Friday, July 23rd 2010, 9pm at the Red Stag Supperclub

MINNEAPOLIS – OutSpoken is a bike-centric music and fashion event showcasing the city’s growing enthusiasm for urban cycling while supporting local artists. OutSpoken is co-hosted by upcycling brand CounterCouture and local band MelloRoar. The event aims to give local, artistically driven, socially responsible groups a voice in the Twin Cities.

From a LEED certified venue, to a upcycled bike-themed fashion show, to local music, OutSpoken is geared (pun intended) towards leading sustainable lifestyles as artists.

Lynsee Lauritsen Photography

Time:
9pm doors
9:30pm MelloRoar set / CounterCouture fashion presentation

Suggested Cover:
$5 – $10; A portion of the profits will benefit Nice Ride MN, the newly launched bike share program, and largest in the nation!

Event activities:
BEAUTIES
CounterCouture will present some hot new summer bike looks, all upcycled and ready to ride. The brand’s design panel includes Marissa Bridges, Katrina Elliott, Kristy Janigo, Allison Danzl, and guest designer Erika Langefels; all teaming up to create bike themed ready-to-wear looks juxtaposed with high fashion couture looks. Looks will be available for purchase following the event at b. (a resale shop).

Vintage City Classics and Anthem Heart will also have vendor booths with new summer goods on sale.

BIKES
To celebrate the awesome bicyclist community and trail system that we are lucky to have here in the Twin Cities we are going to have a FREE BIKE VALET, so park your wheels with us and come party. Nice Ride MN will also be on hand to answer any questions about the new bike share program and let you test drive their cruisers.

BEATS
MelloRoar will provide great some seriously hot music throughout the night, so come with your dancing shoes on!

BONUS
Yelp will be sponsoring an extra special offering after the first band set, so stick around and see what we have in store!

*Drink specials all night including specialty ‘bike’ drinks; and if you bring in your bike valet ticket and/or helmet you can score some $2 PBR tallboys.

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Design by Erika Langefels & Kristy Janigo for CounterCouture

Design by Katrina Elliott for CounterCouture

Swan of MelloRoar

SEE THE FULL GALLERY HERE

Photo credits:
‘Models’: CounterCouture Creative Director, Angie Arner; Co-Pilot Liz Nelson; and lead singer of band MelloRoar, Swan.
Photography: Lynsee Lauritsen Photography
Bike fashions: CounterCouture design panel (Katrina Elliott, Marissa Bridges, Kristy Janigo, Allison Danzl, and guest designer Erika Langefels)
Hair and makeup: taj salon & spa
MelloRoar styling: b. (a resale shop)
Bikes provided by Nice Ride MN
Special thanks to Intermedia Arts

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OutSpoken Collaborators:

MelloRoar
CounterCouture
36Sunrise
Nice Ride Minnesota
taj salon & spa
Red Stag Supperclub
b. (a resale shop)
Anthem Heart
Vintage City Classics
Yelp
Adam Turman
StudioNM Photography
TJ Turner Pictures
Lynsee Lauritsen Photography

—

For more updates on this event, visit www.facebook.com/CounterCouture

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I set a goal for this trip to be a creative reawakening for me, a cause for forward motion in new arenas and full speed ahead into how to keep meeting the CounterCouture mission. It did not disappoint.

New York City:

This lady means business; I’ve brought along three books to help coax out my inner creative goddess, Women Who Run with the Wolves, Future Fashion white papers, and the biography of Jimi Hendrix, titled ‘Scuse Me While I Kiss The Sky. Jimi lived in both New York City and London for a period of time as he was growing as an artist so I felt it was fitting. I also brought along Factory Girl (one of my all time favorite movies about Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol’s muse in the days of the Factory), and Persepolis (an animated story of an immigrant girls journey through life having experienced war, prejudice, and rebellion.)

The first outing I spent about 2 hours exploring the American Woman, Picasso, and modern art exhibits primarily. American Woman showcased fashion throughout the century (early 1800s to 1940s) and how it reflected the growth of our gender in relation to politics and power. Some callouts were The Gibson Girl (sporty casual style and iconic figure), the Hollywood starlits, the typical dress when women were fighting for their right to vote, the early 1900s Bohemian style (probably my favorite) and many more.

Check out the video of the gallery exhibit here.

