Petra Hanson, Professional Fixxologist

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Ariel Azoff — No Comments ↓

Petra Hanson is not just any fixer. She’s a fixxologist. She takes your old clothes, metamorphosizes them, and turns them into beautiful butterflies…so to speak. When I visited her in Brooklyn in January, she showed me a beloved old Hermès scarf that she’d attached a ribbed neck and sleeves to and voila: beautiful poncho!

A native New Yorker and a graduate of both FIT and Cornell, Petra is a knitwear designer by trade. She’s designed for Oscar de la Renta and Julien MacDonald, among others, and recently did a bit of freelancing for Coldwater Creek and eco brand Under the Canopy before striking out on her own. Continue reading →

JoAnn Berman: an Up-cycling Icon Sho Nuf

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Ariel Azoff — 2 Comments ↓

Upcycling: the process of turning something disposable into something else; something better.

JoAnn Berman – also known as the Reigning Queen of Reconstruction – is the Ultimate Upcycler. Unique doesn’t begin to describe her creations, which are art-inspired, brightly colored conglomerations of mostly vintage fabrics with a healthy dose of WOW factor. She is in the midst of an incredible career, having shown 6 times in the last 2 years, including twice at the Green Shows.

JoAnn’s background is as eclectic as her collections. A New Yorker through and through, she moved out to San Francisco at age 19. It was the late 70s and she became a punk rocker, which had a clear influence on her style. Continue reading →

Dear Iowa, Caucus THIS

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Ariel Azoff — 2 Comments ↓

In honor of tonight’s GOP Caucus, (or perhaps in spite of it) I want to give some eco shoutouts to sustainable fashion folks in the Hawkeye State.

Dear Iowa, Caucus THIS

Designer Ananda Duszynski makes upcycled (recycled and upgraded) clutches, totes and clothing. She uses vintage and repurposed materials in her fabulous creations. No stranger to Sustainable Fashion, Ananda worked for both Ducette Duvall and Feral Childe. She used to be in NY, but is now located in…..Fairfield, Iowa!

Check out her website for clutches & totes, and Etsy store for dresses & more! Dear Iowa, Caucus THIS

Another designer Continue reading →

Recycling Fashion

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Ariel Azoff — 6 Comments ↓

How can this elusive and kinetic thing we call fashion be recycled? As Heidi Klum so often reminds us: “In fashion, one day you’re in; the next day you’re out.” So how do you reuse?

I’m not an expert stylist by any means but I’ve come across a few different ways to recycle clothing. The first and most obvious, of course, is to go vintage. Shop at second-hand and thrift stores, or expensive carefully-curated vintage shops. I bought this lovely little purse at a thrift store in Philadelphia last week (I believe it was at 4th & Fitzwater for anyone in the area):