People are rediscovering the joy of Doing-It-Yourself (DIY) and upcycling, leading to pushing consumerism out of normality. Buying things online with the click of a button may be easier, but there’s satisfaction in creating or revamping. It could be repairing, creating, building or restoring something on your own; DIY has a vast range.
Samsseams, created by Tualatin High School senior Sam Ashley, is a creative outlet and cottage industry where Ashley recycles and spruces up used denim into new pairs of jeans. His passion for sustainability and creativity led to this unique and impressive hobby.
“Because I do all my clothing shopping from secondhand sources, I’ve always had to deal with the problems of sizing and quality, like oversized waistlines in jeans or holes in shirts. So I learned how to sew and started Samsseams, with a goal to take undesirable secondhand fabric and turn it into something that would appeal to others in the modern day,” Ashley explained.
Ashley embodies the overall concept behind DIY and its rise; the process of upcycling used pieces of denim reduces unnecessary fabric waste and also allows his makings to be their own statement pieces.
“There is personalization and individuality in each piece I create,” Ashley said. “More specifically, I offer services to tailor and adjust the buyer’s own personal clothing with [the addition of] other used material. It lets them alter their clothes through my store instead of going out and buying new jeans.”
Ashley focuses this brand on the idea of the preservation of one’s favorite t-shirt or favorite pants, with a custom alteration being able to extend clothing items in the ever-changing fashion industry.
“Upcycling used clothing adds so much value and character to a garment solely through a creative twist, but also, and more importantly, it’s encouraging sustainability through the longevity of a product lifespan.”
Samsseams brings DIY and upcycling together to promote sustainability and personal expression with its projects. The possibilities are endless with doing things yourself.