Sustainable Concept Designs
The Story: My Sister’s umbrella
“My sister left home to college with that umbrella and never used it she said. When she made it back home after graduation I found the umbrella inside an old bag and took it out in a rainy and windy day. The wind dismantled it and for some reason I did not want to get rid of it. When I came across your work, I said I need to see what can she be making of that old umbrella. When I received that beautiful jacket, I was speechless, so impress and so happy I did not discarded it. My sister now is the one wearing it most of the time, she is so proud to let everyone knows she is wearing her old umbrella. Thank you for doing the type of work you do, you are helping us view our discarded items with different eyes.”
Josy L.. New York
"Upcycling, Unforgettable Thankmas" (No pics unfortunately, clients privacy)
I first met Catherine at a Style with Glee clothing swap in Brooklyn, and I was immediately taken with the idea of Himane and its upcycling approach to fashion — using discarded items like umbrellas to make useful and fashionable clothing and accessories. But when Catherine mentioned that the skirt she was wearing was made from her late mother's blouse, I knew our paths had crossed for a reason. I had just lost my father to cancer four months earlier, and my mother was having a hard time still seeing my father's clothes in the closet each day. So I told Catherine that I wanted to make gifts for my family out of my father's clothes for the following Christmas.
What Upcycle with Himane does is already so admirable — taking something that once was of us and not only recycling it, but also making it better, for both the recipient and the environment. But more so, she has given me something irreplaceable. I'm comforted by these one-of-a-kind items made from the clothes he wore, and to have it be something functional that my family and I can use every day is a huge bonus. Now, a part of my father can travel with me wherever I go, and Catherine has made that possible. Through her hard work and ingenuity, she has given me the greatest holiday season I can imagine — enabling me to give lifelong gifts to those who remember their dad, husband, brother, grandpa, uncle and best friend. For that, along with Catherine's creativity and compassion, I am forever grateful.
Carla Rose Fisher, New York
Vintage Reconstruction
HIMANE SUSTAINABLE DESIGNS is an independent sewing and design studio based in New York City.
The company, was founded in 2002 by Catherine Edouard Charlot with an inspired creative vision: to combine compassion for the planet with a passion for fashion. Most famous for our use of discarded umbrellas, we also work with canvas, vegan leather, organic cotton, hemp, fish skin, denim, burlap, inner tube and other re-purposed and recycled materials, sourced in the most responsible ways.
Recycled items are deconstructed, cleaned, re-cut and completely transformed into new designs. We believe that extending the life of an object by giving it a new form and purpose honors its previous makers, extends its value and usefulness, and protects our fragile planet. We take pleasure in adding a new chapter to the story of each item, and in the process create stylish objects that can be used every day and stand the test of time.
All of our products are hand crafted in our New York studio with an obsessive attention to quality and durability.
On a private commission basis, HIMANE SUSTAINABLE CONCEPT DESIGNS also continues to do custom work, redesigning beloved clothing pieces into unique fashions and accessories. Workshops are available to senior groups, school children and anyone interested in learning about upcycling.
