What happens when a clothing company shuts down, the army changes its uniform style, or sailboats are taken out of service? Not every yard of fabric is tossed away. Eco-conscious fashion designers like Finland’s Globe Hope use them to make new clothing and accessories—and their looks may be coming to a store near you here in the states.
The Finnish Embassy, recognized for its effort to make its building efficient and Earth-friendly, hosted the Globe Hope team on Wednesday night with a cocktail reception and fashion show. The brand’s sources, process, and finished products are featured in Fabric Re:Defined, an exhibit that opens Friday at the embassy.
Attendees got a sneak peek at the exhibit, and were treated to a fashion show during which embassy staffers stepped up to model Globe Hope’s spring line. Designer Inka Honkanen described what the ladies and gents were wearing, including skirts made from parachutes, bags composed of seatbelts, and cocktail dresses made from advertisements.
The lovely proprietor of Nana tipped me off to this event, and I’m so glad she encouraged me to go. It was inspiring to see the many ways that we can reuse materials to make clothing that’s just as impressive as the new items I’ve seen on the runway. Naturally, the vintage fabrics with their many patterns caught my eye, but I also found myself falling in love with military jackets cut for women and durable, attractive tote bags made of boat sails. The ladies of Globe Hope are as adorable and fun as they are talented. My hats off to the design team and their hosts for the evening!
Want to know what all the pieces are made of? I’m not spilling all the surprises. Check out the exhibit each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon through April 24 at the Embassy of Finland, 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW. Admission is free.
For your viewing pleasure: plenty of photos! Click below to see the full slide show.
Read our Q&A with Inka Honkanen.
A version of this post also appears on GalTime.