The next day, I visited my aunt who works at the Guggenheim, taking in an exhibit called Haunted showcasing a number of photography works that circled around themes of destitution, death, loneliness and war with an emphasis on photography’s ability to evoke memories. Interesting concept, some works great some not so good. Check out the full description here; Definitely an interesting angle for anyone out there who knows how powerful capturing emotion within a 2-D plane can be.

SoHo shopping is great as always – my favorite store being All Saints because of their incredible fashion and even better merchandising. Here is a picture of the huge, old sewing machine-lined wall.

My aunt and I began our journey the next day by seeking out something I had come across online, (Re)fashioning fiber at Green Spaces. Green Spaces is an office space dedicated to entrepreneurs who crave collaboration and success in their respective social and green endeavors. The “exhibit” was pretty bare, nothing to really take in. We are on to bigger and better things, and chart off into territory unfamiliar to not only myself but to my aunt Karen (a 25-year resident), the East Village. I have heard great things about it and it did not disappoint.

Window shopping and boutique browsing were of main attraction to us. She knows so much about fashion, and helps me analyze fabrics, hems, cuts, trends, history of each garment. Slowly but surely I start appreciating every piece I put my hands on and I respect the labor and inspiration put into them. Appreciation doesn’t necessarily mean likability or wearability. There were many items that were purely fashion for fashions sake. Shorts are in, and strapless jumpsuits. And prints. We visited Skunk Funk, a nearly 100% eco-fashion brand that I didn’t realize was sold nationally. Cliche sells them locally. There is one after another after another small and beautifully decorated boutiques. This area is so lively with young people, not many tourists, fashion and food.

We dart into a small, Russian owned leather, shearling and fur store where I instantly spot an adorable, buttery soft leather jacket full of functional hardware and extraordinary printed lining. I try it on, boy meets girl, it is a match. I determine it’s jacket weather right there and then.

London, England

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My first night in London I had a dream about a cute little dress that I designed somewhere in my unconcious state. It was a golden brown color, with lighter color paneling, a kimono sleeve, and a little tarnished gold glitz to it lining the panels. Perhaps one of my lovely designers will make one for me?

I had the great opportunity to meet with Rosie, the Public Relations director of Foundation Agency, Rosie Budhani.

Foundation is in the Shortditch area of central London, which houses many local establishments; One of which was a bike themed coffee shop. Perfect for our upcoming bicycle themed show!

Rosie’s visit was very insightful. I learned about her own career evolution; She was one of the first PR professionals in the UK within the ethical and eco fashion arena, she came on as Foundation’s first employee from Terra Plana. The agency now has about 7 full time employees and numerous interns. They currently have about 7 large active clients in the UK. Rosie said that they, like CounterCouture, believe that partnerships happen at the right time.

Here’s some valuable suggestions from Rosie for anybody out there driving to make change and show success as a brand.

What do you do if you may not have the marketing budget to afford someone like Foundation Agency quite yet? Make it a total brand experience; from the website to the packaging, have a retail environment right there on your website, and utilize social networking and bloggers to help spread the word.

There are leaders in the UK sustainable fashion industry, the ones to follow are brands such People Tree, Terra Plana, and Monkee Genes.

An interesting observation she made was that a great deal of buyers outside the eco fashion space expect you to have a shit product and shit way of running your business. So if you have a great quality piece rooted in strong design, are professional and meet your deadlines, you will already be surpassing the standard they hold you at. Bummer about the stigma, but good slice of information to get you really thinking about focused branding and marketing.

Another piece of good advice, don’t be too ambitious right away, take it slow. Focus on one to three profitable aspects to the business and do those really well.

All these strategies and more Foundation brings to its clients has proven successful thus far, as they are filtering product into mainstream fashion retailers and media outlets.

My sister and I (who I was there visiting) walked to Brick Lane, a fabulous stretch of street filled with boutiques and cafés. We find Junky Styling, a leader in upcycling fashion. They have showed in London Fashion Week’s Estethica Show the last couple years and sell wholesale in a number of shops globally. All the pieces are one of a kin, inspired by and re-designed from menswear. I tried on a strapless dress that to get into it, you had to unzip the fly, which was actually on the bottom of the skirt. I also tried on a charming halter dress fresh off the sewing machine from their production house in the rear of the building. I chatted with Kurt, the Manager, and Kerry, one of the owners. She is humble when I gush over their success in the upcycling biz (despite frequent design rip-offs by competitors I’m told).

