Upcycling Classes

Calida Ellora Designs

Calida Ellora Designs

Upcycling is the process of transforming discarded materials, unwanted products, or discarded items into new materials or products of higher quality or environmental value, rather than simply recycling them.

Once the domain of craft enthusiasts and thrifters on a tight budget, upcyling has finally come into its own. However, this was not always the case. From 1997 to 2014, Orsola de Castro was a lone voice upcycling pre-consumer textile waste for the fashion market (1). She went on to co-found Fashion Revolution, the largest fashion advocacy movement in the world (2, 3). Since 2022, jeans producer Diesel has been upcycling its own cotton offcuts in a United Nations backed project with the aim of minimising wastage in the fashion industry (4). In the last two years, Mulberry (5), Coach (Coachtopia) (6), Hermes (Hermes Petit H) (7) and Miu Miu (8) have worked on capsules made from their own repurposed textile waste. Textile artists such as Ilka White and Celia Pym have been inspiring crafting enthusiasts in how to repurpose textile materials.

My work with Calida Ellora Designs aims to breathe new life into resources that often end up in landfill. By transforming ‘waste’ materials into beautiful and useful objects, I hope to show in a very tangible way that a circular economy and a concern for the environment is not just the domain of crafters and environmentalists, but is rather a worthwhile pursuit for all of humankind.

Calida Ellora Designs is based on Wulworra-Jeung Country, Sydney 🌿

Vintage embroidered tablecloth made into a child's pinafore

Vintage embroidered tablecloth made into a child's pinafore

Back of cross-back pinafore

Back of cross-back pinafore

Little people's slippers made from locally foraged wool jumper, Cath Kidston cloth bag and damaged leather handbag

Little people's slippers made from locally foraged wool jumper, Cath Kidston cloth bag and damaged leather handbag

Underside of little people's slippers made from locally foraged wool jumper, Cath Kidston cloth bag and damaged leather handbag

Underside of little people's slippers made from locally foraged wool jumper, Cath Kidston cloth bag and damaged leather handbag

Wool house slippers made from a shrunk grey baby's cashmere jumper (received as a gift), vintage linen dress and liberty fabric

Wool house slippers made from a shrunk grey baby's cashmere jumper (received as a gift), vintage linen dress and liberty fabric

Underside of house slippers made from a shrunk grey baby's cashmere jumper (received as a gift), vintage linen dress and liberty fabric

Underside of house slippers made from a shrunk grey baby's cashmere jumper (received as a gift), vintage linen dress and liberty fabric

Crochet baskets made from t-shirt jersey fabric cut into yarn and pieces of kimono fabric

Crochet baskets made from t-shirt jersey fabric cut into yarn and pieces of kimono fabric

Beginnings of braided rag rug made from clothing and bedding foraged in the Cremorne Point and McMahons Point's fortnightly roadside rubbish

Beginnings of braided rag rug made from clothing and bedding foraged in the Cremorne Point and McMahons Point's fortnightly roadside rubbish

A little further along the process of making the braided rag rug

A little further along the process of making the braided rag rug

Braided rag rug made from clothing and bedding foraged in the Cremorne Point and McMahons Point's fortnightly roadside rubbish

Braided rag rug made from clothing and bedding foraged in the Cremorne Point and McMahons Point's fortnightly roadside rubbish

Loom rag rug made from clothing and bedding found in my home during the Covid Pandemic

Loom rag rug made from clothing and bedding found in my home during the Covid Pandemic

Finished loom rag rugs made from clothing and bedding found in my home during the Covid Pandemic

Finished loom rag rugs made from clothing and bedding found in my home during the Covid Pandemic

Upcycled lamp shades made from foraged lampshade frames, french linen and liberty fabric

Upcycled lamp shades made from foraged lampshade frames, french linen and liberty fabric

Underside of upcycled lamp shades made from foraged lampshade frames, french linen and liberty fabric

Underside of upcycled lamp shades made from foraged lampshade frames, french linen and liberty fabric

Raised quilt chair covers at Goemon Sushi restaurant, Mosman

Raised quilt chair covers at Goemon Sushi restaurant, Mosman

Raised quilt stitch hot water bottle cover made from French linen and cotton wadding

Raised quilt stitch hot water bottle cover made from French linen and cotton wadding

Raised quilt stitch needle-book cover made from French linen and cotton wadding

Raised quilt stitch needle-book cover made from French linen and cotton wadding

Cross stitch toiletry bag made from a locally foraged cross stitch piece and French linen

Cross stitch toiletry bag made from a locally foraged cross stitch piece and French linen

Vintage embroidered doily bag made from a locally foraged doily French linen and liberty fabric

Vintage embroidered doily bag made from a locally foraged doily French linen and liberty fabric

Vintage embroidered doily bags made from locally foraged doilies and French linen, April 2017

Vintage embroidered doily bags made from locally foraged doilies and French linen, April 2017

Vintage jug cover made from a locally foraged crochet doily and beads

Vintage jug cover made from a locally foraged crochet doily and beads

Vintage jug cover made from a locally foraged crochet doily and beads

Vintage jug cover made from a locally foraged crochet doily and beads

Braided basket made from cardboard toilet rolls and origami flowers made from Frankie magazine pages

Braided basket made from cardboard toilet rolls and origami flowers made from Frankie magazine pages

Braided basket made from cardboard toilet rolls and origami flowers made from Frankie magazine pages

Braided basket made from cardboard toilet rolls and origami flowers made from Frankie magazine pages

Pre-register

Join us in reimagining waste as a resource and embracing creativity with purpose. Be the first to hear when registrations open for upcoming workshops and events.

References

(1) From Somewhere UK. (2025). From Somewhere UK [Instagram]. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/fromsomewhereuk/. Accessed April 7, 2025.

(2) Fashion Revolution. (2025). About [Fashion Revolution website]. Available at: https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/. Accessed April 7, 2025.

(3) (R)evolution. ((2023). ‘Orsola de Castro: “Upcycling is the key to transform the industry” ‘, Pearls, August 2023. Available at: https://pearlsmagazine.com/en/orsola-de-castro-upcycling-is-the-key-to-transform-the-industry/

(4) Shoaib, M. (2022). ’Diesel teams up with Tunisian suppliers on UN-backed cotton upcycling project’, Vogue Business, July 2022. Available at: https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/diesel-teams-up-with-tunisian-suppliers-on-un-backed-cotton-upcycling-project

(5) Abramovitch, I. (2024). ‘Hermès’s New Collection of Upcycled Delights Has Landed—Just in Time for Gifting Season’, Elle Decor, October 2024. Available at: https://www.elledecor.com/shopping/a62173525/hermes-petit-h/

(6) Ishmael, A. (2024). ‘Coachtopia Taps Four Rising Upcycling Designers for Its New Campaign’, Teen Vogue, May 2024. Available at: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/coachtopia-rising-upcycling-designers-campaign

(7) Shiffman, A. (2023). ‘A crafty, covetable Mulberry collab made its surprise debut on the Stefan Cooke runway’, Vogue Scandinaiva, September 2023. Available at: https://www.voguescandinavia.com/articles/a-crafty-covetable-mulberry-collab-made-its-surprise-debut-on-the-stefan-cooke-runway

(8) Stephens, R. (2024). ‘Miu Miu unveils Upcycled 2024, as part of their Holiday collection’, Harpers Bazaar Australia, November 2024. Available at: https://harpersbazaar.com.au/miu-miu-upcycled-holiday-2024/]