I work primarily with recycled materials, enjoying the idea of redefining the lives of discarded objects. My jewelry combines seemingly incongruent elements such as vintage copper sports medals with natural crystals, Bakelite buttons and sterling findings. My one-of-a-kind handbags- reconstructed leather skirts- bear little resemblance to their original form. One is featured in "Hip Handbags" recently published by Lark Books. Re:find goods, my newest collection, includes dresses, skirts and tops, all designed from vintage and recycled garments.
I grew up in an environment that emphasized a strong work ethic and belief in the ability to create one's own success. (Not to mention my dad's "recycle/reuse" mentality that permeates my life.) While my mom and dad provided a solid foundation, it was my uncle, Charles Bjorkman, who inspired my imaginative side. We shared a creative gene that surfaced regularly during my childhood and teen years.
I spent 12 years working for big companies and proving myself. (To what end?? Not sure.) I did end up with a pretty good salary with benefits and bonuses but, in the end (in the truest sense of the word), it was an unexpected downsizing that really opened up the door to what is now my real life.
In 1995 I started a handmade greeting card business....representing my love of mixing images and graphics. It evolved into a wholesale business and before I knew it I had transitioned to fashion and my handbags and one-of-a-kind jewelry were purchased by over 100 galleries and stores, including the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery in Washington DC. In 2002, two of my pieces were nominated for Niche Awards-which recognize the outstanding achievements of American craft artists. So here I am ten years after (wasn't that a name of a band in the 60's) what I thought was a devastating layoff and my life is very very good. I am thankful to my husband, Carl, who serves as both sounding board and benefactor, and without whom I would be dreaming of this life rather than living it.
Why recycle?
Our culture glorifies the new. Trendy garments with built-in obsolescence quickly lose appeal when they appear on the “what’s not” side of the “what’s hot” fashion column. So they’re relegated to the back of the closet….stuffed into a bottom drawer… and, if they’re not dumped into the trash, they eventually find their way to thrift and consignment stores where they languish under the humiliation of multiple markdowns and overpopulated racks.
As every savvy recycler knows, treasure often hides between purple power suits and polyester broomstick skirts. And the thrill of finding a mustard dupioni silk blouse or a fine gauge British wool dress makes the sometimes exhaustive searches worthwhile.
I am proud to say that I design all of my garments from recycled materials. They begin their lives in other forms. A skirt morphs into a dress… a dress is divided among three new dresses…an undergarment moves outside. I compare this redefining of garments to the joy of an unexpected adoption…. the designer dog abandoned by the socialite , then loved dearly by the little boy whose parents finds her at the pound. Under the right conditions, abandoned possessions live a fuller second life.
To automatically recycle and transform little Lori Marsha Sandstedt click here
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