renata has recently launched her social accessory label KNOT featuring bags & jewellery made from golden grass that will showcase in next months upcycling show celebrating the 50th anniversary of Waste Management Association AWISTA.

ROHstoff & KNOT collaborated on a small series of dresses upcycled from pre-used mens shirts to underpin the bags on the catwalk.  

The brief was to create garments which would mirror the conceptual and geometric aesthetic of the bags using consciously considered materials.  It was an intense process to deconstruct, re-shape and re-assemble the shirts but absolutely exciting to polish a new look by giving these old garms a new lift!  The impromptu photo shoot afterwards left us with plenty of material to feed our instagram from which we already received amazing feedback and one order!!  

The fashion show wertSTOFF zündSTOFF – eco fashion, recycling & upcycling in cooporation with Zimt Casting will take place on 19th June 2015 at 7pm at Wertstoffhof, Petersbrunnerstr. 3b, 82319 Starnberg.

FASHION HACKERS

1 knitted patch Jessie English

2 Tennis Star Jessie English, photograph Shaun Lucas

3 Trainer Trafo Pop

4 Electronics & Textile Institute Berlin

If you always wanted to knit yourself a crazy pattern hat or a cozy jumper but had no idea how to (or no time like me) - you needn't have worried! The hacked knitting machine from All Yarns Are Beautiful (AYAB) uses an Arduino board which controls the colour changes and plugs into your computer via USB so now you can start knitting from your laptop :))

The AYAB makers upgraded an old Brother knitting machine by replacing the existing control board with an electronic one which they developed and because the AYAB controller uses all 200 needles of the machine you can come up with almost limitless pattern designs.

It was one of the coolest things on display from the Electronic + Textile Institute Berlin (ETIB) who exhibited at Berlin Fashion Week's FashionTech Lab last month.

ETIB's former artist in residence Jessie English has been experimenting with the hacked knitting machine to build up an intriguing portfolio. The designer's knitted tennis sleeve is an absolute must - have for the has-it-all bachelor.  It carries the spontaneous notion of a sweet-wrapper, underlining her approach of refreshing untaintedness.  By integrating digital technology into her work with the use of unconventional materials Jessie leads an extremely inspiring path to textile innovation.  

Wearable technologies are no doubt the new stars on the fashion horizon and have made revolutionary progress - not long and we'll be able to print the cool Trafo Pop trainers ourselves!!

FISHERMAN'S FRIEND

1 Knitted Swatch Studio Jux
2 AutumnWinter15.16 Esther Perbandt, photo Posh

3 Homeland Collection Inspiration & Knitted Outfit Doppelganger

3 Fisherman Hat MeinFrollein

4 AutumnWinter 15.16 Rebekka Ruétz, photo Posh
edited by me

Causing a storm this Berlin Fashion Week was a strong sentiment for fine quality knitwear influenced by traditional garment detailing of hard working fishermen translated into big flowing silhouettes on skirts & coats and paired with modern, constructed patterns.

The designer of Icelandic newcomer label Doppelganger took inspiration from 17th century heritage fishermen textiles and re-worked traditional patterns into symmetrical composed knits. Delicate leggings and second-skin-like tops made from sustainable wool and mulberry silk blended yarns delivered a compelling aesthetic of balance and wellbeing, leaving you with nothing but a clear conscience.

Transparency on and off the catwalk was a popular source of inspiration at Esther Perbandt.  The designer made waves earlier last year when she went on a trip to research local textile production conditions in Bangladesh.  Her new Autumn Winter collection featured lovely light woven knits with a sheer quality to it reminding me of the structure of fishing nets.  They made for a bold statement when placed against the clean cut woollen coats featured on the catwalk, promoting a confident and modern look with a soft feminine angle.

Comfort and purity were buzzwords at knitted accessories brand MeinFrollein.  Absolute highlight were the soft merino fishermen beanies which can be worn #InsideOut without revealing any conflicting labels.  The production is fair and Germany based - there's nothing fishy about that ;)

HI ON LIFE

I find it incredibly exciting to discover modern & unconventional clothes that have been produced consciously at the same time.
So naturally I was thrilled when I met with Arvid in his creative concept store HI ON LIFE bucking the fast fashion trend.  Key to Malmö's eco-scene the shop is perched above the crowd of local supermarkets, framing the entrance of alternative mini-mall Mitt Möllan.

Inside I was keen to see the shop's first own line, a joint effort with local fashion designer Olivia Thomasdotter.  With organic mesh crop tops, super-snug ankle pencil skirts & exaggerated coats made from upcycled door matts the exclusive mini- collection explores a modern world for style minded individuals with the courage to create change.

