So, what is upcycling fashion?

In general terms, is the process of taking old or discarded garments and materials and transforming them into new, fashionable and wearable items.

Upcycling is an important practice that can help to reduce waste, conserve resources, foster creativity, innovation and build communities. By upcycling, we can create a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future.

In Dua Tua we create garments that become art to wear, where each element is handcrafted with details that hide different narratives of emotional expression, the base is denim, where it usually comes from recycled material ready to be reused in new ways.

Breastplate type garment made from a recycled jean, where the upper part of the trousers was used as the upper part of the design, with the addition of scraps of this material to recreate the shape of a rib cage, braided jean strips falling in the back, bra cups to complement the chest area of the piece.

For its design and decoration process we worked with fabric paint (for textile painting I recommend using this type of paint because it has flexibility for the movement of the garment without cracking or showing signs of wear) and decorated with beads and decorative accessories embroidered by hand.

This second hand jacket is the perfect example of the transformations we can develop from reusing materials and combining a little creativity.

The jacket was purchased at a thrift store for $4 us dollars, and a shirt that belonged to the artist to be integrated into this jacket

The process of creation consisted of playing with the shapes of the jacket, replacing parts of the jean with fabric from the orange shirt, details on the shoulders and back made with pieces of jean in the shape of a cone and stuffed with silicone cotton to give it a 3D shape. The look of the jean was modified by bleaching and re-pigmenting, and also features fabric paint detailing in a drippin’ style from the collar to the bottom.

Upcycling is not only about reusing the garment and making it look good, it’s also about using the recycled material for new functional purposes and this bag is a good example of this process.

This denim jacket had already served a useful time as a garment, but its material was still far from showing any wear and tear, so looking to re-interpret the structure and taking advantage of all its features such as pockets and buttons, a bag is created from the main structure of the jacket, while the sleeves in turn make their new function as straps to hang this denim bag.

Decorative details hand painted with fabric paint, lined and reinforced interior with floral fabric scraps and as the main decoration of this piece there is a Chinese dragon patch hand embroidered with coloured beads.