The Alterreal is a small start-up business which sells fashionable clothing produced by upcycling vintage and secondhand materials.
I’m sure you’ve heard about fast fashion: cheaply made mass-produced clothes bought in bulk by big corporations, churned through hundreds of workers (and thousands of machines), shipped across oceans, worn for a season, and tossed aside before they reach their sell-by date.
What happens to old clothes?
Most of these goods end up in landfills or incinerators rather than going directly to new owners because they were made in factories without concern for future resale.
Fast fashion is bad news for everyone involved: the garment makers, the factory workers, the shipping companies, the people whose homes and neighbourhoods surround polluting plants, and most importantly the planet itself. That means we must find alternatives to fast fashion.
Fortunately, we already know some ways forward—recycled clothing, slow fashion, and fair trade. But another option exists between the extremes of buying used clothing and producing brand-new clothing in huge quantities: reusing existing clothing in new ways.
Upcycling helps you repurpose your old clothes
This is called “upcycling” and it allows us to keep valuable clothing in circulation instead of throwing it away. What does this mean? Let’s say you buy a fancy dress but decide not to wear it right away. You might donate it to Goodwill, hold onto it until it loses its appeal, or pass it down to a younger family member.
Instead, you can repurpose it by turning it into a skirt, a scarf, or a blanket.
Or maybe you take it to a seamstress to repair it, making it last longer. These options are good, but why stop there? Why not try to transform it further into something new and different, like a pair of leggings or a jacket?
What is The Alterreal doing?
In The Alterreal, there will always be something new and different every day. With the ever-changing trends of today’s society, nothing stays the same forever; neither can anything stay hidden away inside someone’s closet.
There will never be too many ideas to choose from when choosing what outfits to wear each morning. As long as you’re comfortable, confident, and happy – then everything else falls into place! Upcycling old fabrics give rise to endless possibilities while keeping material consumption at bay.
By doing so, The Alterreal reduces its carbon footprint, lessening its effect on the environment. From handmade crochet blankets to boho chic dresses, The Alterreal offers an array of styles, one-of-a-kind designed for those who love being playful yet classy.
It is run by a young woman, Rachelle Shen, 23 years old, that has a passion for impulsive, quirky creations with her trusty sewing machine.
Her creations started off with simple accessories such as mask and bucket hat, to present day two piece sets, and corset tops and now makes custom festival setups for famous social media personalities.
Garments are her favourite form of expression, utilizing unique silhouettes, colours and patterns to brighten up the wearers’ day as well as the days of the people around them. In an industry inundated with a high turnover of new collections, it is a type of development in the fashion industry that is extremely wasteful and resource intense.
They want to embrace the idea of upcycled apparel to battle this unnecessary progress. Their items are intended to convey the message that wearing or making adorable garments don’t need to be excessively tiring on the earth’s healthiness.
The thought behind The Alterreal name is the concept of building a neighbourhood of men and women that let the manifestation of his / her alter ego. The word real is meant to symbolize the notion that though it may look like our alter egos are separate from our common daily self, we think we ought to accept that all our alter egos are incredibly the actual you.
We can express ourselves in any manner, shape, or size. The Alterreal is a company plus a concept that is constantly searching to boost and make an impression, equally artistically and ecologically. Its objective is to bridge again the gap in how our clothes are created, allowing us to value our old attire once more.
It wants to offer easy and practical answers for customers to assist mother nature, no matter whether it is simply a tiny amount. Additionally, The Alterreal seeks to supply friendly surroundings along with a feeling of a group where like-minded people could get together and enjoy themselves.
Summary
Upcycling is a great solution for anyone concerned about wastefulness and climate change. The best part is that it doesn’t require a ton of money or special skills. If you have a sewing machine handy, you can easily learn basic techniques like patchwork, embroidery, and appliqué. And if you want to go beyond that, check out The Alterreal.
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