Arielle Sidney's Upcycled Designs Go Viral on TikTok

Screenshot from TikTok: Courtesy of @ariellesidney_

Excerpt from Vouge Magazine
January 17, 2021
By Christian Allaire

One of the most interesting parts of the upcycling movement is seeing how brands can turn even the most unlikeliest of textiles into modern ready-to-wear—and Arielle Sidney, a college student in California, is a prime example of this. Her coolest pieces reuse shopping bags to make something extraordinary: On TikTok, she’s shared a jumpsuit made out of Target bags, a dress out of Walmart bags, and even a coat out of Trader Joe’s bags, among others. “Repurposing is very important to me, I see it as sort of a game,” Sidney says. “I’ll look at something old or with no purpose and be like, ‘how can I destroy this nicely?’”

The 22-year-old is currently studying drama and French at the University of California in Irvine, but dabbles in eco-friendly fashion design on the side. Sidney started playing around with a sewing machine last summer during quarantine, and having no formal background in design, she began posting her upcycled creations to TikTok simply for fun. “I didn’t really learn it per se—I just sort of started winging it,” she says.

Read the full story and interview with Arielle at Vogue.com here.