Meet the London-based Designer Upcycling Secondhand Sneakers into Clothing
Hypebae speaks to KIPPA TRES, a sustainable fashion label celebrating the progress of women in sport.
KIPPA TRES is the emerging London-based label dedicated to promoting a more sustainable future.
The brand’s latest collection came about as a result of an open call for funding, kickstarted by creative agency Mox London and supported by the likes of Sheaker Magazine and Women in Sneakers. The open call allowed for 22 wxmen to pitch an idea centered around sneakers, in order to be given a budget to bring their projects to life.
As a result, KIPPA TRES built upon the brand’s conscious ethos and desire to repurpose existing materials to create a collection entirely derived from deadstock sneakers. “The focus of my project was to celebrate the progress made by women for women whilst using innovative sustainable practices,” founder and designer Sophie Tresadern tells Hypebae. “Although significant progress has been made for our voices, the rights and attitudes towards the value of women in sports is something that still needs to be improved on,” she continues.
Combining such inspirations with Tresadern’s passion for upcycling, the result is a 2-part clothing collection, comprised of a co-ord made entirely of shoelaces and an upcycled suit, created using couching and applique.
We caught up with the designer to find out more about the collection, where her inspiration comes from and the significance of using deadstock materials and innovative upcycling techniques to combat overconsumption.
Scroll down to read the full interview.
Tell us a bit about how KIPPA TRES came about. Where does the name come from?
Kippa Tres originally began in one of the many lockdowns where I started to play around with up-cycling, I was throwing away so many garments I just didn’t wear, and I thought it was such a waste. My friends and family began to donate all their old items to me and that’s where it all began. I love seeing the process of taking something old and making it new again, seeing the different outcomes you can achieve.
The name actually comes from a nickname I was given by my now best friend. I first met her at university and she told me I reminded her of ‘kipper the dog,’ I think it’s because he has a friendly face. Not the fact that it’s a dog (I hope). I liked the name Kipper so I changed it to “Kippa” and my last name is Tresadern. So Kippa Tres was born.
Upcycling and responsible design appear to be a core part of your practice as a designer. Why is that important to you?
I think reusing and repurposing has always been something I have been conscious of as I’ve learnt the importance of this through my mum. She’s always saving old packaging and other items that she can make use of in the future, rather than buying something new and unnecessary repeatedly. I try to be sustainable in most aspects of my brand as it’s a solution to tackle the most critical issue in our global community.
Where does your inspiration come from?
I think my main point of inspiration is from the actual textures, colours, prints and silhouettes of the garments and fabrics. I have so many deadstock items, I can build collections and start to see what a collection will look like through, touching, cutting and draping them. I also think I use my own style as inspiration, if I like it and would wear it then I hope other people will appreciate it, too!
This project celebrates the passion and progression of women in sport. How does that inspire you?
It has brought great inspiration to see boundaries being broken across women’s sport, from the Barcelona women’s football team breaking attendance records at the Cap Nou (91k!), to the courageous Norwegian women’s beach volleyball team refusing to wear the traditional bikini shorts at a competition. I’ve always been sporty throughout my life so it resonates with me as well as makes me proud to be a woman.
Finally, what’s next for you?
I’m just going to keep pushing the brand and keep motivated for the year, I have some new projects planned and new pop-ups coming up. I’ve also recently started repurposing second-hand and broken furniture, using new sustainable methods with my partner. In most recent projects we have been repairing old chairs and used old boxer short straps, and deadstock fabrics from my brand to reupholster. It’s a spin-off from KIPPA and is called @kip_n_flip, for reference. We also hope to expand into reworking all kinds of furniture and homeware, so that will be a focus for us this year.
