Wednesday, Upsycle presented its very first runway collection featuring both menswear and womenswear. The town and catwalk were painted green, the signature colour of the brand with grass-covered floors, and piles of green clothes to be upcycled with actual Upsycle pieces hung above our heads on washing lines.
The show began with a feature film starring creative director Nathan Oki and numerous other Upsycle-clad models. The tale begins with a young boy learning how to sew and eventually converting people little by little to his vision for the future of fashion.
The models emerged onto the runway, walking rhythmically to a soundtrack consisting of Jay-Z and Kanye West songs. As the models walked the runway, I couldn’t help but notice the Upsycle pieces were reminiscent of things that we’ve seen in the wardrobe of Oki himself but reinvented and “upsycled”.
The collection consists of flared denim with the Upsycle motif and slogan on the back pockets, as well as a button detailing on the hem of the jeans. We also see different unisex track pants in the signature Upsycle green and stitching detailing that creates the effect of different garments being stitched together to make a whole new piece. This was paired with a corset hoodie for ladies and an oversized jumper for men. I’m going to leave a little to the imagination to prepare you for the launch of the collection on their website but do look out for my favorite piece, which I’m sure will be a top seller. The black and green leather varsity jacket and matching black leather flared pants. This full leather ensemble caught my attention the moment I saw the model come onto the catwalk.
Afterwards, creative director, Nathan Oki, came out in a custom Upsycle staff boiler suit and gave his thanks to all the A-listers in the frow to everyone who came out to support his first runway show. Afterwards, the night was filled with a buzz as everyone mingled and mused on what pieces they’d be adding to their wardrobes this September.
