Did you rip a hole in a pair of pants you love?
Is there a shirt in your closet made of a great fabric, but out of style? Don’t just throw it out — recycle it. Jill Pillot, the owner of Ricochet, a children’s and maternity clothing consignment store in San Mateo and designer of clothing lines Ricochet and Sans Paroles encourages all to turn old clothes and fabrics into new fashion. Her clothing, which is sold at several locations around the Bay Area, will be at Pillot’s booth at the Burlingame Art and Jazz Festival’s Green Home and Garden Exhibit this weekend. The exhibit showcases sustainable local businesses and shares what they are doing to conserve and protect the Earth.
Pillot’s journey to green fashion began 12 years ago when she opened the consignment store, Ricochet, while designing and constructing clothing as a hobby. To refine her technique, she studied fashion design and costume design at Cañada College. Today, she designs “wearable art” for children and adults in the forms of her two collections.
Pillot uses donated clothing in both her casual Ricochet collection and the slightly more upscale Sans Paroles. Making clothing from recycled material “has always been a way of life” for Pillot, who started selling her Earth-friendly fashions about a year ago.
“I want to inspire other people to recreate things from what they already have,” said Pillot. She offers sewing lessons on weekday mornings, where small groups of students can work on individual environmentally-friendly projects. Pillot also teaches Saturday workshops in Half Moon Bay and does commissioned work.
Rescuing clothing from thrift stores or even the back of one’s own closet is a great way to help the environment. While buying new clothing made from organic material may be helpful, using clothes that don’t need to be shipped or made in a factory is even better. Each garment is made in San Mateo County.
“This is as green as it can go,” said Pillot. “This is all waste that’s going to be put use again, especially old clothing that is outdated or out of style. It’s good to recreate them.”
Her one-of-a-kind pieces with European flair can be found at the Green Home and Garden Exhibit as part of the 16th annual Burlingame Art and Jazz Festival. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through the weekend on Burlingame Avenue. In addition to highlighting sustainable local businesses, the festival will feature over 150 artists, fine art, sculptures, crafts, gourmet food and a children’s area. For more information visit www.burlingamechamber.org or contact Georgette Naylor at 344-1735.
For more information
about Jill Pillot visit
www.ricochetwearableart.net.
.
|