There have been new approaches to upcycling and Kristin Mallison’s handmade vintage
pieces have something romantic about them. You might have seen some of your favorites such as
Margot Robbie, Lisa, and Millie Bobby Brown, wearing these historical, yet modern looking
garments that are actually recycled material sewn together.
These vintage items are reimagined by 29 year old Kristin Mallison, who is a Brooklyn
based womenswear designer. All of Mallison’s works are composed of vintage tapestries and
upholsteries from different eras such as old frames, dining room chairs, couch cushions, and she
finds creative ways to upcycle these materials into wearable fashion. Usually, there is not enough
fabric to make one piece and so she’d combine multiple fabrics, which adds a sense of
uniqueness to them. She will even hand embroider pictures onto her pieces of clothing. One of
her most unique creations is her corset made entirely out of repurposed ballet shoes.
This designer started creating corsets about 4 years ago for a pop-up for a downtown
store called Café Forgot. The store was very hyper-feminine, yet punk-rock focused, which had a
big influence on her creative mind. She would use her knowledge of upcycling materials from a
program at Pratt Institute that encouraged to repurpose materials. She would scout out Flea
markets and thrift stores, even tried using Etsy and Ebay as an easier way to access material.
Mallison has told several magazine sources herself that hyper femininity is the kind of
visual she tries to do with her own designs. This is why she has the idea of focusing on creating
corsets, skirts, and dresses, it is what her idea of femininity is. It is what makes her pieces seem
so dreamy. She has however made some menswear hoodies also, ones that are less lacy and frilly.
Today, Kristin works at a curtain customization company during the day and designs in
her free time. Her corsets and dresses are sold in many stores globally. You can find them in high
end retail stores, boutiques, depop, and her online shop- Kristinmallison.com.
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