Outside the Junky Styling storefront near Brick Lane in London with manager Kurt

The Victoria and Albert Museum hosted an exhibit also showcasing the history of fashion but was much more in depth than the exhibit focusing on the American woman at the Met in NYC. It was very informative, with a mixture of both modern and past centuries collections, with both mens and womens wear. I liked how it focused on the main fashion capitals of the world, but even more so how they raised fashion to a higher level by having a very defined style but also adding influence and intrigue to other areas of the world.

A look from the 2010 Alexander McQueen collection as seen in his runway show pictured below

There were also some really interesting architecture within these old century garments, as well as risk taking and amazing attention to detail in new and traditional construction techniques. Here are some of my favorite inspirations.

*insert pics

Another show stopper was the gown wore by Princess Grace Kelly

- Sex and the City 2 -

The fashion was to the nines as expected. One of my favorite pieces was an orange pleated dress Carrie wore while strolling down the beach, pondering her career and marriage decision after a bad review from the New Yorker. In a review I read it said “The characters explicitly set out to have sex like men” which is so true and so like me.

by Halston Heritage, seen in SATC2

We also talked about the women in burkas shown in the movie. Some prefer not to be seen because they don’t have to deal with outlandish and disgusting men, or feel self conscious about their outfit, hair or makeup, they can make faces at people and stare at strangers. But conversely, they aren’t seen at all as a woman. They have no visibility, voice, or sense of individuality. Interestingly, they wear designer clothing underneath their burka (which I already knew) but they break the rules slightly by wearing designer shoes to show their wealth and status. Luckily as an American woman I can choose whether I want to hide from the terrors of womanhood, or face them head on.

- The British Music Experience -

Let’s not forget about the way music has influenced fashion. Crazy characters and costumes make these fashions push the boundaries of tradition.

The Rolling Stones stage outfits with iconic logo by Andy Warhol

Ziggy Stardust

Def Leppard

The museum was amazing, and also did a good job of incorporating new technology into the experience, like the smart ticket. You were able to bookmark certain things you liked or performances you did and view them later on the website.

Paris, France

My first full day in Paris we took an afternoon walk down Avenue des Champs-Élysées, which is lined for miles with high end boutiques and cafés. Huge labels, huge stores, huge price tags. Prada, Fendi, Versace, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, they were all there. Very good window shopping. Paris also has a very large flea market with high street (and a fair share of low street) clothing north of the downtown area. There is stall after stall of clothing, shoes, jewelry, and more. I feel conflicted, as most consumers do, between price and quality. There were shoes for five Euro, but what am I sacrificing when paying this? I didn’t buy anything, despite my urges.

The Lourve is indeed massive, so we chose a small section to conquer. We saw lots of Italian classical works, mostly biblical. I  loved this piece of a woman getting bit in the nipple by a snake and looking quite at peace about it. Then of course I had to see the Mona Lisa. She is VIP, roped off from the onlookers by about ten feet and behind a pane of glass. I was able to get right up front and see the lovely lady.

Montemarte is a charming little area with shops, restaurants, food vendors, lots of people, and lined with cobblestone streets at the top of a huge hill in Paris. The cathedral at the very top is beautiful to me and the view of the city is even more unbelievable. Paris is packed as far as thee eye can see, from horizon to horizon.

It is not hard to fall in love with this city. I am almost angry that I was not born here, because the energy is so terrific. I literally say out loud to myself numerous times a day “I’m in Paris.” just to remind myself that this is not a dream. You can truly sense the romanticism of its history and fashion.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is littered, seriously littered, with bicycles. I love it. It is wonderful to see an environment even more progressive than Minneapolis. Residents make use of numerous forms of public transportation and the pace of life is reflective of their culture. We walked along the canals and window shopped in an area called Nine Streets. The bikers run the streets, aren’t in a hurry, and are dressed so casually chic. The city isn’t congested or dirty or too crowded. Everything is moving at a steady and enjoyable pace. Nobody is creepy or eccentric.

