#UPCYCLING in Prague: KOSHILess, Upcyklace

There is a lot of talk today around recycling, upcycling, redesign, Fashion Revolution, Sustainable Fashion. Cycle-fashion is formed gradually which brings together young designers and entrepreneurs offering collections #recycling, #upcycling, #redesign. The names are different, but in general we are talking about the creative rethinking of #second hand. In Prague, Cycle Fashion and upcycling in particular are represented by interesting commercial projects.

The Internet-shop WIN WIN love offers a casual recycling clothes. For example shorts or jeans Vintage Levis, Vintage Wrangler, etc. Minimally used “branded” items gathered in Amsterdam’s second hand stores are brought to Prague. Here in the hands of skilled seamstresses things get a new life and has successfully sold in two online stores. The average price is $ 50 per item.

Fashion Revolution. Prague. Special Collection Upcyklace. Design by Veronika Matějková, Andrea Šlechtová, Tereza Bourová, Ľubica Skalská. Charity event Fashion For Focus in Prague. Photo©Anna Sharibzhanova, 2018

The Prague studio-shop Recycle With Love offers recycled fashionable clothes which stylistically continues the youth rebellious fashion and develops the traditions of Punk Fashion from Vivienne Westwood 70’s. 20 cent. The maximum price for a thing is $ 50. Clothing from this store is still closer to #upcycling than to #recycling. Because upcycling involves the complete transformation of second hand clothing – color, cut and design.

Upcycling as a separate trend in modern fashion was demonstrated in Prague in the collective project Upcyklace. The collection was worked by designers Veronika Matějková, Tereza Bourová, Andrea Šlechtová, Ľubica Skalská.

Upcycling is also used as an additional method for creating collections. Upcycling in designer clothes from La femme MiMi is the inclusion of expensive and high-quality materials (used or new), including silk, mohair, cashmere, hand embroidery, and brocade, into ready-made clothing. Different techniques are used in clothes including patchwork. Designer MiMi Lan uses the remains of materials, which brings clothes from La femme MiMi to the principles of creating Sustainable Fashion. The average price is 150 € per item.

Fashion Revolution. Andrea Šlechtová, Tereza Bourová. Charity event Fashion For Focus in Prague. Photo©Anna Sharibzhanova, 2018

Separately we will present the commercial project KOSHILess which conceptually continues the ideas of Fashion Revolution, Sustainable Fashion. The project is also based on the ideas of social and cultural ecology. The philosophy of the project is formulated in three short phrases: Less waste. Less fast fashion. Less ignorance. The particle Less reflects the author’s ideas about the need to create such conditions in which a person will be happy, using less clothes, accessories, cosmetics, etc. objects of mass consumption.

The authors of the project KOSHILess are Andrea Šlechtová and Tereza Bourová. Except KOSHILess Andrea writes articles about the origin of fast-fashion in an effort to popularize the Fashion revolution’s idea in society. Tereza is the prize-winner of the Czech contest The Best Stylist of 2015, led a blog of a famous shoe brand, tried herself as a fashion blogger.

KOSHILess is positioned as an Upcycling project. Tereza and Andrea create women’s clothing (skirts, blouses), accessories from used men’s shirts. They make beautiful ribbon garlands for parties from the remaining materials. The products from KOSHILess are the only ones of their kind, unique, each of them has its own sonorous name – Melissa officinalis, Lavandula Angustifolia, Magnolia soulangeana, Laurus nobilis. Prices for products range from $ 30 to $ 50.

Upcycling. Prague. KOSHILess. Design by Andrea Šlechtová and Tereza Bourová. Photo©Anna Sharibzhanova, 2018

It’s hard to imagine when Cycle Fashion will find widespread acceptance in society. It spreads simultaneously with the spread of the closed-cycle economy’s principles (Circular or Cyclic economy), as well as the ethics of the Fashion revolution and Sustainable Fashion. Will it remain at the level of a fleeting fashion or become part of a new worldview of the majority?

At thе moment we can say that Upcycling is becoming an important part of modern fashion design at least in Prague. People began to buy these things more often. However some buyers often do not even suspect that the second hand is the basis. Some of them do it quite consciously which indicates a change in stereotypes or the high quality of the products created.

Second hand in Prague today is not only the numerous shops with second-hand clothes with a clear name for buyers. It’s also designer shops in Prague and in the Internet space. Entering into them the customer does not immediately and can not always recognize that he found himself in the world of upcycling and recycled second hand.

Text©Anna Sharibzhanova, 2018

Photo©Anna Sharibzhanova, 2018

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