UPCYCLER
Chile / UK
FRANCISCA GAJARDO
Y.A.N.G. is an Upcycling brand created by me, sustainable designer Francisca Gajardo, from Iquique, Chile. The north of Chile is known for having the biggest second-hand markets of the country, and the biggest textile landfills as well. Growing surrounded by that made me question why do we keep making clothes? If there is so much textile waste and so many good quality pieces in the street markets for less than a dollar.
That is what motivated me to create my independent Upcycling brand in 2017, once I finished my Fashion and Textiles degree. Since then, I’ve been able to inspire a whole community of future and young designers to follow this sustainable path.
But for me, didn’t make much sense to fight Fast Fashion by making more clothes. So that is why in 2018 I started teaching the Upcycling methodologies I developed throughout my career and sharing my knowledge. The goal was to give the tools to people to take back power with their hands and make change for themselves. That way, my mission of change would expand like a wave and reach more people.
So far, I have taught my Upcycling methods to over 200 people. To continue perfecting my methodologies I started in 2019, an MA in Sustainable Design at Kingston University where I graduated with distinction.
Y.A.N.G. COLLECTIONS
ANGELES WARRIORS
FALL / WINTER 2018/ STGO, CHILE
Ageless Warriors was the name of my collection, and it told the history of space/time travellers that moved through different dimensions and ages waking people's minds and consciousness. These warriors,
skilled in telepathy and teleportation, are not ruled by the physical laws
that governed us humans, and their hobbies and missions are going around the infinite realms gathering fighters for The All. In the end, my message was that everyone who
fights for a common good is an Ageless Warrior because that action resonates and transcends space
and time. The power of change
is in ourselves.
evolutions
FALL / WINTER 2019/ STGO, CHILE
When humanity is threatened, the solution is simple: we evolve, or we become extinct.
'Evolutions' is the first big project I launched as an independent designer, in collaboration with many national talents. As the name says,
Evolutions is the transition from Ageless Warriors, this colourful
and optimistic world, to a more hopeless and painful one.
The world that we could be facing
as humanity if we don't manage
to overcome our environmental,
social and political issues.
SOON / UK
Independent Teacher
Since 2018
Thanks to my brand, Y.A.N.G., I've been able to inspire people into the sustainable paths of the fashion industry. But I realized that by selling products, my impact as a sustainable designer wasn't as significant as if I started teaching my methodologies. That is why I decided to start doing workshops to teach people how to Upcycle their clothing based on the techniques I've been perfecting throughout the years.
Chile / UK
My students
These are some of the results of the many people that have taken my Upcycling Workshops. Each person designed and manufactured their own designs. I just gave them the tools and guidance to realize their creative ideas.
Experimental Recycling Methodology
This methodology is one of the several I invented to work with Upcycled materials, and consists of the deconstruction of the recycled garments. First, we record the Before of the clothing, then we take it apart unpicking the stitches that conform the base of the garment, and then we draw with the unpicked pieces, half of our future design on the floor or table. We take a picture of that design, reflect it on a cell phone app, and that is how we get the first ideas of our experimental design.
Chile / UK
In the process, the designs change constantly. The whole idea behind this methodology is to deconstruct traditional ideas of garment design and manufacture by students. They are able to play and free their creative impulses through the textiles and shapes. We start creating from the materials (ECO), not from the design mind (EGO). These materials lead the way and the outcomes. Each result is unique and represents the personality of the creator.
Chile / UK
Kingston, UK
MA in Sustainable Design
Kingston University, graduated with distinction
On 2019 I had the luck to join the MA in Sustainable Design at Kingston University. This programme, besides having a clear focus on environmental issues, it's strongly inclined towards social development and interdisciplinary problem-solving.
Thanks to this, I've learned how to adapt my Upcycling skills and passion for solving social problems.
One of my projects had to respond to the isolation problem that many elderly face in the UK. Through many research, brainstorming and prototyping, I ended up developing an intergenerational programme that joined the students of Kingston School of Arts (KSA) with older people with a specific set of artistic skills.
All thanks to Jenette, the 91-year-old talented and inspiring woman that agreed to participate in this project with me. I met her in the Bradbury Centre of Kingston, and she said to me that she had this dress that never wore, and wanted to transform it. So we co-designed a two-piece outfit and manufactured it together.
We worked in my class studio once a week with my sewing machine. Jenette wasn't able to sew because of her health problems, but she had a strong background in Fashion (she studied patternmaking in Central Saint Martins), so she knew very well how she wanted her design. She became the designer and me the executor.
For this project, I kept track of Jennette's outfits and our experiences on the KSA building. I also was able to understand how this programme could work based on our daily difficulties, talks, interactions with others, and concerns.
Something that started as an Upcycling project with Jennette, transformed into a vision for future communities. Designers that support people in risk, through volunteer and unselfish acts. Communities engaging with others based on their artistic knowledge and skill sharing.
Awareness and empathy will set us free from our pasts behaviours, and we will start transitioning to a new era.
In the beginning, it seemed impossible for me to create a
social project from the fashion industry, that was meaningful and not
superficial. Now, finishing my MA, I genuinely believe that the possibilities are infinite, that anyone can design, and we can all have fun doing it. Sustainability, community, environment, design, behaviours, empathy, love. It's all just one big thing.
Thank you.