We make it to the Van Gogh museum. Now this guy was prolific, dozens of self-portraits, many depictions of Gauguin (I think he had a man crush), landscapes from his crazed days living in a hospital and gazing out the window, cityscapes from his artist collective days in France. We saw a number of pieces depicting Montemarte. I was especially taken with the artist ___, who was a more modern painter inspired by Van Gogh. There was also a Gauguin permanent exhibit and we learned about the relationship between the two artists; one that was not as balanced as Van Gogh would have liked.

One shop I was especially smitten with was Charlie + Mary; carrying all ethical brands including Monkee Genes. I snatched up a pair of organic cotton fair trade wonderfully soft dark washed jeans.

My last night in Europe I try and compare the cities I’ve visited. My favorites were Paris and Amsterdam.  I’d like to find somewhere with the culture of Amsterdam, the romance of Paris, the street fashion and ruggedness of London, and the history of all of them. As far as fashion, it was a challenge to find overarching trends that were more than just representative of the season. Amsterdam had a casual chic bicycle look, London had the punk inspired street fashion, and Paris had the romanticism of high fashion but also very casual. Leggings are still very in, paired often with flats and shorts or a dress. Oversized tailoring and menswear inspired pieces are in. Tribal prints and (unfortunately) animal prints are seen often. In NYC I saw a lot of cute rompers, but I didn’t see them in Europe. Mostly, the ability to be comfortable and sexy, not in-your-face fashion prevailed. It’s what I’ve been striving to do with my own wardrobe. My trip has come to a close. 17 days, 4 countries, 7 planes, 7 museums, countless trains, buses, drinks, and restaurants.

Final thoughts…

What have I learned from all this? I’ve learned to be open to all things, both planned and happenstance. I’ve learned more about what being open may mean. There are people you meet in far away places that could change your direction. There are far off places where you can feel connected to and embrace. Love can happen in the strangest situations. Friends can be international. Fashions can be representative of a person or place, or a cultural revolution.

I’m starting to realize that things like this is what it’s all about, and my youth is not permanent. You can learn so much from the world about people and about yourself. I want to be a strong businesswoman and a passionate artist.

As I continue to work my way through the book Women Who Run with the Wolves, the most recent section talked about stalking the intruder, fighting the predator who always percolates doubt and negativity within one’s creative self. This predator should be recognized, addressed, and fought. If this is a constant struggle you have, take this last quote to heart.
The cure for both naive woman and the instinct-injured woman is the same: Practice listening to your intuition, your inner voice; ask questions; be curious; see what you see; hear what you hear; and then act upon what you know to be true.

]]> http://countercouturedesigns.com/2010/07/creative-director-angie-arner-travels-east-and-gets-eco-inspiration/feed/ 0 http://countercouturedesigns.com/2010/07/countercouture-now-available-at-b-a-resale-shop/ http://countercouturedesigns.com/2010/07/countercouture-now-available-at-b-a-resale-shop/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:55:42 +0000 admin http://countercouturedesigns.com/?p=449

We are so excited to announce that our full line of dresses are available for purchase at b. ( a resale shop) located at  5456 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55419 . We love this brand. After reading their mission, we found “The purpose of b. is to offer a unique retail experience where shoppers can buy top-quality recycled and new fashion as well as receive cash or trade credit for items they sell to the store.

  Environmental and social responsibility are key values that guide b.’s success, and recycling of clothing is our vital contribution to the protection of the environment. You may have thought you were just shopping for designer jeans, but at b. you are doing so much more. By taking part in the recycled fashion movement, you are helping to reduce landfill waste and the greenhouse gases it produces.” Awesome, right?

b. sells fashionable, high-quality women’s and men’s clothing, shoes, and accessories. They mix of a little vintage, a bit of basics, and some seriously fancy fashion for women and men. b. is open Wednesday -Friday from 1pm-9pm, Saturday from 10am- 7pm, and Sunday from noon-5pm. We will warn you, there are so many cute things a b., you won’t make it out empty handed. Follow this gem on Facebook for daily updates of the newest finds to walk through the door. Also, a grand opening is slated for July 9-10, so stay tuned for more details!

