Young TikToker’s are gathering inspiration from classic fashion houses to create ‘designer’ pieces out of inexpensive materials.
TikTok has introduced us to many hacks, recipes, and DIY projects. The latest to go viral is homemade designer clothing tutorials, in which young fashion lovers are gathering inspiration from classic fashion houses to create clothing looks from inexpensive materials without the need for a sewing machine.
Repurposing alternative materials in fashion is practically synonymous with designer Maison Margiela. Since 1988, the French fashion house has worked toward repurposing and redefining fabrics. Margiela has used many reconstructed raw materials. The brand’s F/W ’98 show featured plastic-wrapped sleeves, even using bolts and caution tape to sew fabrics together. Margiela has created sweaters from socks, vests from gloves, and tops from disco balls. Recently, this innovation has spread to a new audience—the fashion lovers on TikTok.
TikTok user @ninaxpao posted a video tutorial on how to achieve the Maison Margiela aesthetic using a pair of pantyhose. She began to cut and deconstruct a pair of stockings and turn them into a one-of-a-kind crop top. Although it’s not an exact replica of the designer, she credits Mr. Margiela as the inspiration behind her work. Repurposed Pantyhose made their designer debut in F/W ’91 when the brand released a pair layered as a shirt above an intentionally creased dress. The brand has also used pantyhose to form a belt, blouse, and multiple dresses.
Margiela has always been searching for new ways to push fashion’s boundaries. The brand is associated with not only deconstruction but its iconic tabi booties. It wasn’t until 1996 that Mr. Margiela combined the two for his S/S show via the creation of ‘Les Topless’ Tabis. This design was solely made with the sole and heel of a tabi boot, mimicking the silhouette of a sandal. With the shoes dismantled down to the bare bones, there were no straps, leaving the only way to fasten them to your feet through the use of tape. This technique was adopted by DIY TikToker @lilsweeets, who made skin-tight heeled booties by using brown packing tape on her feet and legs.
It’s not just Margiela that has been the subject of DIY fashion hacks. Social media influencer Natalia Taylor created a DIY video using a $16 Amazon Purse and a knockoff Prada logo plate to create her very own interpretation of the Prada Nylon Mini Bag. Through her hack, she saved over $900 and shared it with over 900,000 of her followers.
Although these designer hacks don’t hold the same quality and longevity as the original designer pieces, they champion creative interpretation and allow those who may not otherwise be able to afford luxury fashion’s high price point to experience world-class designs.
Images courtesy of @lilsweeets
