CREATIVE UPCYCLING TRENDS AT THE URBAN OASIS RUNWAY X FUJITSU
12 March 2024 | Words by Evie Dinkelmeyer
Upcycling was all the rage during the pandemic, back when we all had the time to crochet, bedazzle and embroider the day away.
Years later, as hordes of Melburnians flock to the 2024 PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival, 1.5 metre distance requirements a distant memory, those same creative fashion trends are still visible on our runways and in our streetwear looks.
Everybody wants sustainable fashion and upcycling your existing wardrobe is a great way to give your older clothes a new lease on life. Rip up your jeans, paint them, tie ribbons in your belt loops – there’s no wrong way to exercise fashion creativity.
Here are my favourite upcycling looks from Urban Oasis Runway x Fujitsu at the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival, for you to use as inspiration for your next crafty adventure.
CNN reported the rise of knitting and crocheting during 2020, where teens were finding iconic knitwear pieces by luxury brands like JW Anderson, and recreating and sharing the knitting patterns on TikTok. Harry Styles’ patchwork cardigan was trending in August of 2020 as fans rushed to craft themselves a budget version of his wardrobe. My personal favourite look from the night was Iltja Ntjarra’s ‘Always was, always will be’ knitted balaclava. Another fantastic crocheted look was produced by Amber Days with a playful vest.
Ginny’s Girl Gang made its name upcycling denim jackets with First Nations empowered slogans like ‘On stolen land’ and ‘Always was’. This collection paid homage to that original style, and takes it up a notch with bedazzled symbols and sewn on feathers. Jewels and denim have been having their moment in Australia following Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, where many swifties handmade their costumes from scratch – using lots of sparkles and DIY tools.
GINNY’S GIRL GANG
GINNY’S GIRL GANG
JAM the Label shows us an effortless accessory detail with this ribbon tie up necklace. Ribbons and bows as part of the coquette trend have been circling fashion events since late 2023 – a phenomenon that is simple to join in on and playful to wear.
JAM THE LABEL
Another avenue for upcycling your existing wardrobe comes from wearing an item differently from how it was intended to be worn. Wear your long sleeve t-shirt as an off the shoulder singlet, or drape your knitted sweater over your shoulder – anything is possible. Take some inspiration from this Iordanes Spyridon Gogos x Akira collection, where pieces are uniquely draping and tying up across the body, or this Best Jumpers look sporting two sweaters on one model.
BEST JUMPERS
IORDANES SPYRIDON GOGOS X AKIRA
Iron or sew on patches are a simple and effective avenue for upcycling, with the most minimal chance of messing it up and ruining your original item, for example see the hat featured above by Best Jumpers.
BEST JUMPERS
If you’re not creatively inclined but you still want to join in on the fun, upcycling of the highest quality can be found when you Shop the Runway.