Trash Transformer

Nicole’s own route to upcycling certainly wasn’t formulaic. She laughs that she was a “horrible student” at school: “I had a hard time engaging in things that didn’t interest me; my passion was more about how to communicate visually”. She was clearly a sharp self-starter – initially teaching herself sign language (inspired by her high school boyfriend, who was deaf) before going on to study it at college, and eventually switching majors to general media and design. Her aptitude was noted by sports giant Reebok, who gave the newly graduated Nicole a job in its graphic design department – which is where her upcycling adventures really took flight.

“Sport was one of my best memories of being a kid. I was always outside; I loved playing basketball and tennis – and it’s still super-important to me today,” she enthuses. Learning about the production side of the industry proved an eye-opener, in terms of the waste generated from “sampling stage” to final product: “There were piles of shoes, shoe parts, material and clothing swatches just lying around throughout the office,” she recalls. “I’m not jabbing at Reebok because this is every industry; it’s interiors, automotive, not just fashion. I was just curious, because the materials still seemed pretty good and useable but they’re gonna end up getting shredded, burned or thrown away.”

A couple of years ago, she took up rock climbing, which she describes as a “life-changing” sport for her: “Climbing requires a lot of problem-solving, which is my ideal scenario; you’re working out without realising it, because you’re so focused on the task at hand. The materials that go with it are inspiring to me, because you have to wear something that’s going to perform but isn’t going to get in your way.”

Nicole’s 2020 limited-edition collaboration with Crocs featured a surprising number of climbing keynotes: “The shoe’s ‘bootie’ insert is actually referencing a climber’s chalk bag; it has a loop on it where you would keep your brush, a rope, a carabiner, a compass, a bunch of different nick-nacks.”

Nicole’s original upcycled pieces are not sold through her website; they are essentially designed as an antidote to mass consumerism – though occasionally a piece will be auctioned to raise money for a charity or non-profit organisation. She is particularly keen to empower the next generation of creators, and to connect sustainability-minded students with companies who have excess materials to spare. And in 2022, she hopes to focus further on giving upcycling workshops to budding designers and sports fans of every background: “Workshops are one of my favourite things to do,” she says. “I never want to lose the reason why I started upcycling, and this gives me the opportunity to share what I’ve found through experimenting. We’re gonna have to get creative in the future, so we should teach younger generations resourcefulness and craftiness: a jacket could become something else. I’m hopefully giving you a couple of blueprints, so at least you can take another look in your closet. You don’t have to be taking it to the extreme that I do; it is possible to appreciate the things you have, and use them the best you can.”