#SECONDHANDSEPTEMBER INTERVIEW - Outliv
What started your passion for pre-loved and secondhand?
Creative expression. I started shopping second hand at the age of 13. It was the common thread among my friends and I that we wanted to find clothes that were different, unique, affordable and that we could customise and adorn ourselves with to express our creativity, beliefs and aspirations.
When and how did you start integrating repurposed textiles into your work?
My passion for second hand clothing has taken me on an amazing journey. My love for unique clothing, design and fashion grew and on leaving school I studied fashion at University, moved to London one of the fashion capitals of the world and worked as a designer in the fashion industry. I have worked for fashion brands, fast fashion, suppliers and luxury fashion and have seen the 'glamour' and also have seen some of fashions dark secrets having worked in the industry for so long. On returning to New Zealand six years ago I had a chance to stop, take check of where I was at and at this point re-aligned my personal values with my career. I chose to start a small business, to create product using pre-loved fabrics that are already in the system. To me this just makes sense. We don't need to drain our natural resources any more than we have...!!
Please tell us a love story about a favourite item/collection that you've created using repurposed clothing or textiles
Last year I created a range of bags that were made using pre-loved and forgotten teddy bears. The idea was to use the fabric they were made from for a touch of faux fur trim on a bag. It was very fun!! While carefully unpicking the seams of one particular teddy bear, and pulling out the stuffing on the inside... I came across a plastic squeaker and then what I next found gave me warm fuzzies. Inside this white fluffy teddy bear was a padded soft red heart. The company and person who had made this teddy bear had created this item with love and had given this teddy a heart of it's own. The finishing touch to the love story for each of the bags we create is that when we sell them to our happy customers, we then donate $3.50 to the local organisation Sea Cleaners who are helping keep out local seas and coastline clean.
Creative expression. I started shopping second hand at the age of 13. It was the common thread among my friends and I that we wanted to find clothes that were different, unique, affordable and that we could customise and adorn ourselves with to express our creativity, beliefs and aspirations.
When and how did you start integrating repurposed textiles into your work?
My passion for second hand clothing has taken me on an amazing journey. My love for unique clothing, design and fashion grew and on leaving school I studied fashion at University, moved to London one of the fashion capitals of the world and worked as a designer in the fashion industry. I have worked for fashion brands, fast fashion, suppliers and luxury fashion and have seen the 'glamour' and also have seen some of fashions dark secrets having worked in the industry for so long. On returning to New Zealand six years ago I had a chance to stop, take check of where I was at and at this point re-aligned my personal values with my career. I chose to start a small business, to create product using pre-loved fabrics that are already in the system. To me this just makes sense. We don't need to drain our natural resources any more than we have...!!
Please tell us a love story about a favourite item/collection that you've created using repurposed clothing or textiles
Last year I created a range of bags that were made using pre-loved and forgotten teddy bears. The idea was to use the fabric they were made from for a touch of faux fur trim on a bag. It was very fun!! While carefully unpicking the seams of one particular teddy bear, and pulling out the stuffing on the inside... I came across a plastic squeaker and then what I next found gave me warm fuzzies. Inside this white fluffy teddy bear was a padded soft red heart. The company and person who had made this teddy bear had created this item with love and had given this teddy a heart of it's own. The finishing touch to the love story for each of the bags we create is that when we sell them to our happy customers, we then donate $3.50 to the local organisation Sea Cleaners who are helping keep out local seas and coastline clean.
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What is your favourite medium/ textile to work with and why?
Both leather and denim are two of my faves. I love them both. The textures of these fabrics are glorious, lush and very hard wearing and durable.
Do the materials you find secondhand inform the work that you create or do you have an idea of what you'd like to make then find the materials to fit?
A bit of both. The main type of product that we create are bags, and we have committed to using pre-loved clothing to create these bags, with a focus on lush leathers and durable denims. Each garment does however suit a specific type of bag to be able to use the most amount of fabric with the least amount of waste as possible.
Where do you go to source your materials?
The pre-loved materials we use at Outliv have been sourced from charity and second hand stores. The odd item is also donated from friends, family and local citizens that love what we do.
What are your thoughts about upcycling and repurposing old items? Why is it important that we start looking at how we, as a society, can reuse what already exists?
We need to look to our grandparents and great grandparents, to how they used to do things. Using items with endless uses through upcycling and recycling. Over the last 40 years and intensely to this day, we are constantly brainwashed by consumption driven fashion retail giants making us think that we need more more more... but in fact as we all now know it is the complete opposite. The health of this planet, the people and the planet's biodiversity all rely on us making huge change and not focusing solely on profit.
What are some of the challenges when using repurposed textiles?
Trying to cut a full bag out of a garment with seams, darts, pockets, buttons, rips, holes, stains... it's definitely a challenge. And a welcomed challenge to design out waste!!
And what are some of the joys?
Receiving the beautifully created finished products from my super skilled and amazing machinist, sending orders to customers and receiving thrilled emails in return tell me how much they love their new Outliv bags.
Both leather and denim are two of my faves. I love them both. The textures of these fabrics are glorious, lush and very hard wearing and durable.
Do the materials you find secondhand inform the work that you create or do you have an idea of what you'd like to make then find the materials to fit?
