Montreal designer Ben Lafaille is reinventing upcycled fashion.

On giving a second life to unwanted garments.

BEN LAFAILLE SEES THE POTENTIAL in everything. Instead of having a theme for his new fall/winter collection, he let the eclectic assemblage of materials speak for itself: Military parachutes are transformed into asymmetrical ruched dresses, colourful quilts into bustiers and dyed T-shirts into casual suits. “[When] you’re using an old piece of fabric, its details become part of [the new piece],” says Lafaille. Each of the resulting one-of-a-kind “franken-styles” is part of his ever-evolving experiment in producing fashion for a sustainable future—an art form that the Montrealbased designer has been steadily perfecting since launching Laugh By Lafaille almost four years ago. The former toy designer made the leap to upcycled fashion after his hobby of deconstructing thrifted clothing took off when people asked about purchasing the creations. This transition, also prompted by his decision to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle, was the beginning of the brand. Despite hurdles in convincing retailers to stock his garments—which come in limited quantities and have slight variations depending on the material used—Lafaille is optimistic about the rising popularity of upcycling among both consumers and other designers. “You get inspired by one another and you lift one another up,” he says.

A SUSTAINABLE SHIFT

“The fact that I’m starting to have selling points even though I’m [completely] upcycled is proof that the [attitudes of buyers are] changing. It’s a challenge, but some stores—especially [smaller] ones—are willing to try. It’s a new wave that we’re trying to push through.”

LAYERED OPERATION

“To make an inventory of 10 [pairs of] pants, I would need 40 [pairs of] shorts. It can take quite long to produce. It’s not just two T-shirts sewn together. The construction is more complicated than it used to be, but I think people see the work in my pieces and recognize that.”

INCLUSIVE IDEAS

“Most of my customers right now are women, gender-fluid or queer. As someone who’s also part of the LGBTQ+ community, I keep this in mind when I design. It’s part of my process [to create for those who might have grown up on the margins].”