The venerable Los Angeles boutique American Rag has partnered with trend-spotters Denim Dudes to introduce Nothing New, a retail project that aims to highlight up-and-coming local designers and encourage the upcycling of vintage and deadstock apparel. Through their partnership, we hope to promote sustainable fashion practices and showcase the creative possibilities of upcycling pre-owned clothing.
Through the Nothing New project, American Rag’s vast collection of more than two million antique clothes is made available to seven local brands: Object from Nothing, Knorts, Dr. Iceland, Denem, Masato Kawajo, N.G.O., and Clutch Golf. These historic items will serve as the basis for 20-piece capsule collections created by designers that will only be available online and in-person at American Rag beginning on September 19, when there will be a store event.
The initiative’s sustainability was highlighted by American Rag partner Amanda Shi-Werts, who said, “There are enough clothes on the planet to supply our next six generations, so why make something new?” Through inventive material reuse, the program shows how upcycling pre-owned clothing is a sustainable approach to fashion.
In July, the designers chosen by Shannon Reddy, the trend forecaster, and Denim Dudes founder Amy Leverton visited American Rag’s warehouse to choose vintage pieces for their designs. They chose things such as jersey tees, hoodies, aprons, and denim laundry bags. Every designer has a distinct aesthetic that gives them creative freedom while creating their capsules.
