A huge amount of landfill waste comes from the fashion industry. We all know this, and it sucks because I really love clothes, and I really love shopping.
I always have.
I was a small kid, & when I was young my parents were missionaries, so we'd often shop at op shops. And I'd often be drowning in items that were way too big. So I learnt to repurpose items from op shops from a pretty young age, maybe around 12.
Other than clothes and shopping, I love drawing, design, sewing & just creating in general. (Oh! And I love my children, but that's a whole different topic. & husband. You guys are first, I promise)
Anyway, as a teenager I studied Art and Fashion through school and for a year at Uni in London. One highlight of that was having my work selected by the Tate and displayed for a few months in one of the Tate galleries in London. I was 18.
Beautifully Frank has been my way of fulfilling my desire to create, without being part of the fashion pollution problem.
More recently, I'm living in Auckland with a beautiful family and silly springer spaniel, spending my time at playgrounds with preschoolers and squeezing in time to paint and embroider second hand items whenever they're sleeping.
Beautifully Frank was where started to share things that I was creating. At the start, it was anything from jewellery to kids halloween costumes and I've developed it into a business and a brand that at the core is about creating beautiful things, while repurposing and reducing waste.
We create gorgeous one-of-a-kind artwork on pre-loved denim jackets, with hand-stitched embroidery detail & hand-painted pieces.
Now people from all over send us their jackets from their own wardrobes and people love it so much that Beautifully Frank has grown from one to two. There are two of us who sketch, paint, embroider on jackets. We really love it.
"Rather than going out and buying a new jacket, upcycle one you have!"
We sometimes describe what we do as getting a tattoo for your jacket. Like tattoos there are different sizes, & some pieces take longer than others, so we take this into account when quoting.
Another more recent change is that this month we've grown again, and teamed up with a charity called Eden Reforestation, who plant a tree with every sale we make. It's just another way for us to try and reduce our harm to the planet, our attempt at offsetting our inevitable shipping costs.
If you are curious about getting your own jacket upcycled, message us on instagram or facebook, or head to www.beautifullyfrank.com