Meet the Millennial Designers Who Turn Nike Scraps into Viral Tops

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The fashion industry’s endless quest for the next big thing is becoming unusually complicated with the world shut down for the foreseeable future. As the industry pivots to keep up with a new normal, a group of Internet-age designers have excited consumers in a time where true sartorial inspiration is few and far between. Their one-of-a-kind garments constructed from thrifted Nike and Champion fabric scraps have gone viral on social media, prompting floods of daily requests for custom pieces. With their Instagram and Depop platforms gaining hundreds of followers by the day, young Black designers like Kayla Sade and Jasmine James have found success with one-woman shows that pack a triple punch: a commitment to sustainability, a unique perspective, and a fully online business model.

For Sade, a 25-year-old self-taught designer who creates corsets from thrifted Nike sweatshirts and T-shirts, starting her brand, Almost on Time, was less of a calculated decision than a reaction to an unexpected demand. She wanted to make her own thrifted items more feminine and form-fitting, and after re-working a few pieces into corsets and posting them on Depop, a hobby quickly turned into a profitable new venture fueled by viral photos. The platform is most recognized for second-hand finds, but it also has a growing network of independent designers that work with upcycled materials, making it an ideal marketplace for Sade. As fast as an Internet connection can go, the designer gained over 20,000 Instagram followers, created a website, and announced an official release date.

In May, her first drop of upcycled corsets sold out in less than 20 minutes. The pieces ranged in price from 0 to 0, and each was one-of-a-kind. Sade now has almost 45,000 Instagram followers who eagerly await the sporadic arrival of limited re-worked corsets.

James’ patchwork tops and dresses have received a similar response. Last year, the 23-year-old Brooklynite began selling her reworked Nike pieces as an income supplement to her day job as an administrative assistant, because, as she tells CR, “you can’t live in New York without a side hustle.” When Depop posted a photo of her work to its Instagram account in June, her shop, JJ Vintage, received an influx of interest. Her followers grew by the thousands and she soon moved her operations to an official website after a number of celebrity stylists began requesting pieces through her Instagram DMs.

Every time James posts a piece on Depop, it sells within minutes, meaning eager customers are constantly refreshing her page. In the online world, JJ Vintage has the equivalent of a line snaking around the block.

In a quarantine era where fashion brands are wrangling with their non-essential statuses, Sade and James stumbled into fashion relevancy (and profit) almost by accident. They didn’t foresee it, but stay-at-home circumstances provided the perfect storm for their hobbies to grow into online businesses. Sade began practicing corsetry with her own thrifted fabrics when fabric stores closed, and Depop’s traffic-driving post for JJ Vintage came not even a month after James was furloughed from her day job. The two designers were creating unique pieces with viral potential just as screen times around the world took a drastic increase.

“This is a new era where technology plays a larger role than ever, especially with so many people staying home. As an independent creative, I can reach people all over the world without leaving my apartment,” Sade tells CR. James also points out that when you’re bored at home, it’s easy to spend hours online shopping through marketplaces like Depop.

Sade approaches the design process with the belief that fashion should “be fun and exciting and spark emotions,” necessities to pull consumers out of the monotony of quarantine scrolling. A structured corset with a Nike logo or an off-the-shoulder patchwork top made from four Champion fabrics comes with the familiarity of the brands yet in the form of something new. The styles also appeal to the athleisure trend, but with a twist.

“A lot of people like Nike—I’m pretty sure everyone loves Nike—so when you see Nike in a different way, it’s like, ‘Wow, this is something I want,’” James shares.

But it isn’t just about the logos. Sustainability is the main focus of both businesses. By turning old fabrics into new garments, James and Sade are rejecting the toxic pollution produced by the fast fashion cycle. Instead of adding to the 26 billion pounds of textiles that end up in landfills every year, they turn old fabrics into quality clothing that lasts.

It’s difficult, though, for a small business to push back against the powerful systems of cheap and rapid manufacturing.

“I recently learned that photos of my work have already been directly copied to create cheap bootlegs in China, which is a bit disheartening considering that my goal is to inspire sustainability and upcycling and create limited amounts of very unique pieces, not more cheap, fast fashion,” Sade says.

The economic effects of the pandemic—as well as the wake-up call that accompanies a health crisis—have prompted many to re-evaluate what purchases still feel important. For some, new clothes don’t make the cut, but when they do, that means investing money into a garment that’s unique and exciting enough to be “worth it.” In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, conscious consumers are also being mindful about supporting Black-owned businesses.

This isn’t lost on Sade and James, who recognize that their success has coincided with pivotal current events: the official Almost on Time website launched just four days after George Floyd’s murder, and Depop featured JJ Vintage on its Instagram as protests roared across the United States.

“I received a lot of support during this time, although the small success of gaining an audience was greatly overshadowed by the turmoil going on around me,” Sade expresses. “Having a new platform is a challenge because I would like to find balance and be able to speak out about my personal experiences and bring awareness to important issues while also not feeling the weight of the trauma dragging down my energy and livelihood.”

In a fashion world becoming increasingly characteristic of the newest generation of self-taught young designers, Sade and James are at its forefront. Digitally native, sustainably minded, and creatively driven, their personal values are the building blocks for their brands–and why they’ve gained quick success.


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