Nicole McLaughlin – upcycling aficionado, circular economy pioneer and sustainability advocate – shares her imaginative deadstock designs with her 600k followers on Instagram. Think prismatic biker jackets formed from surplus Puma football goalie gloves, foldable picnic chairs crafted using Nike caps, sofas reupholstered with The North Face puffer jackets and even a technical gilet with multiple pockets honed from gold hardware-gleaming Hermès bags. More experimental creations include basketball shorts made from zip-pocketed sandwiches, a bra made from croissants and a slider with a cardboard upper holding a tray of crinkle cut chips, alongside a Heinz ketchup sachet peaking from a pocket in a sock.
Now, Canadian technical outerwear expert Arc'teryx has announced McLaughlin as the brand's first design ambassador, a multi-year partnership which will strengthen the label's commitment to sustainable design and circular manufacturing. McLaughlin also notes an affinity with the brand due to her love of rockclimbing. ‘As a climber and designer, I’m excited to partner with Arc’teryx,' she says. ‘I’m looking forward to shared learnings and connecting our communities so that together we can amplify the value of circularity, including re-purposing garments to keep waste out of landfills.'
Nicole McLaughlin: Arc'teryx's first design ambassador
Portrait of Nicole McLaughlin
In her design ambassador role, McLaughlin will lead a series of workshops and guest-facing events, including NYC-based upcyling classes this autumn. In celebration of the collaboration, McLaughlin has also created two climbing-inspired pieces formed using waste Arc’teryx fabrics. Cue a mini tent, made using Arc'teryx GORE-TEX scraps, strike-off patch logos, which also incorporates a used mini display tent found online. Plus an ‘Arc Cart', crafted from 62 Arc’teryx ‘Bora' backpacks and a frame sourced from Ebay. The mini tent showcases scrap GORE-TEX cut-offs in miniature proportions, while the cart celebrates the utilitarian nature of Arc’teryx materials, used in a hybrid way to transport climbing essentials like ropes, harnesses, water bottles, snacks and crash pads to a rocky crag.
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