fiftyRX3

summary

2007-07-23T19:52:00.003-04:00

fiftyRX3 was a project in style and sustainability. It consisted of a photo documentary of what I wore everyday for a year with a goal of averaging fifty percent sustainability based on the environmental mantra 'reuse, reduce, recycle'. There was also exploration into the relationship we have with our clothing and how others perceive who we are through what we wear.

Additionally, to visually comment on ideas about consumerism, waste and life cycles in design, I included my own experiments with recycled design. The first was a dress made out of umbrellas that were collected from the streets of NYC. The dress inspired a competition to design a better umbrella and was featured in I.D. magazine.

Promoting and sharing ideas about sustainability in the apparel industry also became a big part of fiftyRX3. Retrospectively, it was an ideal year to document the emerging eco-fashion scene, but when I began I was skeptical that I might find enough to comment on throughout the entire year. Indeed, the paucity of good, green apparel design is what drew my interest in this area to begin with. However, 2006 saw incredible growth in this industry from a host of new young designers to larger corporations such as Wal-Mart and Levi's entering the marketplace.

As I furthered my understanding of sustainability over the years and embraced a myriad of ecologically sensitive products from compact fluorescent lighting to organic food, I had come to find that getting dressed while retaining a sense of style was my biggest eco-lifestyle challenge. My intention with fiftyRX3 was to explore sustainability in fashion design while also shattering outdated images of what green design means. In many ways, I also took on the role of a green fashion promoter and advocate. Many readers have written in over the life of fiftyRX3 to say they have been inspired to make changes in what they wear. That is my greatest compliment.

Thank you for following fiftyRX3. Please visit me at danyelle.org from time to time.

Highlights from the project follow...

recycled designs

2007-07-23T19:51:00.001-04:00

umbrella dress

organic cotton men's shirt dress * umbrella bag

organic cotton men's shirt dress * 30-minute t-shirt dress * umbrella jacket

30-minute t-shirt dress

Indian sheet dress

anti-pattern cashmere dress

convertible cashmere dress

365-day photo documentary

2007-07-23T17:42:00.000-04:00

Excerpts from the photo documentary:

November 2005
This was the first picture.

reused: Levi's corduroys (cut off at knee), vintage Ferragamo boots, gray leather jacket, tan silk scarf (which is a belt from a vintage Adele Simpson dress I have), braided rug bag.

the rest: black cashmere v-neck sweater from Vince. This sweater was an investment in a classic that I will likely wear for years to come, the type of items I look for when buying new.

New Year's Eve 2005
One of the shots before I went out.

reused: skirt, silver shoes, hat, beaded cardigan, silver beaded clutch.
the rest: Michael Kors sparkly tights, Calvin Klein top.
jewelry: It was important to me to wear some special pieces. The cross was a gift from a client. I worked for ten years (and am still working p/t) as a pediatric therapist, I worked with this little girl for two years, a very tough case. Her parents were from Malta and bought the gift there. Months after the case ended I received the cross in the mail with a note expressing their appreciation. I am not religious, but I wear this at different times because it has a lot of meaning for me. The bracelet was the first piece of jewelry my father ever gave my mother. It is a Mexican bracelet that I love. The silver beads were a gift from my mother and the black pearls my father brought back from a trip as a gift for my mother. It was nice to have reminders of my family with me. The ring is an antique that was a recent gift.

January 2006
Taken at patternmaking class.

reused: coat & bag (not seen here), Ferragamos, beads (from my Mom and the flea market), sweater.
the rest: Zara jeans (with some miles on them), embroidered top bought at the market in Oaxaca years ago.

February 2006
I include the first photo here to reiterate that this was not a vanity project. Hair just cannot do what you want 365-days a year.

The second photo is of some of my favorite pieces. I love the wool dress I am wearing by Goldworm, although I only pull it out occasionally. On the other hand, this coat and Tuscan hat were staples of my winter wardrobe.

reused: everything

reused: everything

March 2006
This photo was taken by a good friend. Occasionally my friends appeared in my photos and often they were subjected to taking them. Retrospectively, and had I premeditated the project more, I might have bought a tripod sooner and done a shot in the same place daily. However, I also like the fact that place is included in the photographs. Additionally, most of the shots were taken by strangers, which forced me to enter into a dialog about the project that was often interesting.

reused: boots, bag, belt.
the rest: jeans (close to 10 years old, see you keep those skinny jeans around long enough and they come back in style), white embroidered blouse bought in Oaxaca, Cynthia Rowley suede jacket (okay, I'm not going to argue that suede is a byproduct, but I have had this 5+ years as well), turquoise necklace.

