Bantam – Sneak Peek

Collection will launch on March 9th at Concord Fashion Week!

Bantam is entirely made from used apparel and scraps. The original clothing was either donated to the brand or purchased at the thrift store, while the rest of the material is either scraps or left over material collected over time from other projects. 

The collection is a representation of recycling, where something we consider trash can be made new again. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” 

As sustainable fashion is a hot topic in the industry today, the concept of recreating and making something new pays homage to the creation of the collection. As a butterfly goes through metamorphoses so must a designer if she is to stay relevant, to employers and clients alike. Just as the moon goes through phases or your taste in music changes so does your sense of style. 

Oftentimes collections start with sketches. In this situation the materials influenced what they were made into and the color palette was developed as thrifted garments were collected. The fit is based around modern street style but the garments hold some relation to their origins (recycling closures or moving pockets). As the collection was designed on the fly, so was it styled.

“Bantam” was on the long list of brand name ideas (the winner however, was Zersten). Bantam is the title of this collection for many reasons, for one, I thought it sounded strong. Come to find out a bantam is a small chicken. I found this to be appropriate because I find myself as a designer acting like a ‘chicken’ – timid, worried, fearful. I didn’t think I was ready to launch a brand yet, and I didn’t want to fail. I wanted my clothes to make the wearer feel powerful and confident even though I am not always confident in myself. Bantams tend to be feisty little chickens so this made for a perfect representation of the collection and the situation that came to fruition.