It was fantastic chatting to Arvid whilst trying on the entire shop - personal fav: the stunning oversized, black factory coat made from sustainable cotton.  Together with his partner Malin the duo's aim is to promote the things they love most - mixing fashion, art and style with a sustainable approach.

With a great focus on creativity HI ON LIFE stocks a new generation of eco-conscious labels: playful print designs by A QUESTION OF hang casually next to bright & bold Tees by London's LAZY OAF setting a nice contrast to obsessive minimalist Kiwi brand kowtow.  And as for the lush trainers, they give key to it all. Made in Brazil, from organic fair trade cotton and veggie tanned leather Veja footwear proposes cultural change by employing socially excluded people.
Trust me, when in Malmö you deffo want to step inside this store.

#NECKBUDS

  

Friday evening Water To Wine celebrated the opening of their new studio space on Lehrter Strasse 69A with a close up presentation of the upcycling design process from start to glorious finish.  In front of a fascinated crowd host & upcycling designer Sarah Schwesig transformed a preloved men's shirt into gorgeous peg leg trousers with wrap around waistband. However I was even more captivated by a DIY earphone-necklace wrapped around Sarah's neck which she made from reused plastic beads and bright green embroidery yarn - a supercool and very useful accessory.  

Not that she needed it since the event was supported by an intimate acoustic performance from Indie Alternative Rock band The Chapped Lips. Cracking I'd say :))

NECK & HEART WARMING ❤

Ahh, Christmas - wrap up & feel the LOVE ❤ Just in time for the festive season my friend and designer Martina Lewe launched the A/W 2014 collection for her label Mein Frollein featuring gorgeous scarves and hats spun from super soft Merino wool and with thoughts of charity.  Every season she picks a different project to support children in need with 3-5 € from each sale of her colourful cozyness.  This year she's helping to fund a traineeship program for young adults in Timisoara, Romania.  To add to the label's meaningful approach, she produces all her accessories locally right here in Germany. The only thing missing now is snow!

WATER TO WINE BERLIN

Forget Zara&Co and open your mind/heart for a new fashion aesthetic.  Step inside 'Water To Wine' and be amazed by the imagination & mindful approach of the designer labels sold here.  As promised in my previous post about the new upcycling fashion boutique on Auguststrasse 82 in Berlin-Mitte the shop opened for the first time last week. 

At the opening party last Thursday Sarah, the manager gave me a little tour navigating through white painted retro shelves & chairs hanging on the wall stocked with cool customized denim jackets by Wilfried Pletzinger, bottle top bags from Portuguese label Há de Haver, gorgeous sturdy totes made from old tents by Margarete Häusler and some beautiful one off vintage skirts.  I've put out a couple of upcycled panelled Tshirts for ROHstoff as well as the pieces I made for Berlin Stadtmission fashion show two months ago - yeyh! 

To shop here is rewarding for your conscience too as some of the money from the purchases goes back to Berliner Stadtmission and will be used for their charity projects. The accessories label Beliya is topping that by offering children in developing countries school education for a year if you buy one of their creations made from upcycled sofa leathers!
 This is what I love about low-impact fashion, it's set out to ponder where a product comes from, how it is made and what will happen to it once it's served its purpose.
Check it out!

INSIDE 'WATER TO WINE'

Upcycling designers Luise Barsch & Sarah Schwesig take the lead in breaking 'fast fashion' barriers with Berliner Stadtmission's latest project - the new Upcycling Boutique & Label 'Water to Wine'

The first of its kind and located in Mitte's happening Auguststraße 'Water to Wine' is planned to open its doors for the first time on 14/10/2013!

 So I popped by on Monday to take a few teaser snaps of the prep works for the shop's cool interior.

The boutique's stock will include selected vintage garments from the charity initiative... The girls also invited other upcycling designers to collaborate with the label to produce some high quality & extremely wearable accessories and one-off garments.

I don't think the concept of upcycled fashion has been pushed to this level of accessibility before!

Watch this space!!!

❤

'Water to Wine'
Auguststraße 82,
Berlin 10117

UPCYCLED DENIM NECKLACE

Hey fellow upcyclists - here's a little weekend treat for you. It's predicted to be wet so why not stay in with a hot cuppa & make yourself a new necklace from just a few denim scraps & vintage trims! 

Just follow the steps below.  

You never know, your new creation might shift the cloudy mood plus you'll have something cool to wear out on Saturday night 

❤

SKIM YOUR TEXTILE BIN

Tear a few denim strips of an old pair of jeans / skirt.  I prefer to take material from along the seams because I like the stitching detail. 