April 2006
These photos to represent the mundane times like being home sick in sweats and a t-shirt or having to pick up toilet paper on my way home at 2:30 in the morning.

reused: necklace, bracelet, ring, grey slip, white linen dress, silver leather shoes
bought new: sweater coat (one of my four guilty purchases this year), purse

reused: I knicked these white sweatpants from a donate pile while visiting my sister.
gift: this t-shirt was part of a gift bag from my friend's wedding.
the rest: black flip flops

May 2006
One of the nice things about the project was that it introduced me to so many great people in the "green world" and I went to many events throughout the year. Here I am at hauteGREEN.

reused: leather jacket, Ferragamo boots, braided rug bag
reduced: del forte organic cotton jeans, Majestic t-shirt
the rest: Vince cashmere cardigan (their sweaters wear like iron. I will have this for a long time), silk scarf

June 2006
This was the original incarnation of the 30-minute dress, as with some of the other recycled projects, it was modified more later.

reused: bag, shoes, beads, ring, bracelet
recycled: dress

Today my lunch plans got pushed back a half hour. With the extra 30 minutes on my hands, I decided to challenge myself to make a dress in that time to wear to lunch. I had these t-shirts that were in a swag bag. They were packaged compactly and wrapped in plastic. In fact, I didn't even know it was a t-shirt until I opened one. The packaging gave the material and interesting crinkly effect that I liked, but the shirt was huge and had a big logo on the back, which I've since realized is Bank of America's. I cut the sleeves off and have been wearing it mostly around the house with plans to open the other one and sew both fronts together in some type of dress or tunic. However, today when I opened the other t-shirt to complete my 30-minute project, this one was a small. Hmmm, what could I do? I cut off the neckribbing and sleeves and turned it inside out, then cut off the bottom of the larger t-shirt and sewed it onto the bottom tucking it in a few places to fit it in... no time for shirring! The result is somewhat flapper-esque and very comfortable. I won't win any sewing awards, but it was done in 30 minutes and worn to lunch.

July 2006
In July, to add dimension to the project, I began asking people to answer questions about my clothing and about me based on my clothing. Here are some examples of how they responded.

reused: necklace, shoes, bracelet, bag
reworked: I bought this linen dress from Zara about 12 years ago, it went down over my knees. About 4 years ago I chopped it off, about 2 years ago I hemmed it!

based on my outfit...
I am a...
small boutique owner
what is my age?
33
do my clothes say anything about my personality?
organized, detail oriented, sophisticated
how much did I spend on this outfit?
$200
participant was a...
27 year old female yoga teacher, personal trainer, actor

reused: dress (from flea market yesterday), bag, belt
the rest: Mascaro suede kitten heels, light weight silk dress underneath (easily 15 years old from Tweeds)

based on my outfit...
what would you say I do for a living?
clothing, art, something left brain
what is my age?
18 -45
do my clothes say anything about my personality?
kooky ("great!", I said. he said, "I don't know, you just told me you are wearing two dresses.")
how much did I spend on this outfit?
no idea
the participant was a...
29 year old male who designs t-shirts

reused: top, shoes, bag
reworked: pants chopped off

based on my outfit...
what would you say I do for a living?
creative, writing, music, something mellow
what is my age?
late 20's - early 30's
do my clothes say anything about my personality?
relaxed, you have no accessories, not trendy, creative, you have your own style which evolved and you are comfortable with
how much did I spend on this outfit?
shirt probably most expensive and pants least expensive, shoes could go either way, they are either vintage or expensive, the bag isn't store bought (my note: the pants are Marc Jacobs that I chopped off and the shirt I won on ebay for $7 before shipping)
you are a...
26 year old female about to begin medical school and a 25 year old female working for a non-profit promoting the sustainable development of Red Hook.

reuse: vintage Missoni silk jersey dress (that apparently has part of the hem coming undone!!), suede and leather bag
the rest: Chie Mihara shoes

based on my outfit...
what would you say I do for a living?
freelance journalist
what is my age?
34
do my clothes say anything about my personality?
local style, left of center politics
how much did I spend on this outfit?
$240/ $65
you are a...
26 year-old male freelance musician and 26 year-old male freelance writer

