Upcycled Fashion on the Runway!
8 Looks from April-May 2024 Showcases
It’s been a while since I did an update about my textile upcycling projects, isn’t it? During the spring season, I had the opportunity to showcase a selection of looks from my wardrobe. Many of you subscribed to my newsletter because you want to see project updates and/or showcases, so I’m happy to oblige! Enjoy perusing the 8 upcycled looks I showcased earlier this year, and what happened to them afterwards.
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Spring 2024 was an unexpectedly busy season, making way to two fashion showcases in April and May, 26 days apart. The first showcase happened during San Francisco Climate Week. During the Sustainable Fashion Exhibition event on April 25th, I committed to do two things.
The first is being a host of Textile End-of-Use panel discussion, featuring industry leaders from Refiberd, Tereform, Trashie, and California Product Stewardship Council. The second is sending three looks down the runway, alongside upcycled fashion brands DNA Threds, Servitude by K, and vintage fashion stylist Janina of Empress Vintage.
I felt especially nervous about hosting an industry panel, something I had never done before. As part of my preparation for the D-day, I decided to create fashionable “armor” by refashioning a Cari Borja dress. I got this dress back when Cari Borja was a prominent dress-making staple in the San Francisco fashion scene, and I have held on to this dramatic gown made out of tapestry jacquard for more than 10 years.
For this occasion, I want to transform this garment to be a more practical and versatile version of itself. Within 2.5 days, I deconstructed the train, closed up some panels, chopped up some hem length, and rearranged the hemline. I also added an invisible zipper on the center back, almost elbow-length sleeves, and in-seam pockets!
For the upcycled fashion showcase, I gave stylist Janina of Empress Vintage choices from my existing collection of bubblegum cage dress and ReCollection, as well as my gardening jacket and my diaphanous set from last year’s list of makes. Janina pulled three outfits, and I also brought an extra set, just in case there’s an extra model. To prepare for the showcase, I had to do some temporary waist alterations so the models could fit into my pieces.
I’m glad I brought an extra outfit - I ended up showing four looks that day. Fafafoom Studio represents!
Here are all four looks shown that evening, in order of appearance:
Both the petticoat and the top are upcycled from embroidered tulle remnants and plain tulle remnants from Elestory, worn-out slip skirt, and Jessica McClintock cotton lining remnants. All materials were locally sourced in 2022 and 2023. They were conceptualized and made in 2023, and first unveiled during the Hem & Jaleo showcase.
In 2019, I sourced some vintage garments from the 1970s and 1980s, and refashioned them into what eventually became the ReCollection, a collaborative mini collection with Jesus Romero. This set features the diaphanous overdress, worn on top of a vintage nightie circa 1990s, botanically printed with camellia flowers. The outfit is completed with a fur-trimmed sleeveless tuxedo jacket.
How fresh is the combination of an upcycled thrifted shirt, fringe midi skirt, and gardening coat? Janina of Empress Vintage styled this look, and they looked fantastic together. The shirt and skirt are ReCollection pieces made with reclaimed sewing stash from family and neighbors circa 1980s to 2000s. The gardening jacket is an estate sale find that is dyed and decorated with deconstructed fabric flowers. All pieces were made in 2019 and continually altered until now.
Inspired by Comme des Garçons and Alexander McQueen pieces, this rather dramatic cage dress is made by upcycling a vintage bodysuit, wedding dress, and eyelet ribbons. Made in 2018 for Portia Lawrie’s The Refashioners, this dress was featured in Simply Sewing Magazine December 2018 issue. I reinforced its crinoline stuffing in 2019. Would you believe that SF Climate Week was its first public in-person showcase?
Stylist and Runway Producers: Empress Vintage and SF Fashion PR
Dressing Assistants: Yanira Ledesma and Sewphie K.
Makeup and hair: Paul Mitchel East Bay, including Estefania, Ja’Milla, Marissa Nicole.
