Greetings dear readers!
I hope you are keeping well. This week there are a few happy wishes to share:
First: Happy (belated) Eid Al-Fitr!
Second: Happy Mother's Day!
Third: Happy Birthday to my wonderful Dad, Peter! Hope you've had a nice day today, Dad, with Mum and Bindi [the dog].
To our new subscribers - Alexander, Afua, Neeru, Jane, Brittany, Mette, Sadie, Anna, Kimberly, Lingmei, Saleh, Anand and Shyana - welcome! Just so you know the drill, these Sunday newsletters are educational-entertainment: meaning that I offer tidbits about sustainability, and/or running a slow-fashion startup. But the whole point is for it to be an enjoyable read (hopefully!).
We have a newsletter archive containing all the back issues. Many of you, for example, enjoyed reading about the time I visited a waste recycling facility and smelled for the rest of the day 🤭
A fantastic - upcycled - outfit by designer Mariah Esa.
Today, dear friends, I thought we'd take it a bit easier. I simply wanted to share with you the work of a talented young designer that I came across last week: Mariah Esa.
What makes Mariah and her work special?
Well, speaking for myself, I was pretty blown away to learn that she upcycles garment labels. Yes, as in those annoying, scratchy things that say what brand and size your T shirt is. Mariah sews them together, one by one (!!!), to create a fabric, from which she creates beautiful garments.
Mariah's aim is to divert materials that are destined for landfill or incineration. The project first came about when she came across a box of labels that were due to be dumped, due to overproduction. Her mission is to reduce the waste in the fashion industry. In 2021 alone her brand diverted 200,000 garment labels.
Here's how she does it:
Mariah takes labels like these...
and turns them over, where they offer up beautiful abstract patterns.
She then sews them together, one by one...
Anyone who sews will know just how tedious this process would be.
To create a work of art like this...
I mean... just wow.
And now... introducing Mariah, the lady herself...
Just chilling out on a pile of garment waste, chatting about her work.
Whatever you do today...
make sure you watch this short (1:11 min) video!
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Voilà, voilà. I hope you've enjoyed learning about Mariah and her fabulous work. You can find her pieces for sale at Browns and Farfetch. They cost a pretty penny, but that's of course because of the enormous amount of labour that goes into each piece.
If you know any designers - fashion, furniture etc - doing similar things, please let me know - I live for this kind of stuff! Simply hit reply and your email will come straight into my inbox.
Have a happy week ahead,
Jessica x
LUXTRA Founder | Mariah Esa Fan | Proud B Corp-er
