Earth Day might be in the rear view mirror, but for any real change to occur, caring about fashion’s impact on the environment must be a constant practice. Lou Dallas designer Raffaella Hanley does just that at her upcycled brand, turning deadstock materials and vintage finds into imaginative pieces with handmade charm.
Hanley’s spring 2021 collection is one of the industry’s most winning salvos for upcycling yet. Using past seasons’ Lou Dallas product, used garments from the Salvation Army, and other old fabrics, she furiously cut, sewed, and beaded samples in her home studio. The level of handwork is extreme, with Hanley and an intern spending hours drawing flowers and beading stripes onto garments. A corset made of vintage tees strung with crystal beads is the closest thing to poetry I saw in the collections—and it’s not just because I had the pleasure of meeting Hanley and her garments in person. There’s a human imperfection to her work, something just ever so slightly off, that makes what she creates feel all the more special—the sense she might never make the same garment twice.
Here, she shares some of that magic, offering a recipe for an upcycled Lou Dallas tank dress. Trim it in lace. Add beading. Style with the eclectic look of Hanley herself!
Step 1: Start with an oversize tee.
Step 2: Cut off the sleeves.
Step 3: Cut open the side seams and safety pin together. Cut the collar off another tee.
Step 4: Pin the collar around the bust.
Step 5: Sew the band to the tee.
Step 6: Hand stitch the seams of the band and sew down darts.
Step 7: Source vintage lace.
Step 8: Experiment!
Step 9: Adjust the bust bands and draw on guidelines for beading.
Step 10: Bead it!
Step 11: Voilà!
