TRASH!
Sustainable Fashion & Upcycled Design for Empowerment
"Hey, I'm TRASH! - an upcycled collection of pre-loved wearable artworks and multipurpose accessories made out of materials that were once considered trash.
Wanna know my origin story?
Read on to learn all the details."
Fueling Creative Empowerment with "Trash"
Fueling Creative Empowerment
with Trash
TRASH! is a sustainable fashion and upcycled design collection of 23 pre-loved T-shirts and upcycled accessories for empowerment that I created for Dutch Design Week 2023.
From "Trash" to Treasure through Creative Play
The collection includes wearable artworks and accessories crafted from materials once deemed as worthless by their previous owners.
The collection is a result of open-ended creative play with old textiles, scissors, safety pins, beads, permanent markers, and cheap textile paint.
Each piece is a timeless reflection of my inner state and creative skills at the moment of creation.
TRASH! Origin Story
I used an old T-shirt as a canvas during an episode of anxiety as a way to ground myself in the present moment and channel my energy into something soothing.
This intuitive creative urge empowered me to turn myself into a walking billboard for my art and story, gave birth to what I call wearable art for empowerment, and enabled me to create the TRASH! collection.
The collection aims to inspire people to embrace upcycling and adopt creativity as a tool for self-exploration, self-expression, and self-care.
Upcycled TRASH! Textile & Snakeskin Ropelets
Upcycled TRASH! Textile &
Snakeskin Ropelets
Upcycled TRASH! Distressed T-Shirts
Go down the TRASH! Rabbit Hole...
You can get an item from the collection as a gift if you sign up for a Creative Playdate with me.
Learn more and book your session.
TICKET
Each TRASH! item gives you access to an online or offline Creative Playdate, where you learn to use creativity as a tool for self-empowerment.
THRIFTING
Buying pre-loved items and repurposing old materials extends their life and supports the environment.
TRANSFORMATION
Making pre-loved wearable art is an empowering creative practice with a therapeutic flavor and transformative outcome, which you can adopt as an easy "Me Time" activity.
TRASH! Principles
I created the collection by following the principles:
- Use the "Bug" as a "Feature": I emphasized deffects of the original items and used them to highlight the unique nature of each piece.
- Relax, Refresh, Rejuvenate: I used basic skills and cheap materials to make the process accessible and inspire others to make upcycled wearable art as a path to self-exploration, self-expression, and self-care.
- Invite Conversations: I used the old textiles to make outfits that inspire important conversations on difficult subjects, such as mental health, poverty, overconsumption, and more.
The TRASH! collection is supported by international donors and Emmaus Eindhoven - a community that empowers people to rebuild their lives and gives old items a way to find a new purpose.
TRASH! Sustainable Fashion Show at Plug-in-city for DDW 2023
The collection was released during Upcycling Aperitivo - a collaborative event for sustainable fashion and upcycled design on the second day of Dutch Design Week 2023.
Visual storytelling by Yeugeniia Skydan.
What People Say about the Creative Process