According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, upcycling has entered the fashion industry arena in a concrete way, pointing to a dozen fashion designers doing their part to recycle, reuse and reclaim items for use in fashion products.
Among those recognized in the article are partners and founders of Object From Nothing, UC alums Meridith Shook and Jacob Schlater.
The founders met at the University of Cincinnati while studying architectural engineering and product design, respectively. OFN came to life after their move to a studio space in L.A. last year.
"The No. 1 driver for us is dispelling the myth that reuse is just DIY or lower quality than 'new' fashion," Schlater told the Times. "When fashion content is shared on Instagram, there's very little focus on the quality, construction and longevity of pieces. Instead, the focus is on the value of the image that you can get with a piece.