August 2006
For two weeks I didn't take any pictures of myself in my clothes.

worn 7.31 - 8.12

total: 45
reused: 18
reduced: 2
reworked/recycled: 6
the rest: 19
% sustainable: 58

September 2006
coming into the home stretch...

reused: jacket, shirt, bag, scarf
local: Maria Cornejo pants made right here (she also utilized bamboo in this collection), Lisa Nading shoes made here (always crowd pleasers, I've had these for years, they have an amazing construction and solid wood heels, unfortunately Lisa no longer designs for the company.)

October 2006

Sometimes when I get trend overload I need to pull on something contra trend... wide leg, pointy toe, preppy vest.

reused: navy flats, scarf, vest, bag
the rest: Theory jeans, white t-shirt

November 2006
This was the last photo taken by another person. Often the street shots were taken by strangers, but this was taken by someone I met through this site due to common interests, which has happened a lot over the year.

reused: 20's silk velvet dress, slip, belt, necklace, ring, purse, boots
the rest: cashmere cardigan

The last photo... I finally bought a tripod.

reused: wool print dress, boots, bag
the rest: Ulla Johnson cardigan

100 random images

2007-07-23T17:40:00.000-04:00

eBaybes™

2007-07-23T17:37:00.001-04:00

eBaybes™ became a regular feature on the site. I found the pictures interesting for several reasons. The whole phenomenon of selling second-hand and vintage clothing on eBay seemed to begin circumventing traditional fashion media and advertising when the sellers became quite good at editorializing their wares. Tracking sellers over time, it was easy to see trends trickling both up and down between street and industry. However, the fact that most sellers are not professional models, but more likely the girl next store, lends an interesting self-portrait quality to the photos and provides a realness beyond most editorial spreads. Click here for a selection of images from the eBaybes™.

"Fashion is the deliberate inculcation of obsolescence."

2007-07-05T14:20:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems everyone is up in arms. Didn't you know it wouldn't take long before traditional environmentalists would want to rain on the eco-chic consumer's parade. The recent NY Times article, "Buying Into the Green Movement" was apparently the most emailed article the day it ran. I myself received it in multiples, which is what happens when you try to live by the Green Gospel and start a blog project on sustainability and style I guess. Then I received another email about commentary over at WorldChanging about said article... specific quotes on fashion highlighted. So, while fiftyRX3 is coming to a close once I put the finishing touches on the final posts and complete a resources section, I thought I would come out of my early retirement and make a comment or two, which I posted earlier today over at WorldChanging.

Should any of you care, here are my thoughts on the topic, more or less...

While I am quite interested in the psychology of change and what will be required to propel the human race forward in a sustainable manner. I think CFLs and organic cotton, while perhaps not the solution, are certainly better choices. It is likely that every industry can make more ecologically sensitive products, so why would anyone ever discourage it? Isn't this part of the innovation process... Don't we need design and art along with science and technology to question where we are, investigate where we are going, and propose, develop, test and incite new ideology? Just because someone's work may be more based in reducing toxicology than carbon footprints, does that make it any less valuable? I agree it may be less pressing, unless you are a migrant farm worker who picks cotton for a living.

People, whether concerned with fashion or not, all have a fairly close relationship with clothing. Apparel is the product that we likely come in contact with the most. Yet, cotton uses 25% of the world's insecticides, which in the US alone equals 84 million pounds a year, before being tossed into the rubbish bin to join the 11 million tons of textiles that enter the waste system each year.

As an average consumer, there is a limit to what one can do. I do not imagine most of us are busy establishing policy, manufacturing biofuels or inventing carbon sequestration methods. Even in "...our roles as citizens, as change agents within our businesses, as advocates in our communities, as investors and philanthropists, as opinion leaders" we are limited, and to be honest, often too occupied to go there. However, being aware of how everyday consumption impacts the environment and trying to make better choices is within everyone's capabilities.

The better choice may not be organic raspberries flown in from Chile in January. You may need a good root vegetable instead, but for someone who is going to buy raspberries in January anyway...? How do you convince someone or teach them that prosperity does not mean raspberries in January?

