In the panorama of companies taking initiatives in sustainable fashion, Miu Miu presented in a limited edition its fourth Upcycled collection for 2024. The Upcycled project, launched in 2020, focuses on vintage clothing to add more value to.

The collection includes Denim, a range of essential jeans garments, characterized by floral embroidery inspired by the haute couture of the 1950s already introduced in the Spring Summer 2022 fashion show. Upcycled wants to establish a connection between past and present by celebrating the stories of those who wore garments, bags or accessories. The new collection features pre-2000 jeans sourced from global denim specialists, with a meticulous hand process to maximize fabric reuse. For the first time in the Upcycled project there are also bags, in particular the Patches made with leather scraps from Miu Miu models of the past.

To commit to transparency, the brand partners with Aura Blockchain Consortium, providing blockchain verification for every item in the collection to ensure authenticity and traceability. Bringing the smartphone close to the NFC tag on the Upcycled product, you can access specific information, exclusive content and the Certificate of Authenticity.

The brand, known for its iconic glasses and richly embellished bags, launched its first Upcycled collection in 2020. It included a capsule of 80 unique items, constructed from non-designer garments spanning the 1930s – 1980s period and selected in boutiques vintage in the world.

What we like:

• the recovery of materials to give greater value (we talked about upcycling here too)
• the connection between past and present
• the message of a positive attitude towards the culture of recovery. The brand, more experimental than the main Prada brand and aimed at young people in contemporary society, can convey the theme of vintage and prolonging the life of what we wear through Upcycled products
• care for durability. The denim creations have been deconstructed and reshaped through a process to preserve the fabric as much as possible
• the precise indication of the composition, including the presence of tissues of animal origin

What can be improved:

• giving indications on the aging and fading process of denim, to evaluate its sustainability
• explaining sustainability and finding alternative materials to silk, beads and crystals or use recycled ones. The floral embroideries that enrich the denim are in fact hand-sewn with silk chiffon petals, faceted beads and black crystals
• the leather details and the label material (leather). Each piece is finished with a leather label featuring the Miu Miu Upcycled logo and an internal white canvas tag. If the label and details also come from scraps, why not indicate this clearly?
• the accessibility of some pieces so as to bring young people even closer together. Loved over time by Millenials, Miu Miu speaks to Gen Z with the Upcycled project

What do you think?

• Belli capelli con l’upcycling (“Nice hair with the upcycle”)

Workshop for adults to make hair accessories, turbans, headbands and scrunches by recovering waste fabrics.

• Immagina e crea il tuo eco-animaletto (“Imagine and create your little eco-animal”)

Workshop for children (6-10 years) to create animals with recycled fabrics.

Silhouettes, pins, needles, pencils, chalks, spools, scissors, fabrics… the long table set up for the occasion was full of materials, and of hands industriously working to make their own accessory. Many people have tried their hand at recovering a fabric, drawing, cutting and sewing. Even those who did not know how to use needle and thread. There are those who have chosen to create a turban, some a headband, some scrunches. And also those who joined the children in choosing an eco-pet! The idea was to separate the two workshops, but in the end young and less young  joined the table, and in the midst of that creative chaos for a moment I thought: “Will we be able to follow everyone well? But, above all, will they be having fun?”.

While Carlotta coordinated experienced and inexperienced eco-fashion designers of turbans, headbands and scrunches, I let myself be carried away by the enthusiasm of those who created eco-animals. Samu, 3 and a half years old, chose a dinosaur, absolutely green: because that’s how he saw it at the museum! When you choose upcycling, you know, the materials are those available: it is the design that follows the raw material, not the other way around. Search and search  again we found a military green fabric perfect for the dinosaur!

The best part of these workshops is the final satisfaction of the participants, the joy of having created with their own hands, of not having bought, of having saved a possible refusal.

The extra happiness for us was being together live: Anne-Laure and I finally in person! And meeting Carlotta, Mayra Sallie and Grazia, , directly from the Club Sostenibilità on clubhouse. Chiara from Gipsy cip also came to give us a hand!

