At a fashion show held over the weekend at the Bat Yam Design Terminal, a social design terminal, designer and artist Mauricio Polachek presented a variety of new models, including a dress designed from clothes removed from the remains of a destroyed house in Yehud, which suffered a direct hit in the "Guardian of the Walls" round of fighting in May 2021. The inhabitants of the house were miraculously saved, and from the torn, burnt and perforated remains, Mauricio managed to breathe new life and design a dress that carries with it a message of hope and peace.
Dress from destruction
In the exhibition "REVIVAL – The Art of Recycling from the Ruins" you can also find a wedding dress, designed and sewn from white T-shirts collected from friends and family, just before they were thrown away. The white T-shirts have been given new life in the form of an impressive and unique wedding dress. The white shirt of the groom model was designed from the white Shabbat shirts of the designer's father.
Wedding dress, photo: Goren Witkind, Studio Gavra
The decision to design only recycled clothing came to Mauricio's heart 15 years ago in Brazil, the country where he lived, when he was exposed to the pollution caused by the fashion industry. Today he is best known for his ability to give new life to obsolete clothes, designing one unique garment, stylish with character.
"Behind every garment there is a story," Mauricio says. "I pair clothes, take items from one garment, cut sleeves from another, collar from a third garment, and so on. I never plan what the garment will look like. I just lay out my clothes on the desk, and then comes the inspiration. I didn't start recycling out of ideology, even though I was very much in favor, but out of a real need – I have to make a collection now and I don't have fabric." Later, he realized that not only was his design unique and different, but that he was also contributing to society and the world by using recycled clothing.
Recycled shirt / Photo: Dvir Kahlon
Garment made from recycled fabrics / Photo: Nati Gold
Suit made from recycled materials / Photo: Eitan Klein
In the exhibition, Mauricio presents 15 authentic and intriguing pieces of clothing. "The art of recycling is extending the lifespan of the garment, while at the same time turning it into a unique, impressive garment with a personal statement."
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