Image Courtesy of Nicole McLaughlin.
written by Rose Dodd
A green bucket hat-bearing Nicole McLaughlin sits propped up against a white wall in New Jersey, where she dials in from. It’s midday and still light on Nicole’s end; a pleasant change from dark and damp London, where I sit five hours ahead.
Nicole is visiting her parents for the holidays from Boulder, Colorado where she recently moved after several years in New York. “It’s on the front range of the mountains. The Flatirons are literally right there. Rocky Mountain National Park, too. It’s mind-blowingly beautiful. As an avid rock climber, it’s perfect for me,” she says, oozing with energy. Her studio remains based in Brooklyn so it’s not goodbye forever to New York just yet. “I’m back and forth.”
From discarded garments to household objects – even ones you might eat, the self-taught designer breathes new life into things that no longer serve a purpose. What kickstarted as a lockdown pastime in the off-hours of her job as a graphic designer at Reebok, soon catapulted her to recognition on the boardwalks of Insta stardom. It was not long before her hobby evolved into a career. One that, due to its breadth, resists titling but the perception-altering, boundary-breaking waves she’s making in waste and sustainable design have yielded her appointment as a ‘Forbes 30 under 30’ listee.
After a fleeting moment of fangirldom and an indulgent tangent into our mutual adoration for mountainous terrains, we begin.
Image Courtesy of Nicole McLaughlin.
“There’s a shoe in everything,” starts Nicole. Old pencil cases, used toothpaste tubes, discarded ice cube trays, punctured volleyballs, Haribo packets and shower curtains – I needn’t go on. On the subject of shoes, actually, Nicole’s gone full circle, recently welcoming the release of her own iteration of a timeless classic: the Reebok X Nicole McLaughlin Club C Geo Mid trainer. They’ve got pockets!
Nicole’s taste in textile frequently strays far from the realms of tradition. And, what’s even cooler than the fact that she uses totally unusual materials is that no one ever taught her how to manipulate these totally unusual materials – it’s all self-taught. Nicole puts much of her experimentation down to it. “If I’d gone to school for this and learned how to properly construct stuff, I might be less likely to pick up a piece of basketball and try to figure out how to use it,” she explains, adjusting her hat (it’s from the Textiles General Store, by the way). Ahead of her professional 180, and perhaps the reason for her aptitude for subliminal communication and her keen photographic eye (she shoots all her work herself), Nicole studied Speech-Language pathology before transferring to Digital Media, eventually landing a job at Reebok. “Over the last few years, I’ve developed a very unusual and experimental skill set… and tool set, actually, that I use to deconstruct and reconstruct essentially anything.”
Including bread. Nicole’s croissant bralettes (‘brassants’), baguettes-gone-beanies and charcuterie lingerie (charcoochery *obsessed*) are on the weirder side of her creations, she claims. And, staying true to her circular tendencies, these pieces make great breakfast. “Working with food is challenging because I want to do it in a way that means it’s still edible after. Instead of glue, for example, I might use a fishing line to secure edibles together,” says Nicole.
She applies this philosophy to her non-edibles too. It’s rare for something to stay in one piece for long before it’s disassembled again for parts to reuse in projects to come.
Image Courtesy of Nicole McLaughlin.
Nicole’s approach to tackling the problem of waste is tongue in cheek. Her material pursuits set about to translate difficult conversations into equally important ones with a fun twist and a subtle taste of “F you” to the big corps that warrant the middle finger.
“I want to create something that feels fun, approachable and relatable but is still very much, if slightly indirectly, talking about sustainability and the fact that the fashion industry just needs to do better,” she explains. Each of her pieces is intended to open eyes as to what can come of material discarded as trash. “I want my work to entice you in, then address the deeper messages of upcycling and sustainability. That’s the goal in mind when I create these pieces.” Furthering from this, she seldom profits from her crafts. They’re statements and they’re not for sale.
Her work didn’t start as a declaration of environmental activism, but rather as a manifestation of her devotion to nature, where she sources a great deal of her inspiration. And, naturally, longing for greener pastures yet unsatiated by sartorial desires can lead to cognitive dissonance.