STEP BY STEP

You will also need something to decorate your necklace with, I used some vintage earrings which I bought at Das Neue Schwarz a button from my Nan's sewing box & some safety pins which I collect of garment labels.

Check here for the step by step tutorial.

ETHICAL FASHION WEEK BERLIN - PART III

To tie up the end of my reporting from EFS - here is my latest discovery for upcycled accessories.

I instantly fell in love with this chunky silver metal bracelet by Finnish brand Mifuko which I spotted at the exhibition's E-werk site. The label's products combine traditional African workmanship with Scandinavian design. For their cast aluminium & brass jewellery collection made from recycled metal scraps they collaborated with Kenyan artisan Steve Kine who lives & works in the Kibera slum in Nairobi. Watch his amazing story here...

It's brilliant to see jewellery being approached this way with the ultimate aesthetic upcycling challenge to create something desirable from waste.  I think Mifuko totally pulled it off, so much so that immediately after the show I went to buy the bracelet for myself.  If you live in Berlin you can purchase the bracelet & more Mifuko jewellery here...

ROHstoff ❤ Mifuko

ROHstoff UPCYCLE WORKSHOP!!!

Zealous to spread the 'ROHstoff' message I ran the first UPCYCLE workshop this Thursday at Naehinstitut Moritzplatz in the heart of the capital's most diverse & style exuberant district X-berg.

On my agenda was to illustrate how easy it is to find inspiration for 'new' clothes just by searching your wardrobe for things you no longer wear and transforming them into cool custom-made designs.

Everyone brought some preloved things they wanted to 'refresh' so I demonstrated a brief introduction to sewing techniques & gave individual design suggestions to kick-start the ROHstoff process.

Then the girls set about constructing their own wearable creations with a passion & energy that left the air crackle.

We had an absolute blast when everyone realised how easy it is even if you've never used a sewing machine before and after only minutes they were cutting, slicing, tucking & darting.  Here are a few snaps of the gorgeous designs and slogan Tshirts the girls came up with and from the fun of the 'ROHstoff' process ❤.....

COLLAR NECKLACE TUTORIAL

© Tassie Rowbotham

© Tassie Rowbotham

© Tassie Rowbotham

Here it comes - the collar necklace!  One of my all time fav accessories to lift any outfit.  Not that we haven't seen one before but now you can make your own!

All you need are some old fabric scraps from your textile recycling box and a nice fastening.
Love it - make it - wear it!

I was wearing mine at the premiere screening of post human wardrobe's fashion short film they've produced in collaboration with David Skynner .  The label is one to watch and created by the extremely talented Nim Gadhia.

SKIM YOUR TEXTILE BIN

The material I chose is a piece of my beloved nan's duvet covers,

dig through your no longer used textiles and I'm sure you'll find something very special you can use!

STEP BY STEP

To design your own custom made shirt collar pattern including collar stand follow the instructions of the amazing Emily Tao.

Check here for the step by step tutorial.

Et voila!  For my creation I sewed two vertical buttonholes in equal distance from collar stand edge and used one of my husbands bobbely cuff links as a fastening (he doesn't know yet!) I threaded a vintage chain necklace through the top of the cuff link to make for a great accessory - yeyh!

DENIM RING TUTORIAL

This little fine piece of jewellery was a quick trick I pulled out of my sleeve for a last minute workshop at the very inspiring Changing Course Berlin event

SKIM YOUR TEXTILE BIN

You don't need much, a small piece of denim, either tin or a very solid piece of card board, called carton board for the base which you may find in the bottom of an old shopping bag.

STEP BY STEP

Check here for pattern & step by step tutorial

GORGEOUS!!! What is your little girl's most wanted must-have accessory for the season - the peter pan collar necklace of course!  You can make her one all by yourself and doing something for the environment at the same time by recycling some old tshirts and granny's hankies! No boogers please!!! X

SKIM YOUR TEXTILE BIN

Choose a patterned hankie for the top collar - my favourites are paisleys!

Pick an old Tshirt for under collar piece (or vice versa) - my preference is grey marl -always looks cool on little girls

STEP BY STEP

Check here for pattern & step by step tutorial

Check out the reversible denim collar necklace tutorial as well!!!

REVERSIBLE DENIM COLLAR NECKLACE TUTORIAL

Gorgeous collar necklaces never go out of season - recycle some old pair of jeans and an old pillow case, preferably with some embroidery to make this reversible collar necklace for your little fashionista.

SKIM YOUR TEXTILE BIN

I chose a not so old pillow case, unfortunately it ripped so I could no longer use it. It has some lovely tone in tone embroidery in places so that is a nice feature for the colllar.

For the other side I used dark denim from a pre-worn pair of jeans

STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL

Check here for pattern & step by step tutorial