Alter/Nation: breaking down the barrier between consumer and creator

DATE: Saturday April 24, 2010
LOCATION: The Grain Belt Bottling House
79 13th Avenue NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
TIME: 1-5 pm
COST: $5 and a bag of clothing/accessories

Here’s how it works:

• DROP-OFF
Alter/Nation, a Spring MNfashion Week sponsored event, will begin accepting any clothing and accessories donations on Earth Day, April 22nd from 4-7, at the MNfashion Studio located in studio #212 at The Grain Belt Bottling House. You will receive vouchers for each piece donated. You can redeem these vouchers for any other piece of clothing or accessory at the event. The more you give, the more you get! Early drop-off ensures a preview of goods before the event kicks off. Can’t make it? Bring your items the day of. We only request that all donated items be apparel related, clean and stain-free, and have no damages. Think, would somebody else love this?

All leftover garments from the swap will be passed on to the MNfashion resale event called From the Archives, which will be taking place May 14th & 15th, and then finally to Goodwill.

• EXCHANGE
For every item you bring in, you can exchange for something new to revive your spring wardrobe. The more people, the more stuff, so keep your eye out for items refreshing the racks as the afternoon rolls on.

• CREATE
Have a specific vision for that new treasure? If you know your way around a sewing machine you can alter your goods live – or – work with local designers, image experts, and sewing assistants help you to make simple alterations, add embellishments, and develop the overall look. To make your look even more custom, you can have the guys at Anthem Heart do a screen print pressed live on one of your duds for only five bucks.

• VOGUE
Now that you got it, flaunt it! Participants can visit the hair and makeup team from taj salon & spa and get glammed up to showcase the amazing transformations in our fun photo booth by Jayme Halbritter Photography while DJ Ken Hannigan spins a DJ set all afternoon.

• NOURISH
Did we mention the food and drinks? Snack on apps from Red Stag Supper Club while you swap your goods. Phillips Prairie Organic Vodka will also be serving specialty cocktails for the of age crowd.

• PREVIEW THE FUTURE
At 4pm CounterCouture previews its new spring collection on the runway, with styling led up by Alice Sydow of I’ve Got Your Style. This new brand works with local designers to transform used formal gowns into new, modern, sexy cocktail dresses. It’s upcycling at its finest! Then see more new fashions by CounterCouture designers Kristy Janigo of Je Ne Regrette Rien and newbie Marissa Bridges. Chat with them afterwards about how they incorporate sustainable techniques into their designs, and get suggestions for your own projects.

• NO LONGER A BRIDESMAID!
Have any gently used bridesmaid or prom dresses? Bring them with! We will have a separate donation area for these garments, which will be donated to Ever After Gowns and CounterCouture.

So come join us in this ground breaking clothing swap and creative evolution! RSVP at www.facebook.com/CounterCouture To learn more about the events taking place during 2010 Spring MNfashion Week visit www.mnfashionweek.com.

“Fashion, by definition, is about the now. It’s about newness, and the excitement this newness creates. So it strikes me as paradoxical that the majority of today’s fashion design is, by and large, relying on old, detrimental ways of thinking. It gives very poignant meaning to the phrase ‘fashion victim’. Though there are earth-conscious designers at work, if the rest of us don’t evolve our concept of fashion, we’re in big trouble.”
-Horst Rechelbacher, Founder, Intelligent Nutrients, Aveda

CounterCouture is the official recipient of some third party ink. After the officially launch of the brand, the local and national media has been buzzing with coverage of the label. On December 3rd, CounterCouture was featured on the front page of the Variety section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. This entertaining article promoting the launch event at the MNfashion Boutique was written by local lifestyle writer Kristin Tillotson. Read Psst… Upcycling Ugly here.

Sarah MacKenzie of the Downtown Journal featured founder Angie Arner in her column Check it Out. Read The Bridesmaid Redux here.



We are proud to announce that CounterCouture was featured in the fashion blog of Ecouterre, an offspring of the well-respected green lifestyle and design blog Inhabitat. Jasmin Malik Chua, wrote a full length article featuring visuals of the entire premiere line. Check out the visually stunning post, The Bridesmaid’s Revenge here.

Another exciting piece of media was the opportunity to discuss CounterCouture on Shop Girls 107.1 with Pioneer Press reporter Ali Kaplan. Our model, Alice Sydow, modeled one of the dresses designed by Kristy Janigo for CounterCouture at the live broadcast from Kowalskis in Eagan. You can catch up on this show from their podcast here.