In search of a solution herself, Nicole advises: “Step one is asking ‘what can I do?’, then you have to act, even if that’s one small step a day. I don’t think you have to sacrifice a love for fashion to do better.” Few. “I never want to point the finger at the consumer. But it’s important, as consumers, or as a consumer myself, that I’m aware of what I’m buying and where I’m buying it from. We all need to do a bit of research before purchasing something. And, be patient too. We tend to see something and impulse buy,” Dopamine-hit purchases, guilty. “Sit on it, wait, don’t try to fill the void through material things,” adds Nicole. “That being said, I’m a sucker for an SSENSE sale.” She’s only human.
Images Courtesy of Nicole McLaughlin.
“Companies definitely need to take more responsibility for the items that they’ve made and are making,” she states.
Testament to the complexity of the issue at hand, she proceeds to question herself: “But, how does a company take responsibility for all the products it’s made in the past? Is a programme that accepts items already in circulation for return or repairs so that materials are kept in circulation rather than ending up in the ocean or in landfill even feasible?” There’s a foreboding silence. “Yeah, there’s a lot of brand soul searching to be done,” she laughs, changing the tune. “I think a lot of this has to start on a small scale – this is where I come in.”
“I often find that when we approach fashion and sustainability it’s very much through the lens of ‘the world is burning, we must act now’. And, yes, that’s true and there is a real sense of urgency but I think that language doesn’t always get through to people,” she says, continuing: “I respond better when someone creates an inviting space to talk about and learn from versus telling, well, yelling, that I’m doing everything wrong. This is what I’m trying to do.” This is what she does.
And, she’s optimistic. Rightfully so, because there is much to be optimistic about. From innovative biotech start ups through to a return to traditional crafts techniques, change is very much coming to play at an ever-increasing velocity. “I always get really excited about new technologies. I’m also really inspired by the young people getting involved within this space. You can literally major in sustainability now. The fact that that’s even an option now is so cool. When I was in school, even just a couple of years ago, it wasn’t.”
Image Courtesy of Nicole McLaughlin.
“If we keep talking, getting the message out there and inspiring people to enter the space through a sense of community (which social media has been really helpful for, actually), we can leverage action,” she enthuses. Will the governmental legislature follow suit? I ask. She transcends my anarchistic undertone: “It will, laws have to be put in place and I know, and trust, governments are working towards it. The speed in which things happen internally is never fast.”
“This does mean there is more pressure and responsibility on brands. But, brands need to know that we don’t expect immediate perfection from them. I’d rather see a brand or company trying to do something versus waiting until what they’re told to do. Being able to communicate successes and failures, openly, is a huge step forward.” Transparency is hot.
Which, on the subject of transparency or lack thereof, is one of Nicole’s peeves alongside gatekeeping. “Without naming names,” she says, faced with the paradox of sustainable fashion, “something that frustrates me is when someone figures out a sustainable technology or solution – a shoe sole, let’s say – then makes it proprietary or patented, preventing others from using it.” I nod in agreement before she adds, a little exasperated: “How are we supposed to do better if you’re the only one who can use the technology? I think there should be more open sourcing, making things available for everyone to use.”
Images Courtesy of Nicole McLaughlin.
A facet of the industry she is willing to name are outerwear brands like Arc’teryx and Patagonia, that, Nicole believes, are leading the change. Nicole has worked as an ambassador for Arc’teryx for two years, where she’s taken an educationally active stance to assist the brand towards a green future. She’s genuinely impressed by some of the things she’s seeing in the industry. “Arc’teryx takes back their jackets and will repair products if something breaks, similar to Patagonia’s repair programme,” she says. She notes that it is easier for some brands than others. “Arc’teryx is quite unique as a company as they have their own factory in Canada which makes experimental projects a lot easier.”
“Another brand I work closely with is Puma and they’re doing quite a lot within that space too, trying to find regenerative ways of producing textiles, taking things back. I’m excited to see how it’ll be upscaled,” she adds.
“I’m so excited by the speed in which this is all becoming more mainstream and the amount of people getting involved with the upcycling space. Everyone does things so differently and that’s what I love to see. Sharing that is so special,” she says. Her passion is as clear as unpolluted water. “You don’t have to take upcycling to the extreme to be able to get involved in it,” she says, urging everyone to give it a go.
It’s now ten to one (Eastern Standard Time) and, no rest for the wicked, Nicole’s lunchtime meeting is fast approaching. “Just a couple more meetings left today then I’m going climbing at the local climbing centre. Not quite Boulder, but it’ll do.”