As the world slows down, so does fashion. Gucci has announced it will no longer be following calendar seasons and other labels are expected to follow suit. However, there have always been trailblazing designers and creatives that have explored with up-cycled items and clothing and focused on the idea of slow fashion. I am hoping that this is not just a momentary trend that will be forgotten as soon as the world returns to normalcy, but a shift in the way we consume fashion as a whole. Let’s explore some up-cycled fashion portraits with I Am Earth.

Tell us a little bit about I Am Earth:

I am Earth started with the idea to combine fashion and environmental awareness. Our mission is to create a conversation piece like the photos while we educate and share solutions to save the earth.

I love the up cycled pieces like the Doritos packaging skirt and the My Little Pony crown. What inspired the styling and how did you find the objects?

Aren’t they so cool? The styling and the shoot was inspired by creating awareness of fast fashion. We wanted the kids (and their parents) to find out how Fast Fashion is hurting our environment. What we can do about it and the alternatives.

We collaborated with talented designers for the shoot. DesignLab is one of them. Their founder teaches kids how to sew. The kids at DesignLab are very conscious and have created many pieces with trash like the Doritos skirt. We borrowed some of them for the shoot.

The crowns were made by Aliette Monde. She makes beautiful crowns with random objects so we knew it was the right fit. We collected trash and old toys so she could make us up-cycled crowns and hats. We wanted the kids to feel royal but at the same time, we wanted them to learn about up-cycling.

We also collaborated with The House of Findings vintage store and sustainable designers like Lulaland, Lisu Vega & Organic Jewelry by Allie. They kindly let us use their amazing pieces. We also used some awesome thrifted pieces!

What did the kids thinks of their outfits?

They were electric! Especially the little ones. They loved learning about the clothes we used and how they can make a difference. They were so inspired to learn that the clothes made out of trash were sewn by other kids. We had a couple of kids that cried because they were so excited to be part of a photo-shoot.

If there was one message you would like the viewer to come away with from viewing these images, what would that message be?

That you can be fashionable and conscious at the same time. Sustainable pieces can be expensive but with a little bit of creativity and open-mindedness you will able to create a wonderful wardrobe that reflects your personality.