{"id":63346,"date":"2015-10-20T23:03:26","date_gmt":"2015-10-21T04:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=63346"},"modified":"2015-10-20T23:03:26","modified_gmt":"2015-10-21T04:03:26","slug":"old-as-new-canadian-label-preloved-marks-20-years-of-sustainable-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2015\/10\/20\/old-as-new-canadian-label-preloved-marks-20-years-of-sustainable-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Old as new: Canadian label Preloved marks 20 years of sustainable style"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"(Photo<\/a>
(Photo from Preloved’s website<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

TORONTO \u2013 Everything old is new again at Preloved, and the proof is stitched into every garment the Canadian label has produced for the past two decades.<\/p>\n

Preloved launched in 1995 and made its imprint on sustainable style by reworking vintage fabrics into new garments. The end result: the teaming of seemingly contrasting pieces to create a cohesive new pattern and design.<\/p>\n

The made-in-Canada label also makes use of \u201cdead stock\u201d materials \u2013 such as the ends of fabric bolts \u2013 which are transformed into fresh fashions, said Preloved founder and creative director Julia Grieve.<\/p>\n

Grieve believes consumers are increasingly more educated and conscious about where their garments are produced, as well as the impact that their purchases are having on the planet. But she noted that the desire for trendy, affordable goods is still a major driver behind why fast fashion continues to thrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fashion. It\u2019s very fun, it\u2019s very exciting\u2026 So when you can see a T-shirt for $5 and \u2018I can get this new outfit.\u2019 It’s like: \u2018Oh!\u2019 But again, more awareness will stop that,\u201d said Grieve, a former international model turned entrepreneur.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can still get that same high, but maybe we just invest a bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Preloved is devoted to producing one-of-a-kind sustainable designs, Grieve is quick to acknowledge the deconstruction and reconstruction of garments isn’t a unique concept.<\/p>\n

\u201cTaking something old and making it new again? Hello! It\u2019s the oldest trick in the book. Moms have been doing this for years, taking somebody\u2019s clothing and cutting it up,\u201d Grieve said in an interview at her office, housed within an east-end Toronto factory where her garments are produced.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what Preloved is able to do is be able to do that and create clothing that is hanging in some of the best boutiques in the world. It never feels crafty.\u201d<\/p>\n

The brand has expanded beyond Canada with a presence in some 400 independent boutiques worldwide. Hollywood leading ladies including Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson and Julia Roberts have worn Preloved creations.<\/p>\n

Preloved celebrated its 20th anniversary with a return to the runway, presenting its latest collection at Toronto\u2019s World MasterCard Fashion Week on Monday.<\/p>\n

The spring-summer 2016 line was made up of three distinct collections embodying elements of Canada\u2019s natural landscape.<\/p>\n

The presentation opened with Scouts Honour, described as a representation of the \u201ccalmness and beauty of Canada\u2019s north\u201d with relaxed silhouettes and a more muted natural colour palette encompassing shades of blue, grey and green.<\/p>\n

A bolder more vibrantly hued palette enlivened the Staycation segment, which punctuated its denim designs with colourful hits of tropical floral prints and also showcased patchwork patterning.<\/p>\n

The \u201870s boho inspired Desert Rock-themed garments closed out the showcase, with free-flowing, off-shoulder shirts and graphic patterned maxi dresses in the mix.<\/p>\n

Grieve brought the party to the runway for the final walk, joining the models with black, white and silver balloons in tow including the numbers \u201c2\u201d and \u201c0\u201d in inflatable numerals.<\/p>\n

The commemoration of the anniversary continues away from the catwalk. Grieve said Preloved is also teaming with 20 independent boutiques across Canada to create and curate individual collections.<\/p>\n

As Preloved marks a major milestone, Grieve also reflected on the setbacks her company has faced over the years.<\/p>\n

In 2008, Preloved lost its downtown Toronto boutique in a six-alarm blaze that gutted an entire city block. In 2012, Grieve said they experienced a huge in-store flood which was \u201calmost impossible to recover from,\u201d resulting in the loss of wholesale orders, patterns, designs and fabrics.<\/p>\n

The label bounced back, and more recently, Grieve said the key to success has been through collaborations with larger retailers where they apply the Preloved approach on a grander scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always say I\u2019ve been mass-producing a one-off for the past 20 years because each piece is unique \u2013 but there needs to be consistency to the brand,\u201d said Grieve.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re selling to large retailers like Holt Renfrew, they don\u2019t like the term \u2018assorted.\u2019 The buyer kind of needs to know what she\u2019s going to get. So, we\u2019re able to blend in some new fabrics that can keep the body the same, but add bits of recycled pieces to it so it can show the uniqueness.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TORONTO \u2013 Everything old is new again at Preloved, and the proof is stitched into every garment the Canadian label …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":63347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[35],"class_list":["post-63346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fashion-and-beauty","tag-original","mauthors-lauren-la-rose","mauthors-the-canadian-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}