By Jemimah Chungu
Upcycling is becoming not just a major trend but of importance in society today. This is because individuals, groups and firms are diverting and developing ways of reducing any form of waste in order to minimize the impacts of waste on people and on the environment.
To add on, up cycling is also an easy but lucrative business venture. Henceforth as important as it is, up cycling is becoming a major trend in society. Fashion on the other hand is an irresistible lifestyle/ trend.
It is a long existing industrial – individual business, it is a social skill and life skill, among others. Upcycling refers to the modifying of Old products to new products. A version of what can be described as a “new life”. Upcycled material are actually likely to be of more value than in the previous versions. Upcycled material are actually likely to be of more value than the previous version
upcycling has therefore become a social trend but of necessity in today’s world. Fashion creators have engaged in a cycle of recreating clothes from old/ used clothes. Clothes in the fashion world are therefore going around circles with a touch of an upgrade to latest trends.
Ceruti outlines to CanvasRebel, a platform for storytelling by creatives, how this was a natural progression. As Reclypt nurtured a community passionate about reducing fashion waste, a natural demand arose for the skills to keep clothing and accessories in circulation.
“At Reclypt, we believe style lasts longer with community. The Reclypt community is the driving force behind everything we do; from the upcycled fashion community to the DIY repair community,” she says. This is because, Ceruti believes, people seek community and ways to be more sustainable, and Reclypt enables people to do both.
A rich menu of circular fashion events
To spread the word and grow its community, Reclypt offers a smorgasbord of original events to educate and engage New Yorkers on circular fashion practices.
Pop-up mending and upcycling workshops featuring plenty of skills sharing, regularly appear at a wide range of New York venues. CanvasRebel mentions an upcycling workshop at a venture capital firm in Manhattan, a clothing swap at a vintage clothing store, and a “swap and mend” event for a runners’ group.
In fact, partnerships with like-minded businesses, both bigger and smaller, are a win-win for Reclypt, as besides expanding its reach, these also help the business learn, develop and implement best practices in areas like techniques, software and communities.
And once bitten by the circular fashion bug, it seems that consumers stay loyal to its ethical consumption principles and repurposing practice. Ceruti proudly reveals that almost half of event attendees are repeat customers.
As one fan of Reclypt’s upcycling event in Williamsburg, Brooklyn comments below a post promoting it, as quoted on Good Good Good: “I am so ready to spend the day surrounded by green life and community.”
However it’s not only clothes that are being upcycled, household equipment, commercial/ industrial equipment, waste just to mention a few are also being upcycled in order to reduce environmental degradation and also to make money.
