Unwanted denim is the launching pad for these five emerging designers who are giving old jeans a second lease on life.
From bespoke pieces, to jeans with a give-back component, here’s a look at how designers are putting their own stamp on upcycled denim.
Salvage + Rivet designers and co-owners Deborah Schoch and LeeAnn Stover find beauty in discarded denim. The Philadelphia-based company is turning unwanted denim and samples from Atlantic Mills into handcrafted accessories and artisan home goods.
“I find that people nowadays want to feel special. They want to feel like what they are wearing is not something that’s duplicated,” said Aparna Avasarala, founder of Denimrush. The denim designer discussed how she merged her love for art with upcycled denim.
Thigh High Jeans breathes new life to old jeans by adding colorful fabric to pairs, transforming straight leg jeans into ’70s style flares, denim skirts, cutoff shorts and more.
Denimcratic founder and designer Gabriella Meyer uses old denim as a canvas for politically-charged statements. Meyer shared how she’s breaking into the denim market with bespoke pieces made in Chicago.
Noorisim is a part of the new pioneering “Made in USA” movement that embraces circularity and provides denim with a second life. Founder Noor Zakka shared how she’s scaling her sustainable denim business.
