Upcycled Design Competition 2024
The winners of the 2024 competition are:
First place - Clara Devina
Second Place - Destiny Lang, Denanae Tingala, and Olivia Wong
Third place - Heidi Wilson
People's Choice - Sophie MacFarlane
The Wilson School of Design, in partnership with local textile recycling initiative Our Social Fabric, are pleased to present this year's Upcycled Design Competition with the theme of "Gaia". The 10 finalists have created a 3-dimensional design using recycled textiles and found objects that address a meaningful and current topic. Read on to learn more about each of the 10 entries, and cast your vote for your favourite!
Helia Abbasimoghaddasi, Anne Nguyen, and Lexie Ransom
What made you choose to study at WSD? What year/program are you in right now?
Helia: I'm Helia Abbasimoghaddasi, currently in my first year of the fashion design & technology program. Growing up in Iran with a strict dress code, I struggled to express myself freely. After moving to Canada, fashion became my main method of self-expression. I quickly realized that I wanted to center my life around this passion. However, the fashion industry is incredibly dynamic, requiring adaptability from designers. I chose WSD because it not only nurtures my passion and creativity in fashion but also keeps me updated with the industry's leading design software and technologies.
Anne: I chose WSD because of the diversity of design it has to offer, the different opportunities and education that you are able to receive are like no other universities providing unique programs and classes that are specific to which design field you are interested in. The school is a warm welcoming environment which allows students to be able to collaborate and help each other with projects and more, I am in first year of Fashion Design and Technology and have experienced many obstacles that push my limits and see what my abilities are capable of discovering and learning more as each day comes.
Lexie: I chose to study at WSD because I wanted to not only learn the technical part of fashion design but I also wanted to broaden my knowledge on different design concepts and processes. I am currently studying Fashion Design and Technology and I am in my first year.
Why did you want to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition?
Helia: When designing or sewing, I rarely challenge myself with a budget or material limitation. Considering the Anthropocene epoch, and the significant negative impact humans have had on Earth, every one of us needs to play a part in trying to compensate for the damages. I chose this as an opportunity to challenge myself, designing in a limited space and building the habit of making sustainability a main priority, not just an afterthought. I also took this opportunity to build stronger teamwork skills by working with my peers, as I will most likely be working with teams in my future career.
Anne: I decided to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition because I love a good challenge. I am able to explore my ideas and skills from working with others and gain more strengths to accomplish a piece that I am proud of with my fellow colleagues, this competition will bring others together from different programs and years to share, celebrate, and appreciate each other's work with the end results we were able to create on the theme Gaia.
Lexie: I wanted to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition because I wanted to challenge myself with creating something based off of a specific theme. Along with trying to work off of a theme that I didn’t know much about I also wanted to test my ability to work in a team environment in creating something that none of my team mates and I have ever done before.
The theme of this year's competition is Gaia. What was your perspective on the theme and what do you hope to create through your submission? Can you give us an idea of what you plan on doing for your final submission?
Helia: To me, Gaia represents the collaborative effort of all living organisms in creating an ideal home for themselves. Our concept is centered around the carbon cycle and its significance in maintaining Earth’s balance, while also emphasizing humans’ negative influence on it and their disruption of it. Our multi-paneled skirt will have each panel representing a stage of the cycle. Approximately 20% of all industrial water pollution is caused by fabric dyes and treatments. We wanted to include natural dyeing in our garments to steer away from contributing to those numbers. We hope to raise awareness through this garment and inspire all of us to consider our everyday actions and care about Earth’s delicate balance.
Anne: Our perspective on the theme is to create a concept based on how Earth and its living organisms are all intertwined together and have cause and effect within the resources and environment it has, everything is a constant cycle and functions together to create a balance. Earth depends on the materials, nutrients, plants, animals, elements, atmosphere, and more to help each other to survive and evolve. Our goal is to achieve and display the carbon cycle through various panels in our skirt concept and sustainability through natural resources and materials to our submission.
Lexie: My interpretation of the Gaia theme revolves around the concept of Earth as a vast interconnected system, where everything operates in harmony within a continuous cycle. Each element relies on one another for survival, which forms interdependence on one another. Our aim in our submission was to encapsulate this idea by incorporating the carbon cycle within our skirt. We also wanted to maintain the idea of sustainability throughout our design by creating our own natural dyes and adding that within the carbon cycle panels in the skirt.