At the end of the workshop, the garments di Cooperativa Sociale Mani Tese, Sartoria Sociale Manigolde and Oso, because “Another fashion is possible”!
The event was born from a collaboration between: Cooperativa ManiTese Onlus Manigolde Giardini in Transito – Giardino Comunitario Lea Garofalo Carlotta Redaelli Dress ECOdeLato B – l’altro lato di Milano Corte delle Madri NaturaSì

Nicole McLaughlin è una creativa designer che, oltre a lavorare per Reebok, realizza scarpe e vestiti utilizzando materiali di scarto. Ha iniziato la sua carriera nell’abbigliamento sportivo mentre era al college e ha cominciato a progettare con gli scarti dopo aver voluto avventurarsi al di fuori del design grafico.

“Cerco di riutilizzare tutto. La mia idea è prendere cose che la gente butta via, e se è possibile cambiare la prospettiva di ciò che può essere e come può essere riciclato. Ogni volta che taglio materiale e ho un’eccedenza, lo salvo e cerco di usarlo in un altro modo”.

Comode pantofole da uomo create dalle tasche di una camicia Polo Ralph Lauren, sneaker formate da volani da badminton, una scarpetta a forma di palloncino ricavata dalle palline da tennis Warston deformate, un sandalo con cinturini Nikon e le scarpe Ikea.

Quando la progettazione di un articolo non va come previsto, lo trasforma in qualcos’altro. “Devi essere disposto ad esplorare e fallire. E se avete un’idea che si pensa funzioni, e inizia a fallire lungo la realizzazione, cambiatela”.

La filosofia di McLaughlin potrebbe essere preziosa per le aziende che spesso scartano o bruciano pezzi indossabili a causa del design difettoso o perché sono rimasti invenduti. “Questo è un problema enorme e tutti stanno finalmente diventando consapevoli di queste cose. Penso che debba essere fatto in modo autentico, e non solo, ‘oh, riciclo’ e trovare qualcosa che è riciclato e aumentarne il prezzo perché definito ‘sostenibile’ “. Le creazioni di McLaughlin possono essere indossate.

“Incoraggio le persone a guardare i miei progetti per mantenere una mente aperta e non prendere troppo sul serio!”

Più sotto le foto delle sue creazioni e un video sul progetto di upcycling realizzato con Depop in occasione della Giornata della Terra. “Invece di contribuire a più sprechi, mi piace prendere questi pezzi, dare loro una nuova vita e sfidare la percezione di ciò che è ‘riutilizzato’. Avevo in mente l’idea di rielaborare una giacca vintage Columbia, quindi sono andata su Depop per cercare il pezzo giusto. Ho finito per selezionare questa giacca particolare sia per il colore, sia per le doppie tasche sul petto, che potevano essere riproposte nelle scarpe come tasche di scorta”. 

English – Upcycling: the reuse of scraps, between art and practicality, by designer Nicole McLaughlin

Nicole McLaughlin is a creative designer who, in addition to working for Reebok, makes shoes and clothes using waste materials. She began his career in sportswear while in college, and started designing with scraps after she wanted to venture out of graphic design. 

“I do try to reuse everything. My whole idea is taking things that people throw away, and if you can change the perspective of what it can be and how that can be upcycled. Anytime I cut stuff and have excess material, I save it and try to use it some other way”.

Comfortable men’s slippers created from the pockets of a Polo Ralph Lauren shirt, sneaker made of badminton shuttlecocks, a balloon-shaped shoe made from deformed Warston tennis balls, a Nikon strap sandal and Ikea shoes.

When the design of an item does not go as planned, she turns it into something else. “You have to be willing to explore and fail. And if you have an idea that you think is going to work, and it starts failing halfway through, change it”.

McLaughlin’s philosophy could be invaluable for companies that often discard or burn wearable pieces because of the faulty design or because they remained unsold. “That is a huge problem, and everyone is finally becoming aware of those things. I think it needs to be done in an authentic way, not just, ‘oh, recycle’ and find something that is recycled and jack the price up on it because it says ‘sustainable’ “. McLaughlin’s creations are wearable.

