TREND 2 : UPCYCLING
Repair, transform... re-love!
Upcycling, the future of fashion? Three brands discovered at Tranoï think so.
One hundred billion. A staggering number that represents the amount of clothing sold worldwide each year. A massive production that doubled between 2000 and 2014, and that also brought along an equally pressing issue—an increase in textile waste. In 2019, European consumers generated around 11 million tons of waste. Of that, only 6.6% was reused or recycled within the European Union (according to the NGO Zero Waste Europe, ZWE). These figures say one thing: there is an urgent need to find recycling and/or upcycling solutions.
At Tranoï, some brands have chosen to be part of the solution. Like Yekaterina Ivankova, a designer originally from Kazakhstan who founded her eponymous brand in Italy in 2017, with an identity fully built around upcycling. After studying fashion in Florence, Yekaterina decided to launch a tailoring-inspired collection using pre-existing pieces. She deconstructs to reconstruct, with expert taste and a sharp eye for fit. With finesse, she creates a wardrobe of highly desirable and modern garments: two-tone trench coats and jackets, high-waisted denim skirts, loose-cut pants... the upcycling magic lies in the details. To the untrained eye, you’d never know.
Across the ocean, another brand... Y-Y New York was born in the United States, in the heart of the Big Apple—as the name suggests. Launched five years ago at the start of the COVID pandemic, Y-Y New York—named after its founder Ying’s initials—is also rooted in the principles of upcycling. After studying at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, Ying (Irene) honed her skills with prestigious houses like Proenza Schouler and Vera Wang, and faced firsthand the intense production cycles and impact of the fashion industry. She decided to tackle the issue head-on by founding Y-Y New York, which aims to offer a fully upcycled wardrobe, created from deadstock fabrics or post-consumer waste, featuring draped details—a technique she favors.
Transforming, diverting, and giving items new purpose and meaning is also the mission of Anicet, the jewelry brand founded by passionate self-taught artist Elia Pradel. In her hands, an old signet ring becomes an ear cuff, chain links become the dangles of an earring... The one major challenge for these brands? Educating buyers and final consumers that this type of production has its limits—that each piece may be unique, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.