Eren Berg
What made you choose to study at WSD? What year/program are you in right now?
My name is Eren Berg and I am a second-year Fashion Design and Technology student at WSD. Studying at Wilson School of design allows me to pursue my lifelong passion for fashion and design! I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, however during my high school graduation year, I had the opportunity to tour the WSD campus and was struck by the creative environment it fostered! I could tell that this school would provide a positive educational environment that would nurture my dream career in fashion.
Why did you want to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition?
As someone who loves design, but also prioritizes the health of our planet, I deeply align with OSFs values and the Upcycled Design Competition’s premise. I wish to express myself creatively, whilst also promoting sustainability to others. This competition serves as a means to do so. Living in Canada, where we have the resources and the capability to start making a difference regarding climate change, I seek to make a meaningful impact on our environment. With that said, I believe that upcycling and thrifting for second-hand garments and fabrics is a major step in reducing global fabric and textile waste. I knew I had to enter the Upcycle Design Contest and showcase this in my own unique way.
The theme of this year's competition is Gaia. What was your perspective on the theme and what do you hope to create through your submission? Can you give us an idea of what you plan on doing for your final submission?
Last year I was fortunate to participate in the Protopia-themed OSF competition. My focus was on sustainability and material waste in the fashion industry and I created a garment that proposed a solution to that issue. In hindsight, though I used recycled fabric, I ended up with a decent amount of small scrapped fabrics that went unused after I cut out my pattern. This observation made me think about all the scraps of fabric, yarn, thread, and other textiles I have discarded while never stopping to consider a potential use for them or what damage even the tiniest amount of waste could have on our environment. As this year’s competition is rapidly approaching, my goal was to now try and incorporate all the small scraps that usually go unnoticed or unused into my design. This year’s theme is Gaia, which is essentially the philosophy that all life is connected through a self-regulating system which makes earth habitable. The line between a thriving ecosystem and a dying one isn’t necessarily the most palatable conversation, especially since the environment has become a political topic, rather than mostly a scientific discussion. It is certainly not something you could bring up casually during a dinner party with strangers. With that being said, my design concept was conceptualized. The Scrapped Super will be a large tapestry, using various scrapped textiles, yarns, and techniques to compose an image of a dinner party in which all attendees arrive from different backgrounds – Human, Predator, Prey, Avian, and Marine life. The table will feature fungi and plant life, as well as the predator and prey relationship demonstrating the natural dichotomy of life (eating chicken whilst sitting next to a bird). Tensions at this table may be high, however, the meal would not exist had none of the participants showed up to the table; much like how life would not exist if we were to remove an entire ecosystem. My use of scrap textiles and yarn is to demonstrate sustainability and a circular lifecycle. By incorporating parts that others may not see value in, I can show at the same time that ‘everything in life can serve a purpose’ no matter how seemingly insignificant. The scrappy look of the textiles may make the piece seem awkward or even spark debate on what it is that they see in it, but that is all part of my plan. We need a free discussion about mother nature, not a tentative debate. For life to truly thrive and continue in this glorious cycle of natural self-regulation, we must consider all the scraps left behind regardless of their perceived significance to us.
Elise Charpentier
What made you choose to study at WSD? What year/program are you in right now?
My name is Elise Charpentier, and I am a 3rd year student in the Fashion & Technology program at the Wilson School of Design. I decided to pursue a career in the fashion industry several years ago, recognizing my passion for design in Grade 9, during my first textiles course and final year dancing with the Richmond Youth Dance Company.
Why did you want to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition?
This competition is significant as it is an opportunity to challenge myself and develop a story influenced by sustainability without the restriction of technical guidelines that a student is often surrounded with. I am driven to design a piece true to my design philosophy for my creative portfolio as this is my second and last time competing.
The theme of this year's competition is Gaia. What was your perspective on the theme and what do you hope to create through your submission? Can you give us an idea of what you plan on doing for your final submission?
Throughout my concept, I wish for myself and viewers to reflect on why silhouettes and practices that hold sentimental value and nostalgia have stood the test of time in comparison to transient fashion derived from trends that often mimic these silhouettes without retaining the value and craft of the garment. Trends allow for experimentation and innovation but in the process have held consumers captive in an endless cycle of overconsumption. I wish to raise awareness of the importance of creating and repurposing with the intent of significance and value, rather than consumption and fashion trends; craftsmanship over disposability. The entire design will be stitched by hand, with various materials of fabric scraps mended together entirely by the technique of Sashiko embroidery to create the panels that are necessary to construct the kimono inspired garment following traditional methods of construction. I hope for this design to become a representation of creating a new form from the waste of transient fashion trends and overconsumption to produce something of value from waste and push towards historical methods of slow fashion. My design is called “Transformative Threads”
Sarah Collister
What made you choose to study at WSD? What year/program are you in right now?
