Eco-responsible mode: what is upcycling?

Whether you like fashion or are concerned about the environment, you've probably heard this anglicism more than once.

Upcycling (or overcycling in French) is a green method that allows you to give a second life to any type of object.

It is a well-known process in the fields of decoration and DIY and, in recent years, it has made a name for itself in fashion game.

But what are the advantages of upcycling? Can we speak of an ephemeral trend? We tell you everything.

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Upcycling, quesaco?

To trace back to the roots of overcycling, we rewind until the 1980s. Martin Margiela presents his 1989 spring / summer collection, and there is a white jacket that the designer remodels with brown scotch.

Just two years later, the Belgian designer again: during the 1991-1992 season, he introduced the famous socks sweater made from 8 pairs of socks recovered from a military surplus.

And just like that, Martin Margiela becomes a pioneer of upcycling with his creations not only recycled but highly stylish.

Here is another word from English, the meaning of which needs to be clarified.

In the term upcycling we have the prefix "up" which represents the notion of elevation followed by "cycling" which refers to recycling. So when you "upcycle", it means you recycle a new or used garment or a drop of fabric, offering it a more qualitative and fashionable dimension.

Turn an oversize shirt into a two-piece pajamas. Cut out an aged shower curtain to make it a perfect summer Bob. Recover fabrics that are not exploited by factories and turn them into palazzo trousers.

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This results in a new product whose carbon impact is reduced in essence. What's more, it doesn't waste money. One of the main reasons behind the overcycling of clothing.

Why use upcycling?

Today this circular fashion technique has many followers. The reason? Consumers are more concerned about the impact of their consumption patterns on the planet.

But overcycling enjoys even greater popularity due to the fact that we are going through the golden age of the second hand. Young fashion enthusiasts as well as the greatest insiders are shedding nuggets in antique shops or clever addresses such as Emmaus or Guerrisol.

They prefer to buy a piece of clothing that has had a previous user rather than a new part. According to ZeroWaste France, clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014. Reducing the purchase of new clothing would thus encourage textile industry figures to produce less.

In any case, this is the hope of these responsible consumers. Now that giving a second life to a garment is democratized, we go even further than simply buying vintage: we strive to extend the lifespan of the product found... By overcycling him.

And if there's a demand for oversized clothing, it's because there's a supply.

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New entrants to the oversized apparel market

Hi beauty, a trendy e-shop founded by two girlfriends in 2019 "uses the existing to create new ones". The brand has all kinds of pieces in its collections: from tailors to hats to dress.

The same is true for Rusmin.fr, the upcykey clothing claw created by Rubi pigeon. A true expert in the style followed by more than 40,000 subscribers on Instagram alone, creative and youtubous, Rubi pigeon occasionally organizes workshops around upcycling.

House Cleo, recuperable, Paris Remade... And in the high-end sector, we are obviously thinking of the designer Marine Serre, who constantly advocates the benefits of overcycling.

Upcycling has become the spearhead of many signs, but not that. Fashion enthusiasts also embark on this circular process because the advantage of upcycling is its DIY (do it yourself) dimension.

Some sewing enthusiasts then enjoy turning old items into a completely different creation. After all, during confinement, many people sewed fabric masks without ever taking a sewing lesson before.

So to overcycle, it's the same thing. You can do it with your means: sewing machine, scissors, thread, needle and iron to smooth visible seams.

This method is also carried by influential ambassadors. On TikTok-the 2.0 temple of fashion where the trends of today and tomorrow are born-beginners and professionals are filming themselves upcycling. One way to get a message across is that we have to get on with it.

What is the difference between upcycling erecyclage?

Be careful not to confuse recycling with overcycling.

The first is to destroy a garment to reduce it to fibre before turning it into a new product. But you have to know that making a fibre requires a lot of water and energy.

A contrario, as mentioned earlier, a person who practices upcycling simply recovers the clothing or fabric as it is and then reworked it as desired. No treatment is required and everything (absolutely everything) can be transformed.

You can use it in any kind of storage: in unsold brands, at home, in antique shops, etc. And even if the original fabric is not very environmentally friendly, just by overcycling it will make it so.

Add to this the fact that you can only recycle a garment when it really comes to the end of its life. A problem that upcycling doesn't know.

And proof that upcycling is much more than a fashion effect bound to run out of breath, many fashion schools are slipping it into their curriculum.