Becky Striepe
Paloma Navarrete of Hyperclash Clothing makes gorgeous, recycled women’s clothes from reclaimed t-shirts. Her designs feature bold colors paired to create unique statement pieces.
Paloma was kind enough to chat briefly with us about her line.
FGS: When did you get started making clothing?
I started to sew when I was 15 (around 1994). I borrowed a sewing machine and would make handbags and pants. During high school I took summer pre college programs at Rhode Island School of Design in printmaking and at Chicago Art institute in fashion design. I was accepted into the Experimental Animation Department at Calarts and continued to take classes in printmaking and costume design as they encouraged multidisciplinary studies.
FGS: What draws you to revamped materials?
I grew up in Taos New Mexico where it’s traditionally been a sustainable community. As long as I can remember we had gardens in the summer and ate organic foods. My mom always made home made breads, dried apples, and composted all our organic waste. I grew up buying used clothes at thrift stores and learned to use and reuse what we had.
I’ve always been aware of our global issues, but now it seems more pressing that we rethink our global footprint. I obviously don’t follow fashion trends, I do what feels right. I make clothing from reclaimed materials, jersey knit (t-shirts) because its the responsible thing to do, and I use a lot of the scraps for smaller items like arm cuffs and flower corsages so there is not much left over waste.
FGS: What inspired you to launch your business, and when did you launch?
After Calarts graduation I continued to make one of a kind clothing using discarded materials and old t shirts. In 2004 Hyperclash launched as a destination resort t-shirt company creating graphics for silk screened tees mostly for ski resorts.
In 2009 Hyperclash became a sustainable design house where we took discarded and unloved materials and reclaimed them into a new garments. We use a vertically integrated business model which minimizes the use of sub-contractors and offshore labor. Sewing, pattern making, photography, marketing distribution and design all happen in our Taos, New Mexico studio. Hyperclash leverages art, design and technology to advance the business process, while continuing to pioneer industry standards of social and environmental responsibility in the workplace.
You can find Paloma’s designs in the Hyperclash online store.
All images via Hyperclash, used with permission.
