Based in Boulder, Colorado Nicole McLaughlin creates pieces that can be seen as art, as well as fashion statement pieces. She does this while also championing sustainability as her core design principle is about transforming wastes and debris into a completely different wearable item that other people would not have expected. McLaughlin has created everything from home slippers out of old tennis balls, to jackets out of recycled backpacks.
Her pieces push the boundaries of upcycling, showing that anything can be recycled into a new functioning item with a little bit of humour and a lot of creativity. Her work has also been featured in renowned fashion publications such as Italian Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily, showing that upcycled fashion can also be achieved in fashion without compromising design quality. This is why the work that Nicole McLaughlin does is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Responsible Consumption and Production.
Despite her designs garnering the attention of the masses (she has over 800,000 followers on Instagram), McLaughlin does not want to sell her creations the same way a traditional fashion designer would. “I always feel a little worried that if I started to sell bespoke products, that would be crossing a line. So far it’s been more about concepts to help people think a little bit differently about a brand or something that they have seen so many times. We’re just all so over-saturated with things. It’s a way to refresh and see something new,” she admitted in an interview.
Here, McLaughlin is sharing her worries about how her job of transforming discarded products into more products will only lead to even more waste in the future. Hence, she focuses on keeping waste out of landfills and stopping the cycle of overconsumption once and for all. This is a bold and necessary decision, considering how the fashion industry, particularly fast fashion, has been generating 92 million tonnes of textile waste found in landfills in just a year.
Nicole McLaughlin's innovative approach to upcycled fashion demonstrates how sustainability and creativity can coexist to challenge conventional design norms. By transforming discarded items into whimsical yet functional statement pieces, McLaughlin highlights the potential of upcycling and redefines what fashion can achieve without compromising quality or artistry. Her decision to prioritize concepts over mass production highlights her commitment to breaking the cycle of overconsumption and addressing the environmental toll of fast fashion.
Find out more about sustainable fashion and other initiatives by Nicole McLaughlin on their website www.nicolemclaughlin.com or Instagram @nicolemclaughlin.