My Senior Thesis, Reminisce & Renew, honors clothing of the past, as well as the aesthetic and utilitarian purpose of accessories in our lives. Inspired by Bonnie Cashin, my collection reimagines hardware associated with handbags, exploring it as a motif. Reminisce & Renew incorporates upcycling, consisting of garments and accessories made from pre-loved clothing, home textiles, and vintage coin purses. I intend to breathe new life into these upcycled pieces while celebrating the silhouettes of the 1960s and 70s.

For my first look, I created the wool cape from a vintage army blanket I found at a thrift store, with leather accents from an old leather jacket. The dress underneath is made from a vintage curtain that I naturally dyed using tea, and is lined with an old bedsheet. For my second look, I upcycled two men’s shirts to create the blouse, and also found vintage deadstock kiss frames for the sleeves and a vintage mini coin purse that I turned into a brooch. The corduroy pants underneath are made from three men’s corduroy jackets that I thrifted and pieced together.