Sofia Belhoari
Upcycling clothes on social media started as a hobby for the California-based TikTok user Nava Rose, who asked not to reveal her social media name, says she now uses her platform to raise awareness about sustainability in fashion.
“It all started with a bunch of stuff in thrift stores that didn't fit me,” Rose said, “and I thought, 'Okay, maybe I can shorten this or fix that.'”
The 33-year-old content creator, who has 5.7 million followers on TikTok, said her journey documenting second-hand and recycled fashion began in 2018 when she was posting for her followers on YouTube, and her passion for fashion and environmental conservation grew from there.
“Throwing things away is not a good idea,” she says, “so I thought I'd start with my own closet and see what I could recycle and make something new out of it. I know that a lot of recycled items end up in landfills.”
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In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, Rose was recently invited to represent Filipino culture at the White House Annual Dinner, where she showed off a traditional sleeved suit dress made from secondhand and recycled materials.
“I started out making clothes out of bags and now I'm in the White House,” Rose said of the experience, “and I get to wear clothes that I made myself. It was really special.”
Rose said one of her biggest motivations for pursuing her passion is her family.
“I think all of this was inspired by my mom and my grandmother,” Rose added. “I'm a third generation seamstress, so sewing has definitely run in my family and I've always watched my mom make and fix things.”
Rose also said representing her culture is a source of pride for her work and goals.
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“[My family] “This experience really helped me develop a mindset of making do with what I have, and I think that's really helped me with my DIY and upcycling,” she added. “Instead of constantly buying new things, let's appreciate what we have on this earth and think of ways to make it new again and make it lovely so that people will see it as a treasure again and not just trash.”
Rose said she doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon, and will continue to advocate for protecting the planet in fun and unique ways, like recreating new fashion items online and composting.
“I'm always super supportive of anyone wanting to get into the DIY and fashion world,” she added. “Whatever your passion is, just go for it, because we don't know how much longer we have left on this earth.”
When asked what one thing she's learned about fashion, Rose said, “Don't take yourself too seriously. Have fun.”