Ivy Holland of Fredericksburg, Texas was recently selected as the winner of The Art Institute’s 09 Passion for Fashion competition in the Fashion Marketing & Merchandising and Fashion Retail Management category.

A senior in High School, Ivy’s winning entry was an eco-friendly assortment of handbags made from car upholstery. Ivy collected the materials herself from a nearby junkyard and turned the otherwise forgotten fabric into 5 purses: 2 clutches, a laptop bag, a small shoulder bag, and an oversized bag. The prize? Ivy earned a full-tuition scholarship to the Art Institute in Austin, Texas (as well as a trip to NY Fashion week)!

We were able to ask Ivy a few questions about winning the contest, her inspiration for her designs and thoughts on designing/creating sustainably. This is what Ivy had to say:

Did the Passion for Fashion contest open you up to the concept of recycling/repurposing fabrics or is it something you have thought about before? I have always been interested in recycling and “saving the planet.” I convinced my mom to use canvas bags instead of plastic and re-use CD’s and the outdated Floppy discs in personal art projects. When I learned how to sew, my favorite thing to do was buy a number of garments from Goodwill and chop them up to make new, more fashionable things, and from this came my love for recycling fabrics.

What type of things do you most frequently design?
I design clothing more than anything. I am currently making a jacket out of an old Serape blanket. The serapes are so warm and the colors are gorgeous, so it is a great idea. I hope to start making more soon; all of my friends want one.

Do you have a favorite piece that you have designed?
My favorite pieces have to be the purses I created for the Passion for Fashion Competition. They were so cool and I think they are truly marketable. As far as clothing goes, I turned a Victor Costa Crumb Catcher into an adorable Bubble Bustle dress for a friend’s VOGUE-themed party. I felt terrible for altering the dress but at the same time the finished product was great.

Do you have a specialty or a favorite skill when it comes to creating? (sewing, construction, working with hardware, design etc.)
Design is probably my strongest skill. I can see what I want to create in my head but have a harder time putting it down on paper. For my car upholstery bags, I just imagined what I wanted the product to look like and cut out pieces, hoping my vision would appear. Thankfully, they all turned out how I had imagined them, so I do think the design that takes place in my head is the most reliable thing I can count on when making something.

Are you familiar with sustainable fabrics and if so, what are some of your favorites to work with?
I have never used any sustainable fabrics because where I live they are difficult to come by. I do love the idea of organic cotton, hemp and bamboo though, and I really want to try making something out of soy or lyocell.

Have you been influenced or inspired by other designers?
On the Eco side, Linda Loudermilk, Lara Miller, and Holly Stalder are all great designers that use recycled or organic fabrics. They are an inspiration as far as using organic materials goes.
In the design aspect, I adore Betsey Johnson. Many girls do because of the “poof” and color, which appeals to me as well. But the main reason I adore her clothing is the amount of tool she uses. That seems like a ridiculous reason, but most dresses you buy in department stores put a foot of tool on the bottom of the skirt, expecting it to be full enough. I feel like if you want a dress to be full, go all the way! Follow Betsey’s lead and load it on. That is what makes most of her designs so spectacular in my opinion. She is truly an inspiration.

Has this contest inspired other ideas for future repurposing/recycling projects?
I had someone tell my the other day I should begin making coasters out of the car upholstery as well. I don’t plan on making any, but since I really have began thinking of all of the things that are out there just waiting to be used for something new. I have thought about leather jackets made from the leather seats in cars, but don’t know if I will pursue that one. Still in the thinking stage.

Thank You Ivy and congratulations. It is exciting to think what we might see from you in the future when this is what you are creating now.

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