The Rebrand of Upcycling
The word 'upcycled' probably triggers some specific memories for many of us.
For me? Not to show my age here, but I immediately think of that overpacked rack in Urban Outfitters, stuffed with men's plaid shirts reworked into elasticated high-waist pocket skirts. SO indie! Or the “shabby chic” white-washed tables of the 2010s (the horror).
Honestly, the word 'upcycled' feels trapped in a Pinterest board from 15 years ago.
Which is a bit bizarre given it’s the practice of redesigning, repurposing, and remaking an old item into something NEW and modern-day relevant. Not to mention that this process is fundamentally how we create well…anything. Take a combination of materials and rework enough until it becomes shiny, useful and valuable enough to boot up the hype machine.
So the act is relevant but the name is dated.
I see this problem cropping up so often in transformation projects: outdated ideas holding back essential progress. The disconnect is fascinating. We have:
A valuable practice (transforming existing materials)
Clear market demand (personal style > trends shift)
Strong innovators (from Nicole McLoughlin to MiuMiu)
Industry recognition (Vogue Business coverage and the launch of Loom.fashion)
Yet widespread adoption stalls and we’re all focused instead on newGen materials. Why? Mindsets, shaped by the main barrier aka the word itself: Upcycle.
Every single change has significant challenges to overcome. All changes start with a mindset shift.
Decoupling the act of redesigning and evolving the old into the new might shift minds enough to review challenges of scale. Because yes, logistics are an issue but - and not to over simplify this - but capturing the hearts and minds of the economically fortunate do tend to overcome such challenges. See also: AI.
Every single change has significant challenges to overcome. All changes start with a mindset shift. And nothing is really impossible on a planet where we have built (to name a few) seabed cables, oil rigs in the North Sea, an International Space Station and a platform for a man named Felix to jump in freefall from SPACE to Earth.
Ok, bringing it back to earth: At the end of the day itt’s all about perception. Every accomplishment follows the process of reworking the old into the new. Conceptually speaking, we are constantly upcycling everything - under another given name.
Language shapes reality. Our vocabulary choices influence perception, which drives behaviour.
Focusing now on successful circular transformations, just look at how:
'Second-hand' upgraded to 'pre-loved' and ‘resell’
'Charity shopping' got Americanized into 'thrifting'
'Hand-me-downs' now enter their 'archival' era
(Though the humble jumble sale still awaits its linguistic glow-up, much to my dismay.)
Next in line for a rebrand needs to be Upcycle because the concept is there but the packaging needs a facelift.
Now is the time
We all know that the fashion industry - and beyond - desperately needs alternatives to endless production. Upcycling offers exactly that: a shift from volume to value creation that can shift us beyond short-term thinking. Not to mention Gen-Z's hunger for individuality, and luxury brands dipping their toes into the space, we're at a tipping point…it’s about to go aspirational.
But if we don’t shift our perception of the word, then what? A perfectly suitable solution left to the archives.
Change is a team effort. Let’s upcycle “Upcycling.”