Art, recycling, design? Upcycling was meant to be a trend but it seems that it is here to stay. The new way of reusing all kinds of elements continues to cause rage throughout the world. Still don’t know this term? We tell you what upcycling is: The differences with recycling and how it is used in men’s fashion
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What is upcycling?
Despite having been boiling for several years, there are many people who still don’t know what upcycling is. The truth is that this Anglo-Saxon term is used to define the recycling of objects in the premium version.
Basically, it consists of recovering an object that was going to be discarded, applying some imagination to convert it into an element with a different use, obtaining a final object of greater value than the initial one.
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Photo: @bodepersonal
But why upcycling? The term is a combination of the words upgrade and recycling and was coined in 2002 by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, authors of the book ‘Cradle to Cradle’.
A book that was published in reusable plastic and whose ink was also recycled, in which they taught to make the most of everything that many people consider garbage.
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Thus, among the benefits we obtain with upcycling is prolonging the useful life of some objects that were no longer used, reducing excessive consumption and, incidentally, recovering the value of these elements that were already discarded.
In addition, by reusing existing materials without handling them, the emissions required to condition the recycled raw materials that will later be used from scratch for another use are avoided.
Photo: @bodepersonal
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This is an improved version of recycling although, as we will see, there are differences between recycling and upcycling.
The differences between upcycling and recycling
The differences between upcycling and recycling may seem minimal, but they are two completely opposite concepts of recycling.
Photo: @bodepersonal
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- Respect for the original shape – The most notable difference between both concepts is that upcycling respects the original shape of the reused object. In other words, even if we give it another use, the object will be recognizable and, therefore, it does not require any industrial process to turn it into a malleable element, as happens with recycling.
- Added Value – When upcycling an item, the upgrade we get must be more valuable than the original. We are giving it added value thanks to the design and innovation that we have applied to it. In recycling, the usual thing is that the new element has a lower value or, at most, similar to the previous one.
Photo: @bodepersonal
- Novel term – As we have mentioned, the term upcycling was coined in 2002 and, therefore, already conceived in the 21st century. Meanwhile, recycling to use, according to experts, dates back 10,000 years. There is a significant time jump between the two.
- Stimulates creativity – Before facing an upcycling process, we will have to think about what we are going to create from the recovered object. This period of creativity and imagination helps to exercise the neurons and find solutions to a problem that is not really a problem. In the case of recycling, the object is simply discarded, its raw material decomposes and is used to make something else.
How is upcycling used in men’s fashion
Obviously, upcycling has arrived in the world of fashion. It seems obvious that a culture that is committed to recovering objects that are no longer used has an important niche in this sector. However, it is convenient to delve into how upcycling is used in men’s fashion
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Photo: @marine-serre
According to a study, we only use a fifth of the clothes in our closet. We are talking about 80% that does not fulfill its function and, in this case, it is a tremendous option to use as raw material for your own upcycling.
In the world of fashion in general, there is an increasingly widespread objective of being an environmental benchmark, since many elements with which they work allow it. Upcycling is the simplest, and at the same time the most complicated, answer to this goal.
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Photo: @nicolopuccino
That is, it can be done like Emily Adams Bode, who turns old quilts into jackets and pants, but the process to get to that idea is more complicated than the actual execution of the idea.
For her part, Marine Serre, a French designer, has turned upcycling into more than half of her current business. So much so, that on his YouTube channel you can find videos with the creative processes of many of his garments.
One of the most viral is the one that starts from a handful of vintage silk scarves that, after completing the upcycling process, end up turned into a beautiful red silk djellaba. Imagination, talent and dedication are the basis of a style of creating men’s fashion that is here to stay.
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In fact, the great change that indicates the relevance of upcycling is the one that Louis Vuitton gave by embracing this way of working. And that the prices of Louis Vuitton garments do not invite recycling. Despite this, the commitment to sustainable, creative and surprising men’s fashion is determined.
Photo: @bodepersonal
Their upcoming fashion shows will not present seasonal trends, but the French house will go on a world tour, as a show, where their upcycling designs will be the stars of the show. And it is that combining fashion with expectation is the best thing that can happen to upcycling to multiply its relevance.
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In fact, in his Spring-Summer 2021 collection, more than half of his designs were recycled or recovered. In contrast to the new Zara catalog for men, which continues to bet on new designs.
Photo: @batardcreation
Of a total of 80 garments, 25 were upcycled from previous atelier collections, while another 25 were directly previous collections. The rest were new designs but it was the upcycling that caused a sensation.
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Another great designer who has signed up for upcycling is Margiela. Memorable were the gloves that he turned into shirts or the broken dishes that he recovered in the form of vests.
That said, upcycling is here to stay.
