An influential name in sustainable fashion, Nicole McLaughlin is known for her ability to take virtually anything old and give it a new life — we’re talking slippers made out of tennis balls, underwear transformed from workwear garb, and a one-of-a-kind jacket repurposed from goalkeeper gloves. Now, the designer is invited by Polaroid to create a custom, upcycled piece for the brand’s smallest camera, the Polaroid Go.
To celebrate the collaboration in which the artist creates a harness top with functional camera cases, McLaughlin captures her creative process using the compact instant camera. Take a look at the behind-the-scenes moments in her photo diary, shot in her Brooklyn studio, below.
What has been keeping you busy and motivated these days?
The quest to find the most sustainable ways to upcycle and create things always keeps me busy. I’m constantly on the lookout for new materials to experiment with and switch up my approach to making pieces. I’m definitely not bored, because every job I do and the materials I get to work with are different.
When’s your favorite time of the day?
Nighttime is when I get the majority of my inspiration. It’s also when I feel the most energized. But I wish that was in the morning.