Makeup director: Katya Rich
After the Sustainable Fashion Exhibition was over, I was elated. To be part of such a showcase is yet another milestone in my journey as an upcycling artist. The garments didn't all return unscathed, though. The hemline of the diaphanous dress that Helena wore was ripped in one section, so I spent some hours repairing it using crinoline remnants in my stash.
Shortly afterwards, I got invited to join the Fashion Fantasia 2024 showcase at Hillsborough Chateau, presented by Monique Zhang’s Catwalk for Charitable Causes foundation. The extravagant fashion showcase is part of a fundraising gala to benefit the Welcome Home Project by SF Realtors Association.
For this showcase, I prepared six looks. Four are remixes from the previous showcase. One is a combination of a newly memade bustier style top, paired with upcycled wide pants Jesus Romero made for me years ago.
The last one, a ReCollection midi dress decorated with grayish blue hexagonal “dots" sewn individually by hand, ended up not getting shown.
And there’s the matter of making an outfit I would wear that day. By that time, I was deep in my Javanese Batik research, and I was deeply inspired to create something with an Indonesian Batik fabric to represent my own heritage during the AAPI month.
Here is what I ended up creating with the limited time I had: a rather simple apron-style dress with pleats along the sides and a decorative rope that wraps around the back of the neck, encased along the sides, and ties on the center back. I completed the look with a black silk sash around the waist and a black ball gown skirt underneath to add fullness.
Because Fashion Fantasia 2024 involved more than a dozen showcases of fashion designers, jewelry designers, and stylists, it was rather hectic. This is a snapshot of my Fashion Installation showcase in the Carolands Chateau’s drawing room.
Stylist and Runway Producers: Monique Zhang, Porsha McGill
Makeup and hair: Michelle Alameda, Ethel MH Reddy, Carol Shan
Jewelry by: Pretty Rock Girl Collection
After the showcase was over, there’s a mixed feeling. I met great artists and made new friends, however the same diaphanous dress - which I just repaired - was damaged again. This time the damaged section is so great that a good chunk of the hemline was completely missing. I felt like crying, not gonna lie.
I spent many loving hours conceptualizing and creating these garments, so it’s frustrating to see how some people did not regard them with the adequate respect these creations deserve. Is this the extent of damage fast fashion has influenced our thinking, or is it a sign of fundamental erosion in our psyche?
In any case, the diaphanous dress underwent two extensive repairs in less than one month. After these two subsequent incidents, I decided to ban it from further fashion showcases, unless I’m wearing it myself. In its place, I’m going to create a dress and a maxi skirt with similar tiered styles.
After I finished fixing the diaphanous dress, I took some time to reinforce the tie casings of the red Batik dress. I wore a tiered brooch and an upcycled fur mantle to complete the look during the Fashion Fantasia 2024 showcase…
…but I underestimated the overall weight that the tie casings have to carry, especially with the chest brooch in place for more than 6 hours. The fabric I chose for the tie casing was too weak, and it broke down. So it’s time to reinforce the openings with grosgrain ribbon, small pieces of fusible interfacing, and good ol’ hand stitching.
This won’t be the last time you’ll see the red apron dress. I have plans to create a mini collection of Batik garments this year, so please look forward to seeing more Indonesian Batik creations in this newsletter!
Last but not least, it’s time to properly finish the bustier style top. It was rather hastily made for the Fashion Fantasia 2024 showcase. It was decent for the purpose of the showcase, however I had to undo some of my work and finish the top well for long-term durability and ease of storage.
At the end of the day, I’m pleased with the final version of the bustier top. The vintage wedding dress has really beautiful lace motifs, and it’s a pleasure to create with them.
Now that the work is done, It’s ready for more showcases in the future!
And that’s all for now! What do you think about the latest Fafafoom Studio showcases? Please leave a comment - I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Once again, special thanks to Climate Creative. Without their support and encouragement for the past couple of years, I doubt my trajectory as a textile upcycling artist would lead me to such cool opportunities.
Thanks for reading; until next time,
Mira Musank
Elegant and life affirming!