“I encourage people when looking at my projects to keep an open mind and not take it too seriously!”.

Below are the photos of his creations and a video about the upcycling project carried out with Depop on the occasion of Earth Day.  “Instead of contributing more waste, I love to take these pieces, give them a new life, and challenge the perception of what ‘reused’ looks like. I had in my mind the idea of reworking a vintage Columbia jacket so I hopped on Depop to search for the right piece. I ended up selecting this particular jacket for both the color and the double chest pockets that could be repurposed in the booties as stash pockets”.

Una delle convinzioni che ho è che per scrivere su un sito sia necessario leggere, studiare, informarsi sempre su ciò di cui si scrive. Certo non ci sente mai pronti: stare al passo con quello che accade nel mondo richiede attualmente ritmi rapidi, essere aggiornati sulle nuove tecnologie e scoperte comporta un impegno costante, leggere tutto ciò che al giorno d’oggi è facilmente a disposizione su un argomento è un’impresa, selezionare le fonti sicure è sfidante. Ma ritengo sia necessario per comprendere, proporre, descrivere, raccontare, spiegare, confrontarsi su un tema di cui ci si occupa. E praticamente diventa un obbligo se come nel nostro caso si tengono lezioni e workshop. Nel percorso di aggiornamento rientrano anche i corsi (nell’ultimo anno ne ho seguiti 5 sull’argomento moda, moda sostenibile, design, sostenibilità). Leggerei tre libri al giorno su queste tematiche!

Da una parte, il corso sulle strategie sostenibili di business (Harvard) mi ha rincuorato con un bellissimo messaggio positivo e la possibilità di cambiare la gestione aziendale orientandola a un solido scopo sociale e/o ambientale (diverso dalla formale mission) con risultati economici positivi nel lungo termine. Si può essere sostenibili e profittevoli, si può gestire in modo efficiente un’azienda prestando attenzione alle persone e all’ambiente. Credo in questo fortemente, al punto da voler orientare un nuovo modo di fare consulenza ad aziende e altre piccole/grandi organizzazioni verso forti obiettivi sociali e ambientali, con risultati positivi per tutti gli attori coinvolti, per le comunità in cui operano, per la natura circostante. Una domanda di un compito del corso: “Una singola azienda che agisce da sola può avere un grande impatto su clienti, dipendenti e comunità. Ma può avere un impatto al di là del suo mondo particolare? Se sì come?”. Così ho risposto al compito:

“Sì, penso che il loro impatto sia come una pietra gettata in un lago, producendo cerchi sempre più grandi che creano onde e muovono l’acqua intorno. È come un effetto a catena: se hanno un impatto su clienti, dipendenti e comunità allora clienti, dipendenti e comunità a loro volta creeranno un impatto simile, moltiplicando e diffondendo l’effetto. Se le singole aziende valorizzano la sostenibilità e il rispetto per le persone e l’ambiente, tali valori – attraverso i loro comportamenti e le loro azioni – influenzeranno i clienti, i dipendenti e quindi le comunità”.

Dall’altra parte, il corso teorico e pratico presso il London College of Fashion (University of Art London) sul design sostenibile nella moda mi ha fatto toccare con mano le sfide dei designer di oggi e riflettere su quanto sia in fondo stimolante vivere in questo momento, in cui la creatività è la chiave per individuare tutte le opportunità che abbiamo per cambiare il sistema della moda (e non solo). Vedere da vicino le opzioni tra cui possiamo scegliere in fase di creazione degli indumenti mi ha portato a riflettere ancora di più sulla responsabilità dei designer.

“In molti modi, la crisi ambientale è una crisi del design. È una conseguenza di come gli oggetti sono fatti, gli edifici sono costruiti e i paesaggi utilizzati”. (Van Der Ryn, 2004)

Abbiamo gli strumenti per ideare e realizzare soluzioni per vestirsi (e in generale per vivere) minimizzando il nostro impatto negativo sulla natura, oltre che sulle persone coinvolte e sugli animali.

