Erika Domanico “My Brand is called Sassy Scraps Upcycles”
1.Tell me a bit about your brand?
My Brand is called Sassy Scraps Upcycles. My garments and accessories are pieces from potential landfills, deconstructed, then reconstructed, to create wearable works of art. Clothing has been altered in silhouette with new fabric, reconstructed to create more movement and aesthetic interest. Jewelry has also been recreated from misfit findings and resets in leather and necessary hardware pieces to make a true artistic statement. I work from customers’ closets as well, jeans into skirts, blankets into ponchos, keys into neckpieces, to name only a few of so many possibilities, to give back to them in a Custom, New-Born Form.
2. What’s the story behind this collection? Who/ what inspired it?
I was inspired to start sewing from the time I began working with fabrics for Window Treatments that I was designing for my Interior Design Business back in 2011. Having my Interior Design Degree, I started repurposing my upholstery fabric swatches into purses and my leather swatches into making jewelry pieces, and it all evolved from there. In addition to this, my Late Mom made all of my prom dresses as well as my wedding gown, and my Grandma used to have me thread her needles for her while doing handwork on my living room couch. Textile shopping was a monthly adventure for us. I would stare at all the bolts of fabric and feel through the remnant bins in complete awe from the time I was 5 years old. It was truly destiny for me to work with fabric, no doubt. I adore it even more than ever.
3. What role do you think social media plays in fashion today?
The Role that Social Media plays today is undoubtedly different towards Fashion than it was Pre-Covid. On Social Media, we now see the “Comfy and the Cozy” more often, which is all about my designs. The fabric inserts I apply into the existing silhouettes create an easy fit, which people like while working from home. I just started upcycling robes, sweatpants, and making denim slippers from jeans, which totally inspired me while being home for this past year, not going out to restaurants, theatres, and parties. People are also thinking more conveniently these days, “shopping” their own closets and redesigning misfit finds, rather than going to a mall to find a piece that a neighbor could be wearing. This is where I come in as a sustainable designer. The icing on the cake? Eco-friendly- Couture! Take pictures on your social media account wearing something that no one else has while not putting more throw-away in the landfill!
4. Way to reach the showcase of a fashion designer?
IDFW is the first and only international digital fashion week that showcases fashion designers from all over the globe and that airs exclusively on FNL Network for FREE. Just click here https://linktr.ee/fnlnetwork to install FNL Network for free. As the first and only TV network to create a digitally broadcasted global Fashion Week, IDFW is the biggest fashion week ever showcased to date and is accessible everywhere around the world on Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Android devices, all iOS devices and even your Mac computer from your app store all for FREE. Yogofi by TravelWifi is the official telecommunications partner of International Digital Fashion Week, they offer mobile Wi-Fi for global business and leisure travel with network coverage of 140+ countries check them out here https://yogofi.com/