I am in my second year in Fashion and Technology. For as long as I’ve known I’ve loved to sew and design clothing. Fashion Design was a hobby and activity I’d do for free, I figured I’d try my best to make a career and life out of it. I am originally from Alberta and found the Wilson School of Design a few years before I graduated high school. I was looking for a smaller hands-on fashion program and made it my mission to attend the Fashion and Technology Program. Well… here I am!
Why did you want to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition?
Upcycling was how I started out in design; I love the level of challenge and innovation of it. I was following last year’s competition and wished I’d participated! I felt really inspired by the Gaia Theory and theme for this year and once I had my idea for my “G” Trench Coat, I knew I had to participate.
The theme of this year's competition is Gaia. What was your perspective on the theme and what do you hope to create through your submission? Can you give us an idea of what you plan on doing for your final submission?
The Gaia Theory describes how the earth is connected through all its systems and is regulating itself. I’m hoping to create a trench coat to connect the role of us as individuals in this system. My coat will have a mosaic of different upcycled materials to represent the different interactions we have with the environment. My involvement with the environment and with sustainability is a choice, and I am choosing to put this jacket on and take on this upcycling project. I’m excited for you to see the final product!
Clara Devina
What made you choose to study at WSD? What year/program are you in right now?
Hey all! My name is Clara and I'm a third-year student in Fashion and Technology. I decided to pursue fashion in WSD as I have always been interested in how designers/pattern makers construct their garments. Moreover, during 2020, activewear became a massive trend everywhere which pushed me to seek and learn further about other kinds of fashion. After some research, WSD was the top candidate hence why I chose to study here :)
Why did you want to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition?
I have decided to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition as I am aware of the impact of human actions to the world. Through this competition, I can spread awareness on how impactful our actions are and how they will always impact the balance of the world, no matter how small or big they are. Therefore, it is our choice to be the destroyer or the saviour. Through this competition, I am also able to explore through my creativity and deepen my skills as I am creating something I've never done before.
The theme of this year's competition is Gaia. What was your perspective on the theme and what do you hope to create through your submission? Can you give us an idea of what you plan on doing for your final submission?
The concept of GAIA is very interesting as it is new to me. As proposed by James Lovelock, the Earth is a self-regulating system created by the interactions of living organism. My perspective on this is how the world is one interconnected "web of life" and how one change can impact another. In a way, humans are also part of it, which means that we have a choice on what kinds of action we want to take. Through the concept of "web of life", I am hoping to create a garment using the technique of crotchet to represent connections and adding on other techniques within the garment. The rest will be shown on the final garment.
Angela Huang and Solène Ochu
What made you choose to study at WSD? What year/program are you in right now?
Angela: I learned about KPU through the High School in Campus program. I’ve been interested in learning about design but wasn’t sure which field to pursue, so I took the FIND program right after high school to find out if design is something that I would like to do. I became interested in Product Design through FIND, and now I’m a second-year Product Design student at WSD.
Solène: I wanted to find a program that would be a mix of art and hands-on-design. The interdisciplinary aspect of product design is what attracted me the most to it. I am currently a second-year Product Design student at WSD.
Why did you want to participate in the Upcycled Design competition?
Angela: I’ve always been interested in sewing and regularly do so as a hobby. Unfortunately, I haven't been sewing recently, and I heard that the third year is heavily focused on soft production skills, meaning there will be a lot of sewing projects. So, I wanted to practice my sewing skills through the Upcycled Competition to be prepared for the upcoming year.
Solène: I like to explore creating designs with a story without using up material without necessity. This competition is a good chance to use upcycled fabric while getting to be creative.
The theme of this year's competition is Gaia. What was your perspective on the theme and what do you hope to create through your submission? Can you give us an idea of what you plan on doing for your final submission?
Angela: When the theme was revealed, the first thing that came to my mind was a goddess mother with a mix of mystery, power, danger, and comfort. We shared this feeling as a group and decided to communicate this mixture of protective and suffocating feelings into a hood-scarf.