Un gruppo di studio internazionale (siamo arrivati da Ucraina, Spagna, Italia, India, Brasile, Ungheria, Singapore, Giappone, Regno Unito) dà speranza di diffondere buone nuove pratiche di settore nel mondo! Grazie all’insegnante Noorin Khamisani, fondatrice del brand sostenibile Outsider, per tutti gli input creativi. Abbiamo provato insieme ad applicare l’upcycling, inventandoci nuovi usi di giacche da uomo destinate ai rifiuti. Abbiamo sperimentato la sfida del design zero waste, per creare senza produrre alcuno scarto con i tessuti a disposizione. Abbiamo fatto il pieno di stimoli per creare e di positività sul futuro del settore nonostante le complesse sfide!

Un modo nuovo di progettare, produrre e gestire è possibile (e necessario), ci crediamo fortemente.

Più sotto le foto dell’esperienza.

English – Dress Ecode’s lifestyle: Behind the scenes – A new way of designing, producing and managing is possible

One of the beliefs I have is that to write on a website it is necessary to read, study, always inquire about what is written. Certainly you never feel ready: keeping up with what is happening in the world currently requires rapid rhythms, being up to date on new technologies and discoveries involves constant effort, reading everything that is readily available on a topic today is a company, selecting the trustable sources is challenging. But I think it is necessary to understand, to propose, to describe, to narrate, to explain, to confront oneself on a theme we are dealing with. And practically it becomes an obligation if, as in our case, lessons and workshops are held. Courses are also included in the growing path (in the last year I have followed 5 of them on the topic of fashion, sustainable fashion, design, sustainability). I would read three books a day on those issues!

On the one hand, the course on sustainable business strategies (Harvard) has encouraged me with a beautiful positive message and the possibility of changing business management, orienting it towards a solid social and/or environmental purpose (different from the formal mission) with positive economic results in the long term. You can be sustainable and profitable, you can efficiently manage a company by paying attention to people and the environment. I strongly believe in this, to the point of wanting to orientate a new way of consulting companies and other small/large organisations towards strong social and environmental objectives, with positive results for all the actors involved, for the communities in which they operate, for nature surrounding. A question of a course homework: “Individual firms acting alone can have a great impact on customers, employees and communities. But can they have an impact beyond their particular worlds? If so how?”. That was my reply:

“Yes, I think their impact is like a stone thrown in a lake, producing circles larger and larger that create waves and move the water around. It’s like a chain effect: if they have an impact on customers, employees and communities then customers, employees and communities on their own create a similar impact, multiplying and spreading the effect. If individual firms value sustainability and respect for people and the environment, those values – through their behaviours and actions – will affect clients, employees and then the communities”.

On the other hand, the theoretical and practical course at the London College of Fashion (University of Art London) on sustainable fashion design made me touch the challenges of today designers and reflect on how stimulating it is to live in this moment, in which creativity is the key to identifying all the opportunities we have to change the fashion system (and not only). Seeing the options we can choose from when creating garments has led me to think even more about the responsibility of designers.

“In many ways, the environmental crisis is a design crisis. It is a consequence of how things are made, buildings are constructed, and landscapes are used”. (Van Der Ryn, 2004)

We have the tools to design and implement solutions to dress (and generally live) by minimizing our negative impact on nature, as well as on the people involved and animals.

An international study group (we arrived from Ukraine, Spain, Italy, India, Brazil, Hungary, Singapore, Japan, United Kingdom) gives hope to spread good new industry practices around the world! Thanks to the teacher Noorin Khamisani, founder of the sustainable brand Outsider, for all the creative inputs. We tried together to apply the upcycling, inventing new uses for men’s jackets that were going to be wasted. We have experienced the challenge of zero waste design, to create without producing any waste with the available fabrics. We have been full of inspirations to create and be positive about the future of the sector despite the complex challenges!

A new way of designing, producing and managing is possible (and necessary), we strongly believe in it.