Reworked and repurposed NFL jerseys and North Face jackets
Sustainability, practicality and style go hand in hand in the new YAWUW collection from designer Angela O’Donnell.
The AW2024 collection titled Breathe - Part 1 is a conceptual collection about finding light in the dark and new ways of approaching sustainable fashion.
The collection came about after the death of Angela’s father in 2022 and led the designer to question the meaning of life, our place in the world and finding light in those dark moments.
Angela said: “As a climate activist I believe the earth is extremely polluted and is effectively damaging the air we breathe. How do we move forward in this world while also still creating new art in fashion, music and so on without polluting it further?
She added that this lead “me to design a collection that is highly symbolic using research images of 100% sustainable galleries in Shanghai to draw from and then look at a multi faced approach to sustainable fashion”.
“This is where our collaboration with 88Vintage came into play and tells a story of connection between music and fashion. Without music there is nothing and all of my collections have their own playlist or handful of tunes that are on repeat when I am creating a body of work,” she explained.
The collection is made up of 100% recycled polyester jackets, organic cotton hoodies and zip ups, cropped organic cotton joggers, reclaimed, redeveloped and dyed Aran jumpers, upcycled and reworked NFL menswear jerseys, bags made from reclaimed, upcycled and reworked North Face jackets and crochet hooded scarfs made by a network of skilled artisans around Ireland.
One of the most beautiful pieces in the collection are the crochet hooded scarves which are designed and made here in Cork by talented craftwomen.
Each scarf is made to order and will take between one and two weeks to be completed. These pieces come in a number of colourways including a beautiful pink and wine combination and will ensure you keep cosy but look super stylish throughout the winter and it’s so lovely to have a piece handmade by skilled artisans in your wardrobe. I also adore the upcycled North Face jackets now repurposed as weekend bags and smaller crossbody bags.
There are only one made of each making it a truly unique piece and the bags look so soft and squishy in a great range of colours that will seamlessly fit in with your everyday looks.
The purple colour is a favourite of mine and would add a lovely pop of colour to your winter wardrobe.
I’m partial to an Aran knit so I was super interested to see that Angela had also used Aran knits in this collection.
She said: “For the rest of our AW 2024 collection, I looked to the Aran jumper for inspiration, a nod to the past and wanted to transform it for the future.
“ I selected vintage Aran menswear and recut into a contemporary style, knitted and dyed them for the female form,” Angela added.
The neon green Aran knit is an absolute beauty and works well when paired with neutrals or indulge in dopamine dressing and style with other bright colours.
These pieces are made to be worn for adventure, for living, for coffee, for strolling, for hiking and for exploring.
However you style them, you do you and keep on rolling.