How Nicole McLaughlin reimagines waste and discarded materials
summary
Designs reclaimed office and factory samples into wearable objects using cutting, hot glue, stapling, sewing and rapid prototyping; a viral IKEA sandal and a modular 401 shoe for Hoka prove the method scales from viral posts to brand collaborations (Puma, Reebok, Hermes, Gucci). Three to four projects per week during lockdown, truckloads of mismatched shoes arriving at a 500‑foot studio, and a six‑foot Super Bowl jacket built to be taken apart and donated show the claim—waste is a resource—and that the approach actually works.
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chapters (10)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:04Fashion waste discovery
- 2:51Rapid prototyping process
- 4:41Career transition
- 6:49Upcycling pandemic
- 8:54Brand collaborations
- 10:38Consumer responsibility
- 12:47Workshops engagement
- 14:12Sustainable design principles
- 15:15Call to action
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