JAZZ UP YOUR JEANS Turn them into something else

Jazz

up your Jeans

Thinking of throwing your old jeans away? Well don’t, not yet at least because 23-year-old Wuzzy Omilaye wants you to consider an eco-friendly alternative.

What started out as a hobby, quickly turned into a thriving business during the 2020 lockdown.

Wuzzy discovered a talent for revamping old denim. Upcycling vintage Levi jeans to bespoke pieces and sharing the images on social media, her creative approach to sustainable fashion attracted attention, which led to many orders and requests.

“People started asking me where they can get the pieces,” says Wuzzy and what started as a hobby to help deal with the difficult job market as a recent graduate, transformed into a business with orders flooding in.”

With business booming from her brent based studio, Wuzzy stayed committed to her core values, with workshop opportunities to show others how to go green and reuse old jeans.

“It’s important for me to promote sustainability,” she says and alongside taking a slow fashion approach to producing her bespoke pieces, Wuzzy teaches people how to be sustainable and revamp their old denim. See Wuzzy’s jacket and bodice on left.

Wuzzy’s Top Tips for Upcycling Old Denim:

• Before throwing away your jeans try patching them up with a piece of fabric and making it your own. • If you have an old sewing machine put it to work and with some simple online tips you can make a small makeup bag. • With some cardboard and a hot glue gun, you can transform your denim into place mats and coasters.

Follow @by.wuzzy on Instagram

Tips on taking care of your jeans

• Air-dry - Tumble dryers are not good for your denim, the lint makes the denim breakdown and lessens the quality. Turn them inside out and hang them out to dry. • Wash on a cold cycle - A cold wash keeps the blue dye in your jeans and protects them from shrinkage. • Washing your jeans at least once a month can save over 2,000 litres of water a year. • The less you wash your jeans the better the fit and the look.