As fashion trends come and go, many articles of clothing are left by the wayside. But that doesn’t mean that yesterday’s trendy garment can’t transform into today’s new look. Craft alumna Misti Nolen (BFA ’16), through her business Recycled Yarn, breaks down discarded clothing into its raw components. A red sweater turns back into a crimson skein of yarn, ready to create something new.
WCVE interviewed Nolan for the Virginia Currents story “Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Women Start Eco-friendly Businesses in Richmond.”
After graduating from VCU’s art school, Nolen couldn’t find sustainably sourced yarn around the City.
Nolen: “I did a little experiment and found a men’s extra large chunky L.L. Bean wool sweater, took it home, unraveled it, and ended up with like one or 2000 yards of yarn.”
Through trial and error, Nolen learned what to look for in both handmade and industrially made garments, and how to unravel them efficiently.
Nolen: “I think of it as kind of like rescuing a piece from the vicious cycle of fast fashion.”
Nolen recycles garments made of plant and animal fibers, including flax, linen, cotton, and wool. She also works with rare fibers like silk, camel hair, angora and alpaca.
Nolen: “It’s a responsible practice for fiber artists. It’s respectful to the animals and plants these fibers came from and it’s a good use of earth’s resources.”
Read more at the Idea Stations website.
Lead image: Nolen with a skein of recycled wool. Photo by Yasmine Jumaa for WCVE.
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