Solène: The idea that came to me first was something other than human or an amalgamation of multiple concepts. My interpretation of Gaia is that idea of a goddess mother that can be expressed through both feeling and mood. The hood-scarf design is meant to express that multitude while remaining consistent in its design language.
Destiny Lang, Denane Tingala, and Olivia Wong
What made you choose to study at WSD? What year/program are you in right now?
Destiny: I am a second-year Fashion Design & Technology student. In high school, I chose to study at WSD to earn a Bachelor’s in Fashion Design and become a fashion-focused home economics teacher. My home economics experience sparked my passion for apparel production, and I am interested in fostering sewing skills in youth to boost confidence and capabilities. However, I am also curious about the technical aspect of local apparel industry in Vancouver and building connections within it, which is why WSD is my top choice for exploring possibilities in fashion and technology.
Denenae: My name is Denenae Tingala and I am in first-year studying in the FIND (Foundations in Design) program! As a first-year university student who came straight from high school, all I knew I was the type of person who thrives in small class sizes and dreams of becoming a Home Economics teacher in the future. When I learned about the FIND program and the opportunity to study my passions while being in a small class, I did not hesitate to make going into Wilson School of Design my top priority. I have always loved designing and sewing, it was a hobby that immediately clicked to me. I have been sewing since the eighth grade and fell in love with teaching it in my senior year. The Wilson School of Design and the FIND program was the perfect choice to help me learn and improve my skills while also giving me the confidence boost for when I continue my fashion studies in the future.
Olivia: I am in first-year in the FIND program, and given that this is my first university experience, I felt that WSD would be a welcoming and friendly environment for me. I’ve always been a creative person, but nailing down exactly what I wanted to study has been difficult. I entered the FIND program to gain experience in design and to figure out exactly what I wanted to pursue. I mainly have a background in and passion for fiber art, but learning different things through WSD has been a great experience for me!
Why did you want to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition?
Destiny: I wanted to learn resourceful production skills (e.g. minimal-wastepattern cutting techniques) to prepare for the 4th year zero-waste design class. Lesley, one of my instructors and mentors for the OSF competition, shared that her students who were finalists in previous upcycling competitions went on to develop innovative ways to cut patterns resourcefully from limited resources. Upcycling encourages me to consider how I can save as much material as possible that otherwise would be out of use or disposed of.
Denenae: The Upcycled Competition really caught my eye as I wanted to challenge myself in learning new techniques and ways to be more sustainable. I am very much a stereotypical consumer, I love shopping, but I never really thought about how it impacts the earth. As my new year’s resolution, I am challenging myself to upcycle old clothes and turn it into something new and use every scrap of fabric I have in stock. The Upcycled competition just lined up with my peaking interest in upcycling fashion and I am learning so much from pattern drafting and reducing waste.
Olivia: I often take thrifted/old sweaters and unravel them for yarn, so I already have some upcycling experience. This competition is a way for me to expand my horizons with upcycling materials, and is also an opportunity to collaborate with others for a good cause. The theme this year was also really inspiring to me.
The theme of this year's competition is Gaia. What was your perspective on the theme and what do you hope to create through your submission? Can you give us an idea of what you plan on doing for your final submission?
Connecting Gaia theory with the fact that we are using upcycled materials, we want to show how you can create something new and beautiful through sustainable and inexpensive means. Capitalism has caused us to prioritize growth at the cost of our health, well-being and future, but we can break free from this systemic constraint imposed upon us. We also hope to fight against the stigma of death and aging that is so prevalent in the culture we live in. Instead, we will focus on the beauty found in the process of decay. Our society is so obsessed with youth and life, so we often neglect talking about or reflecting on death until it occurs in our lives. We plan to showcase death in a way that is both beautiful and necessary. Life and death work in an interconnected.
Sophie MacFarlane
What made you choose to study at WSD? What year/program are you in right now?
I chose to study at the WSD to further expand my knowledge, helping me achieve my goals and reach my dreams regarding a career in the fashion industry. The intimate cohorts, inclusive atmosphere and incredible programs offered at the school, really drew me in. I am currently a second-year Fashion Design and Technology student and so far, I have had an amazing experience.
Why did you want to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition?
I have always been passionate about sustainability, constantly learning and implementing more eco-conscious habits into my daily life. When designing and creating, I enjoy finding ways to implement sustainability; looking at not only the garment but the garment's lifespan. As I believe when we create something, we are responsible for its disposal. When I heard about the Upcycled Design Competition, I was eager to challenge myself to make use of deadstock materials from Our Social Fabric to create a design that showcases textile sustainability.
