LaundRe provides the tools for water-inspired collection
Inspired by water, waste and circular production, Australian artist Samek (pictured) has given discarded jeans new life by transforming them using finishing and laser process at London’s LaundRe to create a one-off collection called The Ripple Effect.
She extended a two-day project into a week in the East London facility, reworking and sewing old jeans and transforming them with the Jeanologia laser.
She said: “Water ripples became the natural metaphor for this project, not only because traditional denim production is one of fashion’s most water-intensive processes, but because water behaves like influence.”
LaundRE’s industrial washers, ozone machine, laser and mannequins offer designers and brands the opportunity to finish raw denim onshore or transform overstock with new finishes or laser patterns. It provides a circular route back to market for donated or discarded jeans, and the team hosts workshops and education sessions for retailers and students. (Read more about the facility here.)
Samek advises other designers to take advantage of the facilities. “Having access to state-of-the-art finishing technology without needing to go offshore makes experimentation so much more accessible and low-risk,” she said. “The systems support designers and brands at all different stages, and the team are true experts, generous with their knowledge and excited to help bring ideas to life.”
The collection adds to Samek’s previous designs centred around recycled, repurposed or deadstock materials. “Everything we put into the world, no matter how small, amplifies a message, so it’s important to be conscious about which messages we’re choosing to support,” she told us. “And yes, this has definitely inspired me to go deeper into denim moving forward.”