I understand the earlier sentiments regarding Paul Hawken's comment on fashion. However, I've read a couple of his books and tend to agree with his ideas.

“Green consumerism is an oxymoronic phrase,”

It is difficult to argue with that. However, with titles like Natural Capitalism and The Ecology of Commerce under his belt, he may have spawned a bit of green consumerism himself... a bit like inventing the robot that no longer listens to you.

Although professionally I have focused on sustainability in the apparel industry, I did not take offense as I understood his comment as more of a response to the recent media eco-frenzy and the marketing of "green" that often results in confusing green washing and misinformation. It is the same frustration I feel when Hearst believes they have made some huge eco-initiative by printing inside all of their magazines a call to recycle them.

Anyway, agree or not, you have to love Hawken's statement:

"Fashion is the deliberate inculcation of obsolescence."

On the other hand, for all of its frivolity, fashion certainly does capture attention. And you cannot teach someone something without getting their attention first.

Maybe we need to not just redesign, but also redefine prosperity. And we will likely need as many mediums as possible within which to express the message.

"If we don't move fast enough, we'll simply be attending a global ecological collapse well-heeled and stylishly attired, watching the planet burn with a glass of organic champagne in hand."

walk or use mass transit... check
switched to green energy... check
recycle... check
buy organic & local often... check
reuse... check
CFLs screwed in... check
eco-garments in closet... check
advocate frequently... check
organic champagne on ice... check

Meet me on doomsday Alex, you bring the (recycled) glasses.

Blame it on cognitive dissonance... essentially, by making these small good choices we feel better about the stress inducing state of the world and convince ourselves we are doing something about it and living consciously. And, while it may just be a juicy rationalization, in some ways I believe we are.

Let's just hope, however, that it is akin to the commonly held belief about smoking pot. You know, the fear that it will lead to shooting up heroin and becoming a criminal. Inversely, let's hope that a little organic food here and a little CFL there will lead to solar panels and smaller homes which will lead to becoming the zealous change agents that prevent us from burning off of the face of the earth.

Oh, and if that doesn't work out and you need something to wear to the End of the World Party, I recommend the aptly named NatureVsFuture outfit shown above... buy it in Ingeo or organic cotton. The strong architectural references and sleek lines will always be in style, just in case we have a few years.

* "Buying Into the Green Movement"
* WorldChanging commentary
* Paul Hawken
* more on cognitive dissonance

bamboo: friend or foe?

2007-07-05T14:07:00.000-04:00

While bamboo certainly has some amazing properties, its demand and production (especially in textiles) can make it an eco-mixed bag. I found today's NY Times article, which was more focused on bamboo for the garden, informative and interesting...

...it’s that very vigor that has environmentalists hailing bamboo as the new “It” plant for saving the earth.
Bamboo is a workhorse at sequestering carbon dioxide and pumping out oxygen. It is a tough plant that manufactures its own antibacterial compounds and can thrive without pesticides. And its porous fibers make a cloth that breathes and is as soft as silk. In fact, there is such a stampede of fabric designers to China and Japan, where it is farmed and processed — no such industry exists in the United States — that in its May issue, National Geographic predicted that “this upstart fabric may someday compete with King Cotton.”
Yet as the world clamors for more, bamboo is in short supply. A plant that generally flowers only every 60 to 120 years and then dies is hard to propagate from seed. And growing it by dividing existing plants is notoriously difficult.
So when Jackie Heinricher and Randy Burr figured out how to make bamboo in test tubes — selling their first 2,000 plants in 2004 to local garden centers in the Skagit Valley in Washington — they made waves in the world of horticulture.

*excerpt & image courtesy of NYT

Earnest Sewn to Launch Greencaste Line Exclusively @ Barneys

2007-05-31T16:29:00.000-04:00

Almost two years ago to the day, Barneys' Julie Gilhart stated the following as part of an Ingeo Round Table:

Since we’re at the high end, the term "sustainability" really makes both the customers and salespeople really zone out. If you talk about baby steps, if we can get that group to pay attention, then you’ve got the whole world...

It seems she is on a mission to get that group to pay attention. It may not be priority number one, but with the recent partnership with Loomstate and today's announcement of Barneys partnership with Earnest Cut & Sewn, Ms. Gilhart is definitely taking some baby steps. It doesn't hurt that Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and a recent surge in green media coverage has helped customers tune in to sustainability vs. "zoning out".

via WWD:

Earnest Sewn is getting into organics for the holidays.

