As part of the Reserved upcycled by INTU capsule collection, 10 clothing models and accessories were created, conceived and sewn from items with production defects that could not be put up for sale.
The collection includes jackets with contrasting piping and oversized collars; a muslin set, composed of a blouse and shorts that can be worn together or separately in a burgundy shade with a polka dot print; a quilted vest with contrasting details; a messenger bag worn crossbody and a pouch keychain that can be attached to the bag or worn individually; a detachable collar available in two versions, designed to be integrated into styling with pullovers, hoodies or t-shirts; an apron and a scrunchie.
The collection represents a playful exploration of form, colour and print, marked by a clear affinity for contrasts and a contemporary, future-oriented approach. The creative process itself upcycling not as a trend, but as a way of thinking was the main source of inspiration. The blending of material scraps, the discovery of new construction solutions and the treatment of existing materials as a starting point for design defined the entire concept. The limitations generated by the available materials, as well as their history and unpredictability, established the direction of the collection. Working with what already exists allows for experimentation with forms, colours and proportions, while maintaining the coherence and refinement of the silhouettes. The collection demonstrates that upcycling can be modern, aesthetic and inspirational, redefining the perception of this concept in contemporary fashion.
The project was born from the brand Reserved’s desire to give a new life to items with production defects that could not be commercialized, transforming them into a complete collection: “From the very beginning, it was essential for us that this should not be just an experiment or a marketing initiative, but a fully-fledged collection, created according to the same principles as all other Reserved collections”, says Ewa Janczukowicz-Cichosz, Sustainability Expert. “We had no previous experience in upcycling and we knew it would be a real challenge for the brand. That was when we decided that the project had to be developed in collaboration with external creators. Together with the product team, we searched for a partner who would not be intimidated either by the scale of the project or by our requirements. That is how we discovered INTU Circularity, who accepted the challenge and was prepared to work in a model adapted to the reality of a large-scale brand from design and technology to a product that needs to be desirable, to fit within clearly defined price ranges and to meet business objectives.”
“The collaboration was extremely inspirational for us. The shared objective was to give a new life to existing products in our offer”, says Joanna Gorecka, Director of the Product Office at Reserved. “The INTU designers demonstrated remarkable creativity and fully leveraged the potential of the patterns, giving them a fresh and modern expression.”
From the very beginning, the project brought challenges both at a creative and at a production level. A key role was played by the technologists involved in the economic scaling of the process. The objective was not only to create unique designs, but to develop them in a way compatible with the structure of a large brand, so that they would reach customers in an attractive and wearable form. Upcycling requires a completely different approach compared to conventional fashion.
“Upcycling completely changes the way we think about design”, explains Veronika Czarnocka, CEO of INTU Circularity and designer of the collection created together with Reserved. “We do not start from a clear final vision, but from an idea and from what we effectively have available. Each material dictates different decisions and distinct construction solutions. It is a process full of challenges, but also of extraordinary creativity. For me, it was very important that these upcycled pieces should look like fashion in the true sense of the word aesthetic, modern and natural. We want to demystify the term and show that circular fashion can look exactly like the clothes we buy every day.”
The design process does not begin with a rigid vision, but with a general concept and a guiding idea. Only after receiving the available materials can the actual work begin and construction decisions be made. The production of upcycled pieces represents, in turn, a significant challenge for the workshops involved. In this type of process, the cutting stage is the most complex and unpredictable: each piece requires an individual approach and exceptional precision.
Reaching a relevant production scale, while maintaining the coherence of the design, is extremely difficult, and this balance became one of the central pillars of the Reserved upcycled by INTU project.
The project forms part of the broader efforts of the Reserved brand in the direction of circularity. For years, the brand has been developing initiatives aimed at extending the lifecycle of garments and reducing textile waste. Reserved was a partner of the Care for Your Clothes project, which promotes the conscious and responsible use of clothing, and runs collection programmes in stores for worn garments, which are then introduced into a new lifecycle or go through processes of upcycling, downcycling or recycling. In addition, the brand makes educational materials available to customers about the care and repair of garments, through the Product Care platform.
