We know you have a few…don’t fib. The bridesmaid dress. That dress you were forced to wear, maybe recently when your dear friend’s good taste when down the bridal drain…or from (enter family members name here) wedding 5, 10, maybe even 15 years ago. What about leftover prom dresses? Maybe we still have a few of those too. We all push them to the back of the closet and try to forget ever leaving the house in them. But why? Take them out, shake off the dust…they can be reborn! Be inspired by Angie Arner and Liz Nelson, the darlings of Minneapolis-based CounterCouture Designs. Their collaborative and sustainable model strikes a chord with us, and we are happy to wave their tagline flag…Fashion Must Evolve.

Angie Arner and Liz Nelson

Darlings: Tell us the story behind the idea for CounterCouture and how you started upcycling wedding & bridesmaid dresses?
CounterCouture: I was about to move and my sister was helping me decide what to do with my three bridesmaid dresses. We started brainstorming and I realized there was virtually no market for this yet, besides basic alterations and donations. So I just jumped into it, I determined the basic objectives for our brand and those objectives have grown a great deal within a year. I wanted to work with local designers, help expose the notion of ethical fashion, slow fashion, upcycling, and sustainable design to a Midwest audience, collaborate with other groups to inspire innovation, and help support nonprofits while doing it.

Darlings: How does it work, does a person bring in their dress to be re-styled for themselves or do you take wedding dress donations that you restyle and sell?
CounterCouture: Both. We began with redesigning donations (there was not a shortage of inventory let me tell you) and then just recently announced a Custom Couture service that allows people to keep their sentimental garments, but transform them to different degrees. We’ll continue to do both and will be producing more cohesive collections for retail by this fall.

Darlings: Where can people send their dresses to if they want to make a donation?
CounterCouture: We are still working on getting a studio space, so if the donations are being made locally (within Mpls/St.Paul) then we can pick the dress(es) up from you. We also try and keep in touch with the donor, showing them what their dress turned into. We’ll gladly take donations from out of state too, just contact us. Since there is an abundance of dresses out there, I’ve tried to be a little more picky about what I accept because the quality of the fabric and cleanliness of the gown is very important to the design process.

Darlings: Who does the sewing and re-designing of the dresses? Does a designer have to be in MN area to participate?
CounterCouture: I have a design panel that does the design sketches and construction. For example, one designer chooses which piece they want to redesign and we work together to form the creative direction that fits the CounterCouture aesthetic. After those beginning stages, they pass it off to the sewing assistants who make it constructionally sound. It is a very collaborative process. There are times when all the designers work together to make specialty pieces for events as well. At this time the designers are all in the Metro area to maintain that close collaborative environment, but we are currently exploring working with others in the Midwest to grow our network of talent.

Darlings: How important is collaborating with other creative individuals or companies to your business model.
CounterCouture: Integral. The fashion scene here is still growing so in order for the whole movement to be successful we have focus on building up our partnerships while consecutively growing ourselves. It’s all about win-win. Plus you have to be open to partnering with groups within other industries, because in the sustainable fashion realm, there is no real solid business model for success yet…so we have the freedom to shake it up a bit more.

Darlings: Can you tell about some past projects you have collaborated on?
CounterCouture: Our last event, Alter/Nation was a quite large event in which we brought in about 10 partners to pull it off. Each one of them made the event exactly what we envisioned and we could not have had such a successful event without them. The goal was to encourage consumers to take an active part in the evolution of their wardrobes; Anthem Heart did live screen printing, local designers showcased upcycled pieces on the runway, Vintage City Classics showcased vintage and upcycled jewelry, and Yelp helped market the swapping extravaganza, just to name a few. I’ve Got Your Style and Taj Salon & Spa have also been with us many steps of the way. The list goes on, and will continue to do so.

Live Altering @ Alter Nation

Darlings: Are there any future events you like to tell our community about?
CounterCouture: CounterCouture is actually co-hosting a bicycle themed rock and fashion show with the band Melloroar on July 23rd. My design panel is designing 8 looks (four ready to wear paired with four couture). It’s all going down at the Red Stag, a LEED certified restaurant and bar who has sponsored an event for us before. There will be a bike valet, drinks, two bands, and CounterCouture fashion; all to applaud our city for being the number one bike city in the nation!

Darlings: What’s next for CounterCouture?
CounterCouture: The great thing about how we’ve grown in the last year is having the ability to pursue opportunities we didn’t necessarily plan for. We’re excited about providing custom design services for women, continuing production on the line, and further developing our sustainable production process. I’m especially looking forward to putting on more events and utilizing our staff’s public relations and marketing skills to be a beacon for those out there also trying to make a change within the wasteful apparel industry.

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