Kate McGuire

Multiple, preowned @zara dresses sewn together to holler a sustainability message of hope! 💚📣. If you were shown the final dress for the first time, where would you think it came from? Could it stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the brand new gowns gracing today’s red carpets? The point is - using new resources are Not Necessarily Necessary - RIGHT?! Doesn’t it make you wonder how different the future of fashion would look if designers used pieces from the past instead of new rolls of fabric? Every garment would have a brilliant backstory - INSANE!! There’s definitely enough out there to play with!! This gown wasn’t actually planned, in fact it was inspired by an @ebay search result from when I was hunting for a dress to convert. Four identical pre-owned lovelies for the price of one - my kind of deal! When you have multiple garments, you can think of them as fabric. I loved the original shape so just exaggerated it to create volume and drama - and it looks just epic worn with a low-slung belt too. So, there are 3 looks for starters and the ante could easily be upped even further - (chestnut velvet ribbon trims?!) and the design even changed again in a myriad of ways! THAT is the beauty of converting clothes. The options are literally endless. Which begs the question (I keep asking!): if we can create fabulous new from fabulous old - EVEN fast fashion - why can’t we make the new clothes we crave from those the Earth’s already gifted us? Thank you for even considering converting one thing in your closet - start with a hemline, sleeve length or neck line. Let’s walk the walk together! It’ll be such a satisfying journey and I bet my bottom dollar, you’ll never want to leave the path. Thank you @mihaelafashionshop - 💚U. #savetheplanet . . #conversion #converted #upcycled #sustainable #sustainablefashion #upcycledfashion #upcycling #designer #designerfashion #refashion #repurpose #savetheplanet #celebrity #climate #sustainableliving #gown #redcarpet #celebrityfashion #greenfashion #fall #autumn #bows #frills #dresses #designerdress #designergown #redcarpetdress #redcarpetfashion #upcycledclothing

🇺🇸 AMERICAN & BRITISH VOGUE 🇬🇧 🙏 Thank you so, so much to Emily Chan @chan_ely for penning such a beautiful piece and putting CC in the sustainability spotlight! 🚀 When the message gets amplified by an iconic platform like Vogue, another flame for the planet gets lit. If even one person converts something they own as a result of seeing what’s possible here, it’s worth every ounce of energy I possess! Am thrilled to be partnering with @shopdoramaar in launching the first CC collection into the world! A truly fantastic team and platform. Thank you guys ♥️ . . . #conversion #refashionista #refashion #upcycle #upcycledclothing #sustainablefashion #vogue #britishvogue #voguemagazine #sjp #sarahjessicaparker #andjustlikethat #sexandthecitystyle #sexandthecity #sexandthecitycostumes #andjustlikethatcostumes #clothingdesign #fashiondesigner #refashioned #refashionedclothing #style #carriebradshaw #carriebradshawstyle #doramaar

Can you see upcycling front and centre in our sustainable fashion future? Would you learn to sew if it was cool and easy?! (I’m developing something v cool to assist - coming later this year!). OF COURSE you’re going to learn!! We could actually create an entire fashion industry just by upcycling that would exist OUTSIDE the existing fashion industry - think about that!! It was an honour to address the distinguished guests of the United Nations Fashion & Lifestyle Network @fashionimpactfund at the #unitednationsheadquarters in #nyc. Thank you so much for inviting me. Y’all know where my heart lies on the subject of upycycling, it’s the biggest solution in the room. And we can all BE the solution right now! What you’ll discover, once you start learning to sew is the awesome love, happiness, peace, bliss and fulfillment that comes with being able to tweak your own clothes - and I’m not joking! (you know it) Fantastic unique clothes are virtually a by-product… Nothing looks as good as Conversion feels. Huge thanks to my fellow panelists @patrickmcdowell , Jean Hegedujm and @shriya_bhattacharya as well as @kerrybannigan and @valenttinamarie and all at the UNFLN for the incredible work you are doing to help progress this essential conversation. BRAVA! And 🙏 @mimixapatel xxx . . . #conversion #upcycle #upcycling #unitednations #sustainablefashion #sustainability #sustainableliving #rewear #clothingdesign #fashion #fashionforward #savetheplanet #sewing #sewistsofinstagram #rework #reworkedfashion #unitednationsfashion