The New York premium denim brand will launch Greencaste by Earnest Sewn in November, a line developed exclusively for Barneys New York as part of the retailer's "Have a Green Holiday" marketing campaign.

Scott Morrison, president and designer of Earnest Sewn, said discussions with Barneys had spurred the project. Morrison said he initially was reluctant because he believed that many green initiatives from brands and retailers fall short of delivering a truly socially responsible product. He stressed the need to go further than simply using organic denim.

"If you're just going to buy organic fabric, that's not even half the battle," Morrison said.

Washing and styling denim has always been a water- and chemical-intensive process. For Greencaste, Morrison worked with the brand's laundry facility on ways to reduce the environmental impact.

"The obvious one was eliminating electricity and gas needed for drying," he said.

Instead, the brand's Kentucky washhouse hung the jeans from its rafters. Detergents have been replaced with more environmentally friendly washing agents, and peroxide and ozone have been used instead of chlorine bleach. All-natural starches have taken the place of more commonly used resins in the wash process.

A way was even found to return resources in better condition than they were found.

"You use a lot of water in the process," Morrison said. "The Kentucky facility that we use uses river water, which is fairly dirty water. We use it, clean it up and return it in a cleaner state than when we used it."

The collection will be launched with three men's and women's styles and will retail for $200 to $240. Morrison plans to continue the line beyond the holiday season. He credited Barneys for pushing vendors to become more socially aware and believes it will show many of them that they can begin to implement small changes more easily than they expected.

"It's great to see people who can command this type of effort, like Barneys," Morrison said. "That's how change will be implemented, not so much by force but with a gentle nudge.

Design for the Other 90%

2007-05-29T20:25:00.001-04:00

shelter

water

energy

*find inspiration here. create inspiration here and here.

convertible cashmere dress

2007-05-28T14:08:00.000-04:00

I bought a long cowl neck cashmere dress on eBay. I wanted to see if I could reinvent it without sewing. I cut the cowl neck and arms off and then cut holes under the arms. The dress can be worn using either set of armholes. With arms in the lower set, you can flip the top armholes over your neck for a draped and folded effect.

reuse via saturday@phillips

2007-05-23T23:38:00.000-04:00

Marimekko dress and Moschino bag

*saturday@phillips

Inhabitat's Jill Fehrenbacher in Vogue

2007-05-22T00:24:00.001-04:00

My friend and editor over at Inhabitat, Jill Fehrenbacher, graced the pages of Vogue this month...

*read more

form and fauna

2007-05-19T21:48:00.001-04:00

*form&fauna

sustainable style group

2007-05-19T21:41:00.000-04:00

I often forget about the sustainable style group that I started on flickr. So, today I had a full circle moment. While I was flipping through, amazed at all the new images, I noticed a familiar name. Ruth Singer, a textile artist whose very pillows I just unpacked and prepped for HauteGREEN! Ruth is a textile designer from the UK and she made the red bag above from a recycled kimono. It is a small world.

recycled skirt bag from forksandspoons

repurposed flip flops from atomic rose

caramimi shows us a vase from recycled papers

fly missy made this bag from yarn that she recycled from an H&M sweater bought at a jumble sale for 50p.

miscusihandmade's dress from repurposed materials.

hapa_girl shows off her organic cotton from H&M and reused goodies.

the ever covetable mini reclamations from lutterlagkage

Angie Kim's adorable mini odastyle

Thanks to all the contributors!!

NYC Design Week

2007-05-19T18:15:00.001-04:00

It is hard to keep track of everything happening this week. Thanks to Core77's list of events, things are easier to navigate. Last night I donned the new and improved umbrella dress and braved the crowd at the smashing opening of HauteGREEN. Then I ended up at the Core77 party at Botanica, where much relieved HG organizers could be seen blowing off steam on the dance floor. Tonight I will go to the launch of KIOSK books and possibly get caught in the ebb and flow of design friends and end up at some other events. Tomorrow @ 5pm is reserved for the Reclaiming Design panel, which is being moderated by Inhabitat and includes Tejo Remy of Droog, Carlos Salgado of Scrapile, designer Matt Gagnon and Sam Grawe of Dwell.

Happy Design Week!

