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Writer's pictureNoor Bchara

Upcycling with High Concept Design Workshop


Parron Allen is a former co-worker of mine from my time at Ellen Tracy. We recently reconnected and I was impressed and inspired by what he is doing with his upcycled creations.


In this workshop, Parron explains his unique design process for upcycled and sustainable garments. During the session he will demonstrate how he takes found materials and researches artistic inspiration and markets trends to create pieces that are inspired, sustainable, and on-trend. Parron will how us how he applies this process for two garments in his Spring 2022 collection at Art to Ware.


Mentioned in this workshop:

  • Parron's background: Strongly influenced by his Mississippi upbringing and Momma Ruth's focus on beauty and frugality.

  • Overview of process

    • Found materials: garment or fabric

    • Researching market trends: WWD, BoF, social media, fashion shows

    • Artistic inspiration: art/design books, museums, galleries

    • Execution Method: balancing sustainability, customer value, and cost

  • Piece One: Floating Koi Shirt

    • Found materials: there are so many high-quality button-down shirts out there!

    • Researching market trends: high visual impact, monochrome, large-scale prints

    • Artistic inspiration: a reference to a favorite theme--images from the floating world (late 19th century Japan)

    • Execution Method: digitally printed appliqué were most consistent and impactful method

  • Piece Two: Patchwork Tank Dress

    • Found materials: the industry disposes of so many high-end fabric headers

    • Researching market trends: patchwork and print clashing have been trending

    • Artistic inspiration: Momma Ruth meets Piet Mondrian

    • Execution Method: 100% recycled material, as headers are cut, arranged and dress sewn in NYC

  • Replicating Across Categories

    • Both pieces above are elevated and at a higher price point

    • Can replicate the effect with appliqués on other pieces like recycled or secondhand t-shirts and/or sweatshirts

    • Alternative methods could also be used, like hand-painting or hand-printing the koi

  • arttoware.com

  • Contrado.com fabric printing online

  • printful.com printing merchandise including t-shirts, backpacks, logo stickers, and more

  • stylecouncil.com local fabric printing

  • invoguenyc.com local fabric printing

  • parronallen.com

  • @parron.allen

  • Upcycle Design School

  • Upcycle Design Masterclass

  • @upcycledesignschool


Parron Allen Edwards-Stimola is a Brooklyn-based designer who draws inspiration from his childhood in Lexington, Mississippi and his eclectic studies of art and design. Parron's grandmother, Momma Ruth, expressed herself by sewing dresses for the women in her family. Parron witnessed these women shed some of Jim Crow's burden in the simple yet thoughtful dresses that Momma Ruth made for them - smiling, twirling, and bantering about good things on days of rest. His namesake brand, Parron Allen, echoes this joyous harmony of whimsy and practicality in a voice for the present moment, including upcycled second-hand pieces, deadstock and sustainably-sourced fabrics, and modern printing and production methods. Prior to founding his brand in 2021, Parron Allen studied design in the US and UK and honed his skills at Vera Wang, Ellen Tracy, and Rebecca Taylor.



 


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Hi, I'm Noor Bchara

I'm the founder of NOORISM, a repurposed denim brand where we create new, elevated pieces from second hand jeans. I'm an adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City where I teach about Upcycling and Repurposed design. 

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DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE GUIDE to Finding Upcycled Materials

Finding Upcycled Materials_For Instagram

How to Find Upcycled Materials and Not Get Lost in the Process

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"Noor's List": 25+ sources from around the world to find UPCYCLED materials

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Enter your email to recieve your FREE DOWNLOAD

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