It's no secret: fashion is one of the industries creating the most pollution across the world. While some labels have made their names thanks to sustainable practices, such as upcycling pioneer An-drea Crews, others are gradually becoming familiar with them, as evidenced by eco-responsible Gucci Off The Grid collections, the Prada Re-Nylon initiative, and the secondhand Isabel Marrant Vintage platform. But let's get back to upcycling. What is it exactly ? In the case of fashion, it con-sists of giving old clothes a second lease of life by transforming them. "Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed", here the maxim attributed to Lavoisier takes on all its mean-ing. Highly responsible, upcycling motivates designers' creativity, and buyers can afford original, rare and often unique pieces. Yet the concept is far from new. 

In 1989, Martin Margiela tried it out by sending models onto the catwalk wearing tops partly made of plastic bags. We had to wait for the arrival of Marine Serre for upcycling to create a real buzz. Every season, the winner of the LVMH Prize 2017 with a crescent moon logo presents upcycled items in her Green Line collection. Success which has encouraged big names to fall in line. Starting with John Galliano who launched the Recicla collection for Maison Margiela in 2020, giving a new tweak to a selection of designer pieces unearthed and upcycled  by the British designer. The peak of luxury? Each item bears a label indicating where its source and original date of production. The pandemic then led to unprecedented piles of surplus stocks.