Beau Soleil

2007-05-16T23:16:00.000-04:00

via Beau Soleil:

When Anne Salvatore Epstein discovered she was pregnant, she and her husband morphed their "overly excessive" New York City lifestyle into one that is "Simple. Modern. Organic.". They moved into a green building located in mid-town Manhattan, increased their trips to the green market, and made conscious everyday living decisions to do their part in saving the planet. This new mindset, coupled with Epstein’s career experience at Marc Jacobs, IISLI and Elie Tahari, opened her eyes to how the manufacturing process impacts the environment. It was imperative for her to be kind to the planet and laborers when bringing her design vision to fruition.

Epstein uses fabric made out of bamboo, a sustainable material, vegetable-dyed organic cottons and vintage, recycled leather trims.

Ulla-Maaria: Hobby Princess Wears Ethical Vintage

2007-05-14T19:51:00.000-04:00

courtesy of Ulla and Olivia magazine...

I think that the essence of fashion is both in the aesthetics as well as in the stories behind garments. Whenever I buy things I want to learn about their background. Every object can teach us something.
I have stopped buying clothes unless they are second hand or designed and made by someone I know. I think anything else in these times is unethical. The global textile and fashion industry waste enormous amount of resources that we would need for food production.
Now that I’m pregnant I mainly use Marimekko dresses from 1960s.

courtesy of hel-looks...

I'm wearing a 60's vintage hat and a 60's bag from Play It Again Sam, the striped knitted overall is by Keto, the rubber boots from a second hand store. Red lipstick is stylish. My favourite designer is Tiia Vanhatapio. Clothes with a story or a history are interesting.

The Floating Pool

2007-05-11T20:18:00.000-04:00

what a good idea the floating pool is.

Calleen Cordero Shoes

2007-05-10T18:50:00.000-04:00

I discovered these wonderful shoes from the lovely Calleen Cordero this past weekend at D&A. They are handcrafted in Los Angeles from vegetable-tanned leather. Several styles include solid wood heels and orthopedic inserts as well.

*Calleen Cordero

My favorites for Fall...

Laura Ahsley Archive Collection in Organic Cotton

2007-05-10T17:46:00.000-04:00

Laura Ashley mines the archives and gives them a modern twist for their new organic cotton collection. Via treehugger.

*Laura Ashley Archive Collection

Aurora Robson: Recycled Plastic Sculpture

2007-05-07T20:43:00.000-04:00

For the last three days I participated in the Green Room exhibit at Designers & Agents. The popular fashion trade show just launched their new eco-initiatives with this Fall II/ Resort show in NYC. There were many good things happening, which I will write more about on Sustainable Style Sunday. However, due to being a closeted artist, it wasn't the latest fashion or accessory that captured my heart, but rather the wonderful sculpture by Aurora Robson. I spent three days in the room with the pieces and the artist and was inspired by both.

Aurora is a Brooklyn-based artist who after several successful years working as a creative for MTV decided to devote herself full-time to her art. She was primarily painting and welding sculptures at the time, but after a back injury welding metals became more challenging. As she stared out her studio window one day in a creative brainstorming daydream her eyes came to rest on a discarded plastic bottle giving birth to her new medium. The sculptures are inspired by nightmares Aurora had as a child, therefore turning a negative into a positive both psychologically and environmentally.

* Aurora Robson

designers & agents goes green

2007-05-01T22:06:00.000-04:00

I am pleased to announce that designers & agents, the popular fashion trade show, has decided to go green. You can go to their website to read about their initiatives and plans for launching them at their Fall II shows coming up here in NYC this weekend. Just click the pink heart for details.

I am also pleased to announce that fiftyRX3 has been invited to be part of the green gallery, which means I better get to work. See you there!

*designers & agents

The Lazy Environmentalist Book

2007-05-01T21:45:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday after popping by the FEED event, Inhabitat editor, Jill Fehrenbacher and I dashed over to Design Within Reach for a little salon hosted by HauteGREEN in honor of Josh Dorfman's new book The Lazy Environmentalist. Josh is host of the popular radio show by the same name and founder of Vivavi as well. He was looking smart in a new Nau shirt as he threw out questions to the eco-savvy group that gathered. I myself went from eBay to soiree in under 30 minutes by doing a no-sew rework of a cashmere dress (photo to come). It has been awhile since I have had the time to get creative, so it was great to cut through some threads again.

*the book