Meet the three designers transforming found objects into wearable treasures.
Arcana New York
Ankur Maniar
Storytelling is at the heart of this Brooklyn-based label. According to founder and Parsons grad Arianna Reagan, every fabric has a backstory, whether it be an antique kimono silk that didn’t quite pass muster with a Japanese vendor or endek weavings from Bali, where the designer spent a month working with a family-owned collective that trains women in this increasingly rare craft. For spring, Reagan utilized silk from vacated silk moth cocoons to deliver sharp women’s separates that are not only environmentally sound but cruelty free. (arcananyc.com)
Greg Lauren x Alanui
Courtesy of the designer
Greg Lauren shares a love of Americana motifs with his uncle Ralph. But the Los Angeles-based designer takes a more left-of-center approach to his own denim-heavy collections: Think dusters Frankensteined together from navy peacoats and denim over-alls. This season, Lauren partnered with buzzy Italian knitwear brand Alanui, run by brother-and-sister duo Nicolò and Carlotta Oddi, to merge dead stock and vintage denim with ultraluxe hand-knitted cashmere—the ultimate marriage of New and Old World. (greglauren.com)
Alexandra Hakim
Courtesy of the designers
Whether it’s discarded nutshells, matchsticks, or tomato stems (above), the most quotidian of objects inspire British Lebanese jewelerAlexandra Hakim. “All the pieces are made from materials that would have lost their function after use,” she says. “I use the body asa canvas to give them the value they deserve, both aesthetically and conceptually.” Because no molds are used in the process—Hakim casts each item directly in silver—no two pieces are identical, resulting in wonderfully asymmetrical earrings and one-of-a-kind rings and necklaces. (alexandrahakim.co)
This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of ELLE.