IN THE fashion industry at present, the source of the materials are becoming almost as important as the designs themselves, in the push for sustainability and environmental awareness, French designer Marine Serre does not shy away from the challenge of creating a collection that is both beautiful and sustainable.  Showing that upcycling is integral to her aesthetic and ethos, Serre presented her answer to the sustainability issue at Paris Fashion Week today with her SS20 collection, Marée Noire.
More than 80 per cent of it? Upcycled.
Set outside on a stormy Parisian day, the collection transformed various items into wearable fashion on the runway, seashells became pendants on jewellery and bag chains and a djellaba was made from old scarves made new by dying it red. It was clear to the audience that every detail, no matter how minuscule such as a dress closure, were given thought of how they could be items of sustainability. Signature of Serre, her crescent moon pattern could be seen embossed throughout the collection either on men’s blazers, bucket hats or as a contrasting pattern on a jumpsuit.
Though sourced from old materials and objects, under Serre, previously unwearable materials take on a new lives as beautiful garments, their tailored looks further enhanced by the variety of the models at the show as some could be seen with earphones, walking dogs or even pregnant.
Serre aptly titled the collection Marée Noire, the phrase carries multiple translations and connotations, either positively as Black Sea, but more detrimentally, oil spill – its multiple meanings a further testament to the power we have in deciding our planet’s future.
by Mirabella Shahidullah