ART & DESIGN
SEW YOU KNOW Upcycling the unwanted crafts beautiful results.
BY A N U S H B E N L I YA N
Leftover Patchwork #1
28 PA S A D E N A
M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 2 1
PORTRAIT: JENNIFER WHITNEY
I
n the early 2000s, when Debbie Ouyang moved to Pasadena and friends that reflects the character of Pasadena,” Benniardi across the street from Julie Benniardi, it was, as Ouyang puts muses—ReWeave’s one-off designs range from intricate throws it, serendipitous. Despite their distinct professional backcrafted from a mélange of small swatches to signature BFF grounds—Ouyang had a career in finance, while Benniardi is “Best Furry Friend” pet beds and versatile new Versa stools an interior designer—the two came together over their love made from heavier fabrics, plus boho-chic tops, skirts, pants, outerwear, face masks, and more. of textiles and sustainable luxury as well as a simple question: What happens to all of the fabric samples at the end of each Ouyang notes that over the last two years, they’ve collected season? They looked into the matter out of curiosity and disa total of 10,000 pounds of fabric waste from Thomas Lavin, covered that more than 10 million tons of fabric are scrapped Rubelli, Moore & Giles, and other interior design companies. in U.S. landfills each year, and Los Angeles is the biggest culprit. They also donate 10 percent of sales to L.A. nonprofits that “As it turns out, showrooms have had to discard the materiprovide job training for those struggling with unemployment. als to make room for the incoming collection,” Ouyang says. Most recently, Benniardi and Ouyang teamed up with Aux, “We were aghast that such gorgeous textile pieces were being the experimental production arm of design doyen Sean Yashar’s thrown out and concerned about the detriThe Culture Creative, a Los Angeles–based mental environmental effects of the fabrics brand consultancy. Dubbed Leftover piling up in our landfills for years.” Patchwork #1 ($2,100), the collaborative Thus was born ReWeave L.A., the project is a commentary on waste in the locally based upcycling initiative they design industry in the form of a Califorco-founded in 2018 to repurpose beautinia king-size patchwork quilt made from fully designed, unwanted textile samples deadstock textiles and leather scraps from in an array of colors, patterns, and texthe houses of Missoni, Scalamandré, Holly tures into a line of one-of-a-kind home Hunt, Kneedler Fauchère, and Donghia. goods and ready-to-wear pieces avail“The vision was Sean’s,” says Ouyang. “As able through their online store and stockhe describes it, it’s ‘a kind of flag to all ethists such as Maude Woods and Chateau nicities, genders, and cultures.’ ” Keep an Marmont. Taking inspiration from their eye out for more pieces from the partnerenvironment—“from the beautiful yelship, as well as future collaborations with ReWeave’s Julie Benniardi low ginkgo trees lining the streets of our other designers. From $100; reweavela and Debbie Ouyang neighborhood to the closeness of families .com, theculturecreative.com/aux