A bit of both. The main type of product that we create are bags, and we have committed to using pre-loved clothing to create these bags, with a focus on lush leathers and durable denims. Each garment does however suit a specific type of bag to be able to use the most amount of fabric with the least amount of waste as possible.
Where do you go to source your materials?
The pre-loved materials we use at Outliv have been sourced from charity and second hand stores. The odd item is also donated from friends, family and local citizens that love what we do.
What are your thoughts about upcycling and repurposing old items? Why is it important that we start looking at how we, as a society, can reuse what already exists?
We need to look to our grandparents and great grandparents, to how they used to do things. Using items with endless uses through upcycling and recycling. Over the last 40 years and intensely to this day, we are constantly brainwashed by consumption driven fashion retail giants making us think that we need more more more... but in fact as we all now know it is the complete opposite. The health of this planet, the people and the planet's biodiversity all rely on us making huge change and not focusing solely on profit.
What are some of the challenges when using repurposed textiles?
Trying to cut a full bag out of a garment with seams, darts, pockets, buttons, rips, holes, stains... it's definitely a challenge. And a welcomed challenge to design out waste!!
And what are some of the joys?
Receiving the beautifully created finished products from my super skilled and amazing machinist, sending orders to customers and receiving thrilled emails in return tell me how much they love their new Outliv bags.
How do you see potential in some textiles and not in others? What makes an item pop out when you're hunting for materials?
I personally love texture, colour, pattern and character in imperfections. I want to recreate a bag that will be durable coupled with the love and care from it's owner. Using durable denim and leather as exterior fabrics,,, and durable cottons and printed polyesters for the linings lets me have fun with the inside of the bags also. It is important that I look at the weight of the fabric in particular to ensure that it is heavy weight (with no thinning areas) and that the denim is not stretchy but ridged and firm without elastane mixed with the cotton for the fabric composition. I am actually quite picky... because ultimately I want to recreate the fabrics into a new bag that will be durable.
Overconsumption and over production of new clothing is a huge global issue, particularly with landfills being drowned in textiles that are hardly used before they're discarded. Your creativity supports a welcome alternative to this throwaway culture, what are your thoughts on this issue?
Argh, this issue can be over consuming a lot of the time. Often, each of us as individuals don't think that our actions can make any difference, but they do. We all need to change our habits right now. Small changes make big changes in the end, and this is why I am proud to say that I am a fashion activist and the Country Coordinator for the Fashion Revolution New Zealand. Helping to raise conversation and encourage action for a fairer fashion industry and a cleaner planet. I also work part-time for a local hospice with the aim to help them divert waste from landfill and re-create it into something new, functional and fun.
Any other wisdom or words of advice that you'd like to share with people during #secondhandseptember
If you are not a regular second hand shopper, make sure that when you do head to the shops have a bit of time on your side. Have some ideas of what you might like to find and have an open mind when you're trying on clothing considering you could alter clothing to better suit your shape, height and style. And did you know... that actually a lot of second hand stores sell product that has been donated and that is brand new?!
I personally love texture, colour, pattern and character in imperfections. I want to recreate a bag that will be durable coupled with the love and care from it's owner. Using durable denim and leather as exterior fabrics,,, and durable cottons and printed polyesters for the linings lets me have fun with the inside of the bags also. It is important that I look at the weight of the fabric in particular to ensure that it is heavy weight (with no thinning areas) and that the denim is not stretchy but ridged and firm without elastane mixed with the cotton for the fabric composition. I am actually quite picky... because ultimately I want to recreate the fabrics into a new bag that will be durable.
Overconsumption and over production of new clothing is a huge global issue, particularly with landfills being drowned in textiles that are hardly used before they're discarded. Your creativity supports a welcome alternative to this throwaway culture, what are your thoughts on this issue?
Argh, this issue can be over consuming a lot of the time. Often, each of us as individuals don't think that our actions can make any difference, but they do. We all need to change our habits right now. Small changes make big changes in the end, and this is why I am proud to say that I am a fashion activist and the Country Coordinator for the Fashion Revolution New Zealand. Helping to raise conversation and encourage action for a fairer fashion industry and a cleaner planet. I also work part-time for a local hospice with the aim to help them divert waste from landfill and re-create it into something new, functional and fun.
Any other wisdom or words of advice that you'd like to share with people during #secondhandseptember
If you are not a regular second hand shopper, make sure that when you do head to the shops have a bit of time on your side. Have some ideas of what you might like to find and have an open mind when you're trying on clothing considering you could alter clothing to better suit your shape, height and style. And did you know... that actually a lot of second hand stores sell product that has been donated and that is brand new?!
Outliv is a sustainable handbag and accessories brand, designed and crafted in NZ using preloved clothing with a focus on leather and denim. Socially responsible Outliv donates with every purchase made. Follow Outliv on Instagram or visit www.outliv.co to find out more.
Keen to hunt out pre-loved textiles to repurpose for yourself? CLICK HERE to order a pre-sale copy of Collector's Anonymous, your handy glovebox sized guide that lists over 1500 antique, secondhand and charity stores around Aotearoa.
Keen to hunt out pre-loved textiles to repurpose for yourself? CLICK HERE to order a pre-sale copy of Collector's Anonymous, your handy glovebox sized guide that lists over 1500 antique, secondhand and charity stores around Aotearoa.