The theme of this year's competition is Gaia. What was your perspective on the theme and what do you hope to create through your submission? Can you give us an idea of what you plan on doing for your final submission?
Gaia theory suggests that all living organisms on planet Earth contribute to the self-regulating system that sustains Earth's inhabitable conditions. As all living organisms work together to make life inhabitable, once there is a disruption to one organism, there is now a disruption to life as a whole. My design intends to bring awareness to the environmental issue that is microplastic fibres; provoking discussion on the repercussions of human actions. The introduction of synthetic fibres and modern technology within the fashion industry has had many consequential issues; one being, microplastic fibres. Microplastic fibres are tiny, thread-like fibres from synthetic textile materials; most commonly polyester. Each time we wash our clothing, as many as 700,000 microfibres can be released (Williams, 2016). These microplastics shed due to friction and turbulence during washing; entering our wastewater, and ending in our oceans. My design aims to contrast fluidity with tension by blending the soft, draped silhouette (symbolizing the beauty of Gaia), with the rough, tangled, irregular fabric (representing the human disconnect to the planet). James Lovelock (the creator of Gaia Theory) states that “we've lost touch with the natural world and are unaware of the changes that happen in it.” My goal is to help others regain connection with our extraordinary home and all it has to offer; developing mindful awareness towards how we care for it.
Rebecca Male
What made you choose to study at WSD? What year/program are you in right now?
I am a 3rd year in the Fashion Design and Technology Program. Since I was a little girl, I always remember being mesmerized by people's outfits. I did not realize that fashion was a career path that I could follow until I took textiles in grade 10. My high school textiles teacher was an incredible mentor to me. She showed me that fashion design is a career option that has so many opportunities. I chose to study at WDS because I knew that the Fashion Design program would allow me to explore various areas in fashion to help me find my true passion in the industry.
Why did you want to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition?
I decided to participate in the OSF Upcycle Competition because of the chosen theme "Gaia". Nature is one of my biggest inspirations, which made me really excited about the competitions theme. I was drawn to the idea of creating a piece that does not need to follow any criteria or guidelines and can be designed by my creativity and inspiration.
The theme of this year's competition is Gaia. What was your perspective on the theme and what do you hope to create through your submission? Can you give us an idea of what you plan on doing for your final submission?
When I think of Gaia, I think of Mother Nature. She is the center of the universe. I want to focus on her feminine traits in fertility, strength, and motherhood. To me, a tree is the center of an ecosystem, that provides shelter, food, and safety to many small animals, bugs, and other plants. I hope that I can create a gown that will represent Gaia through flow and texture that resembles a tree. The gown will be a long and fitted gown with a train and a shawl collar. Hanging from the collar will be sparkly beads and buttons to represent the leaves and flowers on the tree. They will give texture and volume to the garment. The fabric that I am using is a dark brown sparkly crepe that has a slightly ruffled texture to resemble the texture on a tree trunk. The beads and buttons will be mostly green with some pops of different colours, such as pink, purple, and blue.
Heidi Wilson
What made you choose to study at WSD? What year/program are you in right now?
I am a second year fashion design and technology student. I chose to study at the Wilson School of Design because I felt it would be the best university to prepare me for my career - I loved how the program seemed to be not only creative but also very hands on and practical. After having studied here for two years now, I can say that the school has definitely met, and surpassed, my expectations. It truly has allowed me to channel my creativity into meaningful projects that help prepare me for a job in the industry.
Why did you want to participate in the Upcycled Design Competition?
I was initially inspired by the amazing submissions that last year’s participants had created as they were so interesting and thought provoking. Sustainable fashion design has also always been important to me, so I was excited about the opportunity to create something out of up-cycled materials while also following the meaningful theme Gaia.
The theme of this year's competition is Gaia. What was your perspective on the theme and what do you hope to create through your submission? Can you give us an idea of what you plan on doing for your final submission?
Because Gaia essentially encompasses the idea that everything in the world is interconnected and meant to function as part of one holistic system, I wanted to consider how human actions impact Gaia. As a result, I am creating a garment that represents the beauty of Gaia when it is undisturbed, but when it is unraveled, it depicts the harsh reality of humans’ mistreatment of Gaia’s balanced system.