Oh, and just in case you missed it, we want to again thank Jahna Peloquin of Le Petit Conaissuer de la Mode and as well as Kate Iverson of L’etoile Magazine for their preview posts about CounterCouture. Check it out here.

We are ecstatic to have our mission being promoted, discussed, and shared online and in person. In addition to these publications, we have been the topic of numerous blogs, tweets, and chats by our supporters and would like to extend our gracious thanks for your loyalty. We will keep you updated on our progress, know that we depend on people like you to keep our momentum going at CounterCouture!

CounterCouture officially celebrated its soft launch with a mock runway show and champagne mixer at the MNfashion Pop-Up Holiday Boutique in Gaviidae Common on December 3rd. Guests were able to shop the boutique which features designs from over 30 local designers while sampling hors de’ voures, some donated by local grass fed beef farm Moonstone.

Model, Erica Milner, showcased two of the brands dresses as a mingling live mannequin. Five CounterCouture supporters, and good sports, strutted their stuff for a ugly dress walk-off which was judged by designers Kristy Janigo and Mitsurugi, as well as MNfashion Executive Director Anna Lee.

The winner of the walk-off, June Meyerhoff, was awarded a gift card for local green retailer, Twin Cities Green. This launch event proved that this brand is here to have a little fun while shaking things up. 


Check out more photos from the event at facebook page and flickr pages.

MNfashion Holiday Boutique
651 Nicollet Mall- first floor of Gaviidae 1

Hours:
10am-7pm Mon-Fri
10am-6pm Sat
12-5 Sun

Psst… we’ll be hosting a fun event there Dec. 3rd. Stay tuned for details!

I was attracted to CounterCouture because of the newness of the concept and the complete sense that it made. The majority of my career as a designer, and even for my personal wardrobe, I have placed a strong emphasis on sustainability, in particular, creating original designs with second hand fabrics, restructuring existing garments, and wearing fine vintage clothing. I love the idea that a dress that is taking up space in a person’s closet can be revitalized and used as a high-fashion cocktail-length evening dress.

Q: You have some inspirational images on the website, what are a few of them and how do they specifically influence your design aesthetic?

I am fascinated with global cultures (see marketplace, dancing geishas images) – parts of the world with strong elements of mystery and intrigue that may not have been totally explored or influenced by Western culture. Also, I am inspired by how people manage their own appearances (see punk street fashion image) and assemble structures around themselves to design their living and working spaces (see asymmetrical building image). Fine art has been essential in my life, and I have been painting, journaling, and designing clothing for more than 10 years (see Floating Heads, Multicolor Swirls paintings by the designer). All of these sources of inspiration are evident in my design aesthetic, whether it be an exposed zipper, studded embellishment, or chain closures inspired by punk style, or an abstract streak of red that mimics Chinese calligraphy.

Q: How do you think CounterCouture will lift designers like you to a higher level as far as exposure and expertise?

Designers will receive the recognition they deserve by working under the CounterCouture brand. The nice part about CounterCouture is that the fabric and materials are primarily supplied by the company, so there is little expense to the designer outside investing the time to complete a project. CounterCouture frees up a designer to focus on an innovative design and high-quality construction execution, while the brand takes care of promotional and marketing functions. Consistently working with difficult materials found on bridesmaid dresses, such as taffeta, satin, silk, and chiffon, quickly develops and grows a designer’s overall skills.

Q: What is the most gratifying part of the work process? And reversely, what is the biggest challenge of the process?

To me, the most gratifying part of the process is finishing a project, trying it on a model or form, assessing all the potential strengths and weaknesses, and concluding that it is a solid design. It is also satisfying when other people appreciate and admire the new resulting dress, even those who are not fashion enthusiasts, such as my husband. The biggest challenge of the process is solving unexpected problems. For example, there have been times when I have started working on a dress, but didn’t realize the fabric would behave a certain way, so then I had to somewhat course correct.

Q: In what ways are you environmentally conscious in your design process?

I am environmentally conscious in my design process by using existing materials whenever possible. For example, the summer 2009 Je Ne Regrette Rien line of swim cover-ups and beach bags consisted mostly of 100% cotton textiles made in the 1970s in Cameroon. When I use new fabrics or materials, I carefully calculate the amount of fabric I need for a project in order to use most of it up, leaving little to waste. For CounterCouture, the main fabric is always from former bridesmaid dresses, with minimal components from new sources.