The gift that gives the exact fashion YOU want: Conversion! Can you see there are clothes within clothes within clothes?! …ever-new gorgeousness hidden inside fashion that already exists?! I want you to believe that converting your own clothes feels inevitable because what you receive is worth the tiny bit of investment - learning a skill/finding a dressmaker… And the GIFTS?? Discovering there’s an Inner Designer alive and well inside your own mind; realising you’re FAR more creative than you thought!; developing serious X-ray fashionista eyes that see potential everywhere; understanding your shape so well you can make almost ANYTHING flatter you; receiving endless compliments because your clothes finally feel truly YOU, and drum-roll… self-empowerment. You’re no longer ruled by fashion - YOU shape it. A tweak here, a shift there and suddenly the whole vibe changes. You’re going to know and respect yourself on a whole new level. 🥇 Converting is more than altering fashion - it’s creative, empowering, purposeful… spiritual! Save clothes, inspire people, help the planet and reconnect with yourself all at once. And I genuinely cannot WAIT for you to feel this for yourselves!!!! All from learning to sew… even just a little bit?! It’s all coming this year (HOORAH!!!!) thanks to the brilliant collective at Converted Closet building a super-cool online space for us to learn, create and come together. THANK YOU TEAM!!!!! ✨ #conversion #upcycling #upcycledfashion #vintage #vintagefashion

CHALLENGE to self - just to#! The fabulous A-list stylist @elizabethsaltzman who I knew from London had popped round to my studio a couple of months before to look at some pieces and suggested I give it a go (with a wink I’ll never forget!). So I got my little @luciekaas Karl Lagerfeld doll and meditated with it, studied Lagerfeld’s journey through Chanel archives and this was the result! I love layers in a theme so the nod to the unsustainability, yet beauty, of Chanel packaging with the white ribbons really hit the spot. An ironic homage to Karl using his old fast fashion to create new and prove a point. 💪 The hat I spotted on @sarahcantmillinery (genius), and when she explained she’d found the mesh in an open wall whilst having some building work done in her studio I KNEW it was meant to be. 🙏 I had the vintage ribbons from @eastcoasttrimming pleated to perfection at @nyembroiderystudio and an old cape became the velvet supply. Thanks to @quiltysaurus and his long arm quilting machine! It was a true team effort. What do you think? And now my fantastic expanded team are working on getting us all creating our own conversions - from basic to big-time - together. Because we all deserve to know how to do the right thing 🌍 #sustainablefashion #fashion #upcycling #vintage

WHATEVER the Met Gala chooses to champion will flourish - its prestige and power is rocket-fuel for the fashion industry - reinforcing fashion as one of the most desirable, aspirational commodities on Earth. The pieces on the Met’s steps are more than garments - they’re symbols of power, beauty, creativity and wealth. But where did they begin? Some as seeds in soil, others as crude oil formed from ancient life - everything we wear comes from the planet that sustains us. And the irony that this same planet is now under threat because of insatiable demand for constant newness - driven by events like this Gala - is impossible to ignore. The disconnect is VERY real and is adversely affecting every one of us and ALL future generations, whether we realise it now or not. But I don’t believe we need to dismantle this world but expand it by establishing conversion - new garments made from those already existing - as a true, aspirational fashion category, visible at the very top, worn at moments like these. The instant we see existing garments as precious raw material, everything changes: fashion becomes more creative, more personal and more moving. Use what’s already in our closets - and each other’s - and creativity explodes. The tanker turns. It WILL. And each one of us can honour ourselves and our planet by driving that momentum in our own lives - it’s The Great Joy of my life. Trust me - you’ll feel it too. We are squarely in the driving seat - is the vehicle you’re in feeding dark or light energy? Your Still Small Voice knows. Buckle up for a seat on the bus of love, satisfaction, peace, connectedness, and the most unique, extraordinary, accessible fashion imaginable. We can begin now. Are you on board? #fashion #sustainablefashion #conversion #upcycledfashion #vintage

Hands up whose heart’s on FIRE for this conversion?! Love at first sight, this ridiculously original 70’s Alice Pollock dress leapt off the rails straight into my arms, BEGGING to be worn. And in the screaming 1970s - YES baby with bells on!!.. but now? And this dress was clearly designed to be worn and seen. Clothes don’t last forever - and even as part of a private collection - WHO is enjoying them and how? They need the attention, admiration and love they deserves! I fully swear garments speak to me! They whisper to my heart - telling me what they want to become - and I haven’t got the words to describe the joy these relationships bring me. I’m more than aware of new-fashion’s extremely harmful impact on the planet and I’ve been taught by the best (Cambridge and Harvard) that the number 1 solution is that we all wear existing clothes more. Seriously. You too! Everything we can. If Alice Pollock saw this, reworked to respect the original’s design integrity - what do you think would she say? I’ve disappeared into outer space with love for this sparkling star. Alice - if you’re there - thank you beyond words for your gift to the world and my heart. Xx #vintage #sustainable #upcycle #fashion #style

If you’re looking for other-worldly, eccentric pieces from the past, I suggest you RUN to the Gallery of Wearable Art, in the centre of NYC - straight into the arms of the sartorial saviour, Stephanie Kaster. As one of the hardest die-hard fashionistas I’ve ever met, her collection surpassed even my expectations. Having dedicated her entire professional life to tracking down, collecting, and selling garments that have graced the flamboyant famous, runways and rails she passes through life - it’s unsurprising that the pieces she has to show and sell are outrageously brilliant. There’s something for everyone - including with less eccentric taste - like Greg Lauren’s delectable converted parkas, trimmed with rich blue silk velvet - they’ll satiate nicely, thank you very much. More extraordinary finds to come… #vintage #upcycled #sustainable #style #fashion

NEW DROP This was a dress. Now it’s a wardrobe. Four pieces. Endless outfits. American heritage - completely reimagined by hand and love - twice! A quilted dream… with serious range. The jacket? Throw it over anything and suddenly it’s a look. Vest. Jeans. Silk. . Effortless - but never low-key. Winter whites with cashmere. Summer evenings with silk. It moves with you - all year round. And the collar… I mean, it might be the cutest, most versatile to ever exist! themselves. Tee, blouse, bodysuit, soft knit - it just keeps working. The shape inspired by the quilt pattern: originally known as “Wedding Rings.” Which feels rather perfect given how deeply in love you fall with it. Casual. Cool. Collectible. Handmade sartorial art. And she’s looking for her forever home. DM for details. #vintage #sustainable #upcycle #style #fashion

A fluid chiffon nod to St. Patrick’s Day! Dress at first glance - jumpsuit upon inspection! This kind of transformation gifts and vintage garment REAL LIFE time travel – and what could possibly be more exciting for anyone or thing on the planet?! The original gathered waist (I KNOW - where’s the before? I’d like a word with our hard drive) was released, opened out, and reworked into flat-fronted, fitted trousers - the hems still holding onto that generous sweep of the original skirt (a neat 50/50 situation now…). The waist seam - when you’re dealing with silk chiffon and charmeuse (the most delightfully unruly of fabrics) - was never going to sit there politely. So instead, I let a ruched sash to blur, smooth, and actually elevate, as it happens! And from the remnants… an indulgently long twilly. Long enough to visually connect top and bottom, draw the eye vertically (always flattering), and add that extra whisper of movement. The bow? Almost too much fun. Front, side, back… or barely there at all. You can decide. . . . #vintage #upcycle #sustainable #fashion #style

As a British-New-Yorker, the pins/brooches issue has been confusing me so for the record: “Brooch” is the formal word to use, coming from an old French word meaning pointed object or clasp. Originally, they were used as decorative fastenings - shawls, capes etc. but over time as the decoration became more ornamental, they became jewelry in thier own right. “Pin” is an American term - less formal - and the word now covers anything pinned onto clothing - badges, campaign pins etc. So we’re clearly doing Brooches - sorted. Nancy and I were in violent agreement that their value to us is the lovely feelings they trigger in us as we look at, and wear them. We project energy onto objects, and what’s more precious than human energy and love? We also VERY much enjoy the design control they give over an outfit. Nancy often likes to wear two at time - one on each side - and honestly, she does an extraordinary job of balancing sometimes two very unrelated pieces! But we’d expect nothing less from an always-immaculately-presented Legend. I had the big gold Hermes-like nail made from a few gold pieces I inherited and it looks epic when used to fasten anything I can possibly use it on! Our possessions reflect the stories of our lives - what secrets do the trillions of brooches in existence hold? Look for fabulous, and often very reasonably priced, pieces on resale platforms (Etsy/Ebay are very good) and always have a peek in the jewelry section of thrift stores (Aladdin’s Brooch Caves) Do you have one with a story? Nancy & I would LOVE to hear! . . . #vintage #sustainable #upcycle #style #fashion

Do you prefer it with or without the go-faster stripes?? If it’s a “with” - you and me together ❤️‍🔥 = sustainability has delivered a big juicy style gift along with the most DELICIOUS feel-good that comes from giving old clothes new life. Planetastic 🌎💚 (Honestly I can’t help feeling you get spiritually rewarded for doing this somehow!!!) If I hadn’t been able to get my hands on the right ribbons, I’d have found a lightweight fabric in the colour of one of the blues and popped that into the sides and underarms (and prob a thin plain lighter/darker blue to cover the seams so it blended beautifully.) Unnoticeable I bet!! The top and bottom are both vintage @betseyjohnson_ but from completely different years, brilliantly! @betseyjohnsonpinklady told me that the blue jacket is directly from a show in Spring 1996, and the burgundy must be a sample colour from the showroom as wasn’t sold in boutiques…Superunique! Found @shop_ome @hamptonflea What have you got that needs resizing or shaping that you can add style at the same time? If you need inpso leave a comment - there are SO many clever people here to also lend ideas!! (All those wedding dress suggestions?!!! YOU GUYS should be doing my job!!!!) . . #vintage #sustainable #upcycle #style #fashion