Himane.com Upcycles Broken Umbrellas Into The Latest Fashion
Recycling is great, but upcycling is even better…especially for items that don’t traditionally find their way into a recycling bin or a recycling facility. One item in particular that grabbed my attention is umbrellas. We’ve all been in a situation where a windy rainstorm has flipped our umbrella inside-out, usually resulting in a rain soaked entrance into work or school, and an umbrella in the garbage. I myself have probably gone through dozens of umbrellas throughout my lifetime, and every one has ended up in the dump. It’s not that I choose to throw them out, but there aren’t really any options to recycle an umbrella…until now.
Catherine Charlot, owner of the fashion company Himane based in Brooklyn, NY takes broken umbrellas and turns trash into fashion. After rainy weather strikes in NYC, Catherine takes to the streets looking for broken umbrellas that have been thrown to the curb, and takes them back to her studio to create dresses, handbags, dog clothing, and even jewelry.
Not only is her clothing line fashionable and environmentally friendly, but it also supports her efforts to help build a new school in her native country Haiti, which has been struggling to rebuild since a massive earthquake leveled infrastructure and killed thousands of people a year ago. 10% of all of the proceeds from Himane.com will go towards building the school, which Catherine hopes will help teach children about sustainability and recycling.
Himane is available for events, trade shows, schools, organizations and businesses to educate groups of people about the art of upcyling, and encouraging others to live a more sustainable life. Special programs are available for schools, as well as businesses interested in educating the community about sustainable practices. For more information, or to donate your broken umbrella call (646) 225-6